Watch Teddy Swims’ soulful cover of Taylor Swift’s ‘Cruel Summer’

Teddy Swims has appeared on BBC Radio 1‘s Live Lounge with a soulful cover of Taylor Swift’s ‘Cruel Summer’.

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Today (January 12), BBC Radio 1 released the soul-pop singer-songwriter’s piano-led rendition of Swift’s ‘Lover’ highlight, channeling his signature raspy vocals through Swift’s lyrics. In addition to his cover of ‘Cruel Summer’, the soul-pop singer also performed his hit song ‘Lose Control’, off his debut full-length ‘I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1)’, which was released in 2023.

Watch Teddy Swims’ cover of ‘Cruel Summer’ below:

Teddy Swims is the latest to offer a rendition of ‘Cruel Summer’, following Bombay Bicycle Club’s recent cover of the track, which they also performed in an appearance on BBC Radio 1.

In October, ‘Cruel Summer’ reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 four years after it was first released as a non-single track on 2019’s ‘Lover’. The single, which was co-written with Jack Antonoff and St. Vincent, became Swift’s 10th number one single, following her ‘Midnights’ highlight ‘Anti-Hero’ in 2022 and the 10-minute rework of ‘All Too Well’ in 2021.

In an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Antonoff highlighted ‘Cruel Summer’ as his favourite song from ‘Lover’. “It was always our favorite song on the album,” he said. “Then with nothing, no gas in the fire, with no one on the business side doing anything, just kids started playing it more and more.” His comments echoed what he expressed on social media in celebration of the track’s Billboard 100 achievement: “Our favourite song from ‘Lover’, from five years ago. This song that we said was the best song, but we thought, ‘You know what, this will be our secret best song’.”

Earlier in January, Swift’s Eras Tour concert film became the highest-grossing concert movie of all time, overtaking Michael Jackson’s This Is It with global earnings worth $261.6million (£206m). The film garnered a four-star review from NME, with writer Kevin EG Perry praising its showcase of Swift’s undeniable talent: “It’s a staggering feat. In the space of one seamless performance, Swift is at turns a playfully eccentric artist, a country star and a genuine pop icon.”

Recently, Swift went viral after the 81st Golden Globes, when host and comedian Jo Koy made a joke about her attendance at multiple NFL games in support of her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce. Following the punchline, the camera cut to Swift, who appeared to react less than favourably.

Teddy Swims began his career covering songs from artists including Michael Jackson, Lewis Capaldi, Chris Stapleton and Amy Winehouse on YouTube in 2019. Following a string of original singles, he signed with Warner and released a three EPs between 2021 and 2022, namely ‘Unlearning’, ‘Tough Love’, and ‘Sleep Is Exhausting’, before finally releasing ‘I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1)’ in September 2023.

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