Taylor Swift’s 4 Songs of the Summer May Surprise Even Her Biggest Fans
Swifties have ensured that summer (like fall, and winter, and spring) is the season of Taylor Swift. While the chart-topping superstar gets plenty of airplay all year round, Swift’s regular trips to the Billboard Songs of the Summer list have cemented her status as a go-to artist for summer anthems. It’s never easy to predict which new song will captivate fans. But warm weather and Swift go together like the singer and the number 13.
Taylor Swift proved something with ‘Bad Blood’
Swift’s summer-anthem trend really started falling into place in with her album 1989. After landing a No. 1 hit in summer 2014 with the upbeat “Shake It Off,” she was back atop the Billboard charts in November with “Blank Space” (via Billboard).
Meanwhile, “Bad Blood” was an under-the-radar jam. It wasn’t until Swift was about to take the stage for her massively successful 1989 World Tour in May 2015 that “Bad Blood” was put forward as a single—the fourth of the album. It also received a star-studded music video. That extra little push was all Swifties needed to propel it to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
“Bad Blood” gave Swift her third chart-topping hit for 1989. And it was also her first tune to land on Billboard’s Songs of the Summer list. Even though it technically peaked just before summer officially started, the late-blooming hit was still one of the most ubiquitous songs of Summer 2015. It even scored a Grammy.
Swift released more summer magic with ‘Delicate’
What worked for 1989 worked again with Swift’s 2017 follow-up album, Reputation. Leading the way was the first single “Look What You Made Me Do,” which shot to the top of the Billboard charts. But the artist’s “revenge” album was marked by a few lighter tunes, too.
As Swift geared up for her Reputation Stadium Tour, she dropped the electropop ballad “Delicate” as the album’s fifth single. It steadily worked its way up the charts for months and officially became Swift’s second Song of the Summer. The song peaked at number 12 on the Hot 100, becoming one of the surprise hits of the album.
With its unique music video, which follows Swift as she dances with reckless abandon through a hotel, “Delicate” stands out. Many fans also point to this track as one of the first singles to reference her relationship with current beau Joe Alwyn.
‘Lover’ contains not 1, but 2 summer hits
Swift kicked off her Lover era with a song many fans look back on with confusion: “ME!” But somehow the single hit No. 2 on the Hot 100, and became Swift’s third Song of the Summer.
And while “Me!” was a catchy way to jumpstart the album, Swift found more success with the album’s second single, “You Need to Calm Down.” Praised for its solidarity with the LGBTQ community, the track made Swift ubiquitous in the summer of 2019.
Outside of Billboard’s rankings, Swifties have plenty of Taylor summer favorites. Folklore, which debuted in July 2020, brought with it “August,” a summery tune that’s perfect for the season. And who can forget the forgotten Lover track “Cruel Summer,” which many felt was robbed of its chance to shine?
Swift closed out Summer 2022 with an announcement: Her forthcoming tenth studio album, Midnights. While debuting in the fall, who’s to say there won’t be another Song of the Summer on this record?
