For several months now, Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” has ranked as one of the biggest songs in America. The tune quickly broke into the top 10 on the Hot 100 after it was officially released as a single, but it hasn’t quite worked its way to the peak position. With a slew of new releases vying for attention and more major drops coming soon, can Swift compete and send her electro tune to the No. 1 spot?
This week, “Cruel Summer” ranks at No. 5 on the Hot 100, earning another turn inside the top 10. The track has thus far climbed as high as No. 3. Now, it’s dipped in its standing from the period prior, and both Swift and her legion of followers may have to settle for it being a top 10 win and not a No. 1, as it looks like claiming the throne is a dream that increasingly seems less and less likely to happen.
For the past several weeks, splashy No. 1 debuts have kept “Cruel Summer” from ruling. First, country newcomer Oliver Anthony started his breakout smash “Rich Men North of Richmond” atop the Hot 100 in a surprise move. The cut went viral almost immediately after being released, and it earned a pair of frames in charge of the ranking.
Then, when it seemed like “Cruel Summer” might have a shot at climbing to a new peak position on the Hot 100, it was beaten again by another new leader. Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves earn their first No. 1 on the chart this frame, with “I Remember Everything.” That cut also starts in first place at the same time Bryan’s self-titled album rules the Billboard 200.
It’s worth mentioning that other tracks appeared ahead of “Cruel Summer” in both of these instances, but the attention paid to both Anthony and Bryan and Musgraves’s hits did not help Swift’s cause to claim another No. 1 on the Hot 100.
Next week, it looks like Doja Cat will dominate the Hot 100 with her single “Paint the Town Red.” This turn, the cut rises from No. 5 to No. 3 in just its fourth frame on the chart. As the release date for her new album Scarlet nears, fans are supporting the rapper and singer in droves, and she may be on her way to another leader very soon.
Following Cat’s likely ruling, there are a handful of albums that could produce new No. 1s on the Hot 100, or at least top 10s whose debuts might result in “Cruel Summer” falling again. Olivia Rodrigo’s album Guts is out now, and it will likely make a huge impact on the Hot 100 next week, perhaps even sending several cuts into the highest tier on the chart.
Later this month, both Cat and Drake have full-lengths set to drop, and of the two, the latter star could easily claim another No. 1 hit, as he often does when he has a full collection to share. His album For All The Dogs has already produced a No. 2-peaking single with “Search & Rescue,” and there’s no telling what he has coming soon.
At this point, it still remains entirely possible that “Cruel Summer” will find its way to the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100, though its chances may be dwindling. If the song was sitting at No. 2, it might have a better shot at the penthouse, but the fact that it’s slowly working its way down the chart isn’t a good sign for its future.
“Cruel Summer” is finding it difficult to compete with new releases from superstar and viral entrants that can’t be beaten. If Swift pulls out all the stops and gives the world more reasons to stream and buy the cut, it might have a shot, but there’s a real chance it won’t ever make it to No. 1.
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