Taylor Swift’s ‘Cruel Summer’ Helps Her Tie Justin Bieber It Becomes A Radio Hit

Taylor Swift’s song “Cruel Summer” has quickly gained traction and become a radio hit, resulting in a major and historic milestone for the singer. Just a week after the announcement that “Cruel Summer” would be released as a proper single with substantial promotional support from her label, the tune has already made its mark on the charts and helped Swift achieve a tie with one of the biggest pop stars in the world.

“Cruel Summer” makes its debut on the Pop Airplay chart at No. 33 this week, joining Swift’s impressive list of hits on the ranking of the most-heard tunes at pop radio in the U.S. The warm response from DJs and programmers to the song is undoubtedly gratifying for Swift and fans who have been championing the track for years. As the tune arrives, it helps her to match Justin Bieber, as both artists have now accumulated 41 different singles on the Pop Airplay chart. The two are tied for the third-most placements of all time on the ranking.

Swift and Bieber currently stand 10 hits away from reaching the record set by Rihanna, who remains the all-time leader with 51 wins on the tally. She is the only artist to hit that 50 wins milestone, and she likely won’t be joined for some time.

Sitting between Rihanna and Swift/Bieber is Nicki Minaj, who has garnered 43 placements on the list and continues to increase that number with her releases regularly.

Originally featured on Swift’s 2019 album Lover, “Cruel Summer” was not initially promoted as a single due to the Covid-19 pandemic interrupting the artist’s plans. Now, the massive streaming numbers generated by fans prompted Swift and her label to give the track a chance. The decision has paid off brilliantly, at least in the early stages, as the song’s radio success solidifies its status as a hit.

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