Cruel Summer is a crowd-pleasing banger and an opening highlight of the Era’s Tour. But it’s also one of Swift’s most lyrically masterful stories, from the foreshadowing in the opening lines to the ironic karmic twist at the end of the bridge. If you want to learn the art of viral storytelling, this is a must-see episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices