St. Vincent Says Success of 'Cruel Summer' 5 Years After Release Is 'Testament' to Taylor Swift's 'Powerful' Fan Base

"I remain blown away by ‘Cruel Summer’ being the phenomenon that is it," St. Vincent shared with 'Billboard'

Lenne Chai St. Vincent for Billboard's Digital Pride Issue

St. Vincent continues to be impressed by Taylor Swift‘s impactful and dedicated fanbase.

St. Vincent (born Annie Clark) co-wrote the song "Cruel Summer" with Swift and producer Jack Antonoff for Swift’s 2019 album, Lover. However, the beloved hit song wasn’t released as a single until earlier this year and nearly five years after the album first dropped — and still hit No. 1.

Clark, 41, celebrated the song’s ongoing popularity in a new cover story interview with Billboard and applauded the 34-year-old singer's fanbase. “I remain blown away by ‘Cruel Summer’ being the phenomenon that is it,” she revealed.

“Not because it isn’t a great song. It’s indicative of the time we’re in, where a song from many albums ago that wasn’t even a single at the time, the fans go, ‘No, this one — we pick this one.’ And then they march it up the charts,” she shared before adding, “That’s completely a testament to her fan base being so powerful.”

Lenne Chai St. Vincent for Billboard's Digital Pride Issue

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In April, Clark spoke with PEOPLE and spoke to Swift's work ethic and her fanbase. “She’s just so incredibly intelligent and so hardworking. That’s a given. I am so incredibly blown away and amazed by Taylor’s fans because they are just a force of nature.”

She continued: “They took a song that was, what? Almost four records ago now, that was not a single off a record. They were like, ‘No, this song’s a hit.’ Then, by force of will, they made that song a worldwide hit.”

Lenne Chai St. Vincent for Billboard's Digital Pride Issue

“Cruel Summer” is the second track from Swift's seventh studio album, Lover — and the second song in the Eras Tour setlist. In 2023 it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, amid the Eras Tour film becoming the biggest concert debut ever and just days after the Grammy winner released new mixes of "Cruel Summer."

At the time of release in August 2019, it  "peaked at No. 3,” and has also cemented Swift as one of the only artists to earn 10 or more No. 1 hits on the Hot 100, according to Billboard.

Lenne Chai St. Vincent for Billboard's Digital Pride Issue

After the fall 2023 success of the single, both Swift and Antonoff revealed that the track was their favorite on the album. During an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Antonoff, 40, spoke to the song’s ongoing success.

"You know, the idea of a single is just like, if you could get your friends in a room you would you play? And what happened with 'Cruel Summer' is a testament to that," the Bleachers musician told the host.

"It was always our favorite song on the album," Antonoff said. "And then with nothing, with no gas in the fire, with no one on the business side doing anything, just kids started playing it more and more and more.”

Christopher Polk/TAS/Getty Taylor Swift and St. Vincent perform onstage on Aug. 25, 2015 in Los Angeles

Read the original article on People.