Dylan :)
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Post by Dylan :) on Jun 20, 2023 8:20:01 GMT -5
#3 (+1) on US Spotify!
#7 Philippines #12 Global #17 Canada #17 Ireland #20 United Kingdom #25 Australia #35 New Zealand
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MissAmericana
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How long could we be a sad song?
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Post by MissAmericana on Jun 20, 2023 9:35:32 GMT -5
Smash!
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kamala 2024 truther
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Post by kamala 2024 truther on Jun 20, 2023 11:44:00 GMT -5
This is starting to enter unfathomable territory. If you had told me 4 years ago that βCruel Summerβ would be setting itself up to become one of the definitive Taylor Swift songs, Iβd have laughed at you. Iβm so excited to see this song smash the way it always has deserved to.
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G-Reg
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Post by G-Reg on Jun 20, 2023 12:39:35 GMT -5
No matter where this peaks on the Hot 100, this is going to be one of her biggest hits of all time. Especially I think in terms of recurrent streaming in the future, which is the 2020βs true mark of success.
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NeRD
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Post by NeRD on Jun 20, 2023 13:23:18 GMT -5
Yeah, everything seems to be falling into place for this.
I wonder if it'll get a big increase the first day of summer!?
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Dylan :)
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Post by Dylan :) on Jun 20, 2023 13:40:30 GMT -5
I wonder if next year, it will resurge again with the International Leg of the tour
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π Eloquent β’
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Post by π Eloquent β’ on Jun 20, 2023 14:18:00 GMT -5
SO good seeing this finally become the smash most of us always knew it could be! Honestly I got the same feeling the first time I heard this as the first time I heard "Blank Space", like, "oh, this is gonna be big." Can't wait to see just how far she goes. She's definitely setting up her next album for another milli opening! Unfathomable.
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Juan Carlos
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Post by Juan Carlos on Jun 20, 2023 17:16:34 GMT -5
Most added for a second week in a row with 35 adds this week, including B98.5.
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Post by ethansdelicate on Jun 20, 2023 18:40:45 GMT -5
Top 10 on Hartford and Boston's stations! also #3(!!!) on Northeast callouts
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.indulgecountry
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Post by .indulgecountry on Jun 20, 2023 19:53:11 GMT -5
I imagine this wouldn't have been quite as big of a hit if she'd just released this initially as a single off Lover during its era, but now we get to see it become an organic hit that truly explodes when she's at her highest peak yet. Sometimes things all work out for a reason. π₯Ή
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avamaxstan
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Post by avamaxstan on Jun 20, 2023 21:03:24 GMT -5
I would argue Taylor is at her peak right now, even bigger than the 1989 era. Like her star power is insane right now, it's even more impressive since she's a veteran act. Honestly, Taylorβs career reminds me a bit of Mariahβs where she re-peaks later in her career after a downward turn. But arguably, Iβd say Taylorβs downturn for a few years was less drastic than Mariahβs. However, both came back extremely strong a few albums later. I have to agree that Taylor is on a Beatles-level type of fame, especially after seeing Pittsburgh this past weekend. "Downward turn"? When? Is it in the room with us now? LOL
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π Eloquent β’
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Post by π Eloquent β’ on Jun 20, 2023 22:02:46 GMT -5
I imagine this wouldn't have been quite as big of a hit if she'd just released this initially as a single off Lover during its era, but now we get to see it become an organic hit that truly explodes when she's at her highest peak yet. Sometimes things all work out for a reason. π₯Ή I will never understand why people say this. Why would you assume it wouldn't do as well if released from Lover during its initial run? Because she has more momentum now? If that's the case look at "Karma" and "Lavender Haze" and how they performed on streaming and then look at the trajectory of this when things are just getting started. It's the song being so good, that's what's going to make it a huge hit and it always had that potential. I've yet to see one convincing argument of why it wouldn't have hit as hard had it been released back then and the only one that has any merit (IMO) is circumstantial due to the pandemic (conflicting with its lyrics). Otherwise this strikes me as a song that would be a success no matter when it was released. It's not hype, momentum, or timing, it's the quality of the song itself. At least to me. It's everything people love from Taylor: personable lyrics, explosive chorus, addictive melody, a next level bridge, it's everything that's given Taylor her biggest hits and it stands next to her slew of 1989 juggernauts and holds its own. I guess we will never know either way so it's pointless to debate. lol "Downward turn"? When? Is it in the room with us now? LOL haha I love how people try to label Rep as some flop or under-performance in Taylor's catalog when the album was inarguably successful (maybe not as big as some of her other eras, but that's by her standards, not the industry's standards of "flop"). Taylor simply hasn't had a Glitter moment and I doubt she will before her inevitable decline.
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Au$tin
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Post by Au$tin on Jun 20, 2023 22:18:10 GMT -5
There absolutely was a decline in popularity and general public good grace between reputation and Lover, though. Just because she was still successful during that time doesn't mean she wasn't still on a very obvious downward trend that has since recovered tenfold. There is an appreciation for Taylor now that wasn't present during rep and Lover. folklore/evermore really course corrected everything in such an astonishing way that was able to lead to this monstrous era we're getting to witness now.
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π Eloquent β’
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Post by π Eloquent β’ on Jun 20, 2023 22:25:52 GMT -5
There absolutely was a decline in popularity and general public good grace between reputation and Lover, though. Just because she was still successful during that time doesn't mean she wasn't still on a very obvious downward trend that has since recovered tenfold. There is an appreciation for Taylor now that wasn't present during rep and Lover. folklore/evermore really course corrected everything in such an astonishing way that was able to lead to this monstrous era we're getting to witness now. Really any and everything can be considered a "downturn" that doesn't perfectly match the level of its predecessor. Her image and likeability factor may have waivered throughout the years, absolutely, but her commercial appeal in terms of sales has been pretty consistent in the way that she just hasn't had a "flop" or even "under-performing" album by industry standards at this point and that's what I was taking note of. That's quite impressive. I just have to laugh when people compare Reputation to Glitter and other albums that actually flopped by any and all standards. Most artists would kill for a Reputation on their roster.
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Youknowit
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Post by Youknowit on Jun 20, 2023 22:34:47 GMT -5
She should get up to #23 on Pop by Sunday and definitely top 20 the following week. I'd say top 10 on the Hot 100 by early July.
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.indulgecountry
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"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
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Post by .indulgecountry on Jun 20, 2023 22:44:51 GMT -5
I imagine this wouldn't have been quite as big of a hit if she'd just released this initially as a single off Lover during its era, but now we get to see it become an organic hit that truly explodes when she's at her highest peak yet. Sometimes things all work out for a reason. π₯Ή I will never understand why people say this. Why would you assume it wouldn't do as well if released from Lover during its initial run? Because she has more momentum now? If that's the case look at "Karma" and "Lavender Haze" and how they performed on streaming and then look at the trajectory of this when things are just getting started. It's the song being so good, that's what's going to make it a huge hit and it always had that potential. I've yet to see one convincing argument of why it wouldn't have hit as hard had it been released back then and the only one that has any merit (IMO) is circumstantial due to the pandemic (conflicting with its lyrics). Otherwise this strikes me as a song that would be a success no matter when it was released. Neither of us have a crystal ball to be able to see who would've been right, but it was originally slated to be the fifth single a year into Lover's OG run in the summer of 2020, after several singles that performed meh by Taylor's standards at CHR. The song blew up organically now, but it didn't do that when Lover was the current era. Sure, it was a fan favorite album cut and always has been, but it was not performing on its own back then like it is now to where it *HAD* to be a single. There's a reason why they had to circle back around and release it now, and it's because her hand was forced. It's not like "Cruel Summer" has been a viral force like this since 2019; it is making bigger waves currently than it ever has. I'm sure it would've done well if it were released years ago, but I don't think it was poised to be some career hit by any means coming off diminishing returns of previous singles.
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Post by Rose "Payola" Nylund on Jun 20, 2023 23:02:28 GMT -5
I imagine this wouldn't have been quite as big of a hit if she'd just released this initially as a single off Lover during its era, but now we get to see it become an organic hit that truly explodes when she's at her highest peak yet. Sometimes things all work out for a reason. π₯Ή I will never understand why people say this. Why would you assume it wouldn't do as well if released from Lover during its initial run? Because she has more momentum now? If that's the case look at "Karma" and "Lavender Haze" and how they performed on streaming and then look at the trajectory of this when things are just getting started. It's the song being so good, that's what's going to make it a huge hit and it always had that potential. I've yet to see one convincing argument of why it wouldn't have hit as hard had it been released back then and the only one that has any merit (IMO) is circumstantial due to the pandemic (conflicting with its lyrics). Otherwise this strikes me as a song that would be a success no matter when it was released. "ME!" was pretty instant out of the gate but didn't last because the song wasn't that well liked. I agree that "Cruel Summer" would have probably performed much better than "ME!" had it been released first, but I don't think it would have been a smash because, as has been mentioned, Taylor was coming off of a challenging era. Yes, Reputation wasn't a flop and it sourced a couple hits, but Taylor was beginning to tire on a lot of people as naturally happens to anyone who has been huge for as long as she had been at that time. I don't think Lover the album did much for her to win her back any good will and it really looked like the expected trajectory of someone entering the phase of their career where they are coming down from their peak and heading into legacy territory. That's not a criticism of Taylor in any way. That's the norm. It's inevitable. Where Taylor pivoted and avoided the inevitable in a way I don't think anyone could have predicted was with Folklore and Evermore. Then her decision to re-release her earlier albums. Those two actions changed perspective of her as just another massive pop star into a smart, independent, business-savvy woman who is a respected songwriter and performer. The folk albums didn't generate the hits but they evolved her image and the album re-releases added to that even more. She is absolutely at the top of her career now and that's why this song is better served hitting now than it would have then. Yeah it's a good song, but it has the benefit of coming at a time when everyone is in awe of everything she's doing with this tour and her career in general. I saw an article the other day that said the Eras tour will generate billions of dollars in revenue in the US this year even despite this time of financial difficulty. She has people from across professions in awe. Maybe "Cruel Summer" would have been a hit regardless, but I think that assumption is naive because hits rarely exist in a vacuum and almost always rely on the situation surrounding the artist, label, and other external forces that have nothing to do with how "good" it is. Good songs flop all the time.
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avamaxstan
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Post by avamaxstan on Jun 20, 2023 23:43:02 GMT -5
There absolutely was a decline in popularity and general public good grace between reputation and Lover, though. Just because she was still successful during that time doesn't mean she wasn't still on a very obvious downward trend that has since recovered tenfold. There is an appreciation for Taylor now that wasn't present during rep and Lover. folklore/evermore really course corrected everything in such an astonishing way that was able to lead to this monstrous era we're getting to witness now. Reputation debuted with 1.2M sales, was the years second best selling album globally, and had one of the most successful tours of all time. Lover debuted just under 1M because they made the worst song of her career the lead single, even so the first two singles went #2 Billboard. You have to reaaaaally squint to see this supposed "very obvious downward trend".
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π Eloquent β’
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Post by π Eloquent β’ on Jun 20, 2023 23:45:57 GMT -5
I will never understand why people say this. Why would you assume it wouldn't do as well if released from Lover during its initial run? Because she has more momentum now? If that's the case look at "Karma" and "Lavender Haze" and how they performed on streaming and then look at the trajectory of this when things are just getting started. It's the song being so good, that's what's going to make it a huge hit and it always had that potential. I've yet to see one convincing argument of why it wouldn't have hit as hard had it been released back then and the only one that has any merit (IMO) is circumstantial due to the pandemic (conflicting with its lyrics). Otherwise this strikes me as a song that would be a success no matter when it was released. Neither of us have a crystal ball to be able to see who would've been right, but it was originally slated to be the fifth single a year into Lover's OG run in the summer of 2020, after several singles that performed meh by Taylor's standards at CHR. The song blew up organically now, but it didn't do that when Lover was the current era. Sure, it was a fan favorite album cut and always has been, but it was not performing on its own back then like it is now to where it *HAD* to be a single. There's a reason why they had to circle back around and release it now, and it's because her hand was forced. It's not like "Cruel Summer" has been a viral force like this since 2019; it is making bigger waves currently than it ever has. I'm sure it would've done well if it were released years ago, but I don't think it was poised to be some career hit by any means coming off diminishing returns of previous singles. The reason "Cruel Summer" is making waves now is because it's leading the setlist in her current mega tour. All it took was a bit of exposure to get the song rolling. Had Taylor been able to tour with Lover we could have seen it perform "on its own" like this, back then and IMO I think we would have. But I'm good with agreeing to disagree. :) This is an interesting convo tho. Do we think "Blank Space" wouldn't have been a smash had it followed "New Romantics"? And do we think "New Romantics" would have been a smash had it been released 1st or 2nd?
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cjay
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Post by cjay on Jun 21, 2023 0:14:50 GMT -5
Had this been released as the first single off Lover it would have peaked at #2 right behind OTR. I definitely believe CS would have more longevity than ME! As a 5th single, this would have gone top 15 at best. All the singles after YNTCD stalled on radio and streaming.
What I find interesting in Taylor's explanation is the extent to which record execs are involved in picking her singles. I know that's what they do for most artist. But I thought artist like Taylor, Beyonce, Adele pick their singles. I guess they can still take input and make the final decision. But maybe because Lover was the first album with her new record company, they got to weigh-in more. If CS was her crown jewel why relegate it to single #5? It's rare that a 5th single makes impact. Regardless, I'm glad CS is having its moment. I really hope this goes #!. I've been obsessed with this song since the day Lover was released.
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cjay
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Post by cjay on Jun 21, 2023 0:29:44 GMT -5
I was just thinking about Delicate. That was the 4th single off reputation and did really well. It saved the era from being labeled a flop. It came after three singles underperformed (in terms of longevity; chart placement; and streaming metrics). For most artist, a 4th single would not have done as well as delicate did after 3 fast burn / mostly polarizing singles. I think this is a testament to Taylor's star power and if she has the right song it will hit. So perhaps I'll retract my previous statement about this CS not doing well as a 5th single. But we have to recognize--this isn't common for many artist. As much as I like Beyonce and Adele, I just don't believe single ladies or Hello would have been AS MASSIVE as they were if they followed 3 underperforming or mediocre songs.
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ampersand
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Post by ampersand on Jun 21, 2023 0:34:23 GMT -5
I think we need to remember that reputation and Lover exhibited a "downward trend" for standards specific to Taylor in the context of her career at that point. I don't think anyone is seriously suggesting that either of these albums were mega flops rivalling the likes of Glitter or whatever, but they definitely were low points for her commercially and (to an extent) critically. Yes, of course, I'm sure any other artist would kill to have an era perform like either of these two, but *for Taylor*, these albums are the closest she has ever been to a bomb (and of course neither album was actually a bomb). But that's neither here nor there now. I strongly suspect reputation will be re-evaluated more positively once it's re-released, and as we can see with its sales week after week four years later, Lover is already being reassessed.
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cjay
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Post by cjay on Jun 21, 2023 0:48:50 GMT -5
I think we need to remember that reputation and Lover exhibited a "downward trend" for standards specific to Taylor in the context of her career at that point. I don't think anyone is seriously suggesting that either of these albums were mega flops rivalling the likes of Glitter or whatever, but they definitely were low points for her commercially and (to an extent) critically. Yes, of course, I'm sure any other artist would kill to have an era perform like either of these two, but *for Taylor*, these albums are the closest she has ever been to a bomb (and of course neither album was actually a bomb). But that's neither here nor there now. I strongly suspect reputation will be re-evaluated more positively once it's re-released, and as we can see with its sales week after week four years later, Lover is already being reassessed. So true! And I think about songs like RFI or EG. Those are NOT bad songs at all. Both are catchy and would very likely be big hits for other artist. but Taylor couldn't get those songs to stop free falling after 6 weeks of airplay. Think about this--an artist as big as Taylor can't get radio to sustain decent airplay beyond 6 weeks is very telling. To me this had very little to do with song quality and more about her reputation. Callouts for awesome songs would always come back negative. I really don't believe her bad callouts were anything but HER. And LWYMMD didn't help. It played well to the base which is why Reputation debuted with 1.2 million. but it lost casual fans. her base will get her 2-3 million albums every time. but doing her usual 4-7 million range requires pulling in casual fans. And they just weren't here for reputation and lover.
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musiclife
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Post by musiclife on Jun 21, 2023 3:47:47 GMT -5
There is something so magical about how everything is aligning. Taylor and Cruel Summer both deserve this and it makes me so happy.
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Dylan :)
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Post by Dylan :) on Jun 21, 2023 5:09:35 GMT -5
#3 (=) on US Spotify
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Az Paynter
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Post by Az Paynter on Jun 21, 2023 6:34:40 GMT -5
POP: 37 27 TAYLOR SWIFT Cruel Summer 2311 998 1313 10.467
+230 Spins +78 Bullet +0.915 Audience
HOT AC: 63 38 TAYLOR SWIFT Cruel Summer 195 20 175 1.870
+40 Spins +35 Bullet +0.366 Audience
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π Eloquent β’
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Post by π Eloquent β’ on Jun 21, 2023 6:40:56 GMT -5
POP:37 27 TAYLOR SWIFT Cruel Summer 2311 998 1313 10.467 +230 Spins +78 Bullet +0.915 Audience HOT AC:63 38 TAYLOR SWIFT Cruel Summer 195 20 175 1.870 +40 Spins +35 Bullet +0.366 Audience Annnnnnd we're off!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2023 7:37:40 GMT -5
Crosses 3m on Global Spotify for the second time ever!
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born
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Post by born on Jun 21, 2023 8:24:37 GMT -5
I never thought that 2015 would be topped as a year but Taylor's 2023 is going to be remembered for years to come. An active era from her latest album (with a smash hit and two more top 10 singles), a new addition to her career defining re-recorded catalog, a fan-favorite song from 4 years back exploding organically and becoming a hit, and a never ending rise on her streams and sales, all while she's on (what could be) the highest grossing pop tour of all time. Insane.
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Maximillian
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Post by Maximillian on Jun 21, 2023 8:30:57 GMT -5
Idk if Iβm stanning more for the song or the college level dissertations in this thread
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