“Cruel Summer” by Bananarama

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A funky slice of synth-pop that taps into a universal summertime experience.

I went back and forth on including “Cruel Summer” as part of this recurring end-of-week. On the one hand, it’s one of the sunnier, funkier pop instrumentals from the 1980s. You can hear the sun glinting off building facades and mirrored shades. But, lyrically, the song’s a bit of a downer if you take it on its face. Group member Sara Dallin admitted as much to The Guardian:

“The best summer songs remind you of your youth … For me, our hit, ‘Cruel Summer,’ played on the darker side: it looked at the oppressive heat, the misery of wanting to be with someone as the summer ticked by. We’ve all been there!”

That sense of too much idle time, combined with the oppressive heat described by the singers, is as universal as summer experiences get. The music video visuals lean into the boredom aspect that sets in, too, casting the women as workers at a garage who couldn’t give a damn about the work. They just want to luxuriate in the warm weather with their posse, which would amount to killing time to a certain extent, too, but, for them, at least, it would be time well spent.

The track is routinely cited as one of the best pop songs of its era by VH1 and Billboard, among many others. It also peaked inside the Top 20 in several countries outside the U.S., including Canada, the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, and the U.K. Fifteen years later, Ace of Base’s cover would chart even higher in America, further cementing “Cruel Summer” as a transcendent piece of pop. That said, it begs a return to the central question: Why?

Why has it stood the test of time? Why does it deserve to be included in the Fun Song Friday category?

After mulling it over, my answer is that the song, as constructed, is pure escapism. Sure, the scenario isn’t inherently optimistic, but I’d posit that the arrangement and melody turn the doom and gloom on its ear. It gives Bananarama and anyone who’s been forced to waste part of their summer break on unsavory activities a reason to add a little spring to their step. It may be hot out, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t fight the urge to dance to this one.

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