In recent weeks, Taylor Swift has been ascending on the Hot 100 chart with her current single, “Cruel Summer.” The electro-pop track has been steadily gaining ground, although its progress has recently slowed. Despite its steady rise, it has not yet secured the coveted top spot on the chart, instead remaining inside the top five.
With new contenders vying for the highest position, Swift finds herself at a crossroads, and if she wants to give “Cruel Summer” a chance at claiming the throne, she needs to do something really special with the tune.
Presently positioned at No. 4 on the Hot 100, “Cruel Summer” might experience a slight bump up in its ranking when Billboard updates the list today or tomorrow…but the odds of it reaching the very top seem slim for now. So, what can Swift do to rejuvenate interest and bolster consumption of this hit? There are a number of options on the table, including strategies she has employed successfully in the past.
One potential idea is for Swift to release a new version of “Cruel Summer” as a duet with a range of musical stars, all of whom would undoubtedly be thrilled to collaborate with the superstar. This approach has been tried before, and while it has elevated the track’s standing, it hasn’t consistently resulted in a No. 1 position.
The most recent example of this move is Swift’s re-release of her single “Karma” from the album Midnights, for which she teamed up with rapper Ice Spice. That reworking, along with a music video, propelled the song to No. 2 on the Hot 100. A few years back, Swift and Shawn Mendes united their talents on a duet version of “Lover,” which successfully broke into the top 10.
In the past, during her promotion of the album 1989, Swift altered the song “Bad Blood” by collaborating with rapper Kendrick Lamar. This collaborative effort drove the high-energy track to the No. 1 position on the Hot 100, resulting in a shared victory. Interestingly, Swift later secured the Album of the Year Grammy, in part due to the success of “Bad Blood,” beating Lamar in the process.
Alternatively, Swift could choose to keep “Cruel Summer” as a solo endeavor while offering fans additional incentives to listen or repurchase the song. Fresh remixes, acoustic versions, live performances or other alternate recordings of the composition could all reignite interest in the single. Given that Swift has been performing the track throughout her ongoing tour, a live recording might already exist, ready to be unveiled.
Should Swift decide to re-release “Cruel Summer” as a duet or release new renditions of the song, her millions of fans would likely flock to streaming platforms to hear whatever she offers. Depending on the nature of these releases, fans might also consider purchasing the new versions on platforms like iTunes and Amazon
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All collective consumption of the different iterations of “Cruel Summer” would contribute to its overall chart performance, as Billboard combines all versions into a single entity. If the original version of the song has begun to lose traction in terms of streams and purchases, combining its numbers with those of new editions and collaborations might be sufficient for Swift to surpass competitors like Oliver Anthony and Luke Combs.
Originally featured on Swift’s pop album Lover, “Cruel Summer” made its debut four years ago. It was not promoted as a single at the time, as Swift’s plans were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to a shortened promotional period. The pandemic also prevented her from touring the project, and as a result, she has integrated several tracks from the album into her ongoing The Eras Tour.
After months of heightened interest in the infectious tune, Swift and her label responded to fans’ demands and officially released “Cruel Summer” as a single. The song swiftly climbed into the top 10 of the Hot 100, becoming another major win for the star.
The question of whether Swift will endeavor to influence the charts and attain another No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 with “Cruel Summer” is yet to be answered by the singer herself. However, if she’s inclined to do so, the time is now. As the popularity of “Cruel Summer” appears to be waning, any moves to reclaim its prominence need to take place while it’s still at its high. If she makes major moves in the coming weeks, it might be too little, too late.
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