“Cruel Summer’s” “D” (departure) section is the bridge, one of many “Swift Moments” that have taken her songs from great to exceptional.

Following two similar verse – pre-chorus – chorus sectional progressions that are broken up by a brief hook-based turnaround, the bridge provides an engaging departure with a notable lyrical, vocal, and accompaniment shift compared to the other sections in the song.

Most notable is the lyrical changeup, which shifts from metaphorical/poetic in the previous sections to common/conversational in the bridge. This new storytelling direction, communicated with an array of A.I.D.E. principle components (action, imagery, detail devices, emotion) and a more excited performance from Swift, conveys two engaging situational developments in a highly compelling manner: one where Swift is “drunk in the back of a car” and lamenting that she’s not with her love interest, and one where she’s sneaking around to see her lover.

However, most notable of all are the shouted lyrics at the end of each stanza. These “Swiftisms” both elevate the bridge’s emotional impact and create engaging A.P.M.’s (Audience Participation Moments) for her fans to shout along to in a live setting, along with the nonsense vocal interjections.

Effectively supporting the lyrics is a notably brighter and more rhythmic, staccato instrumental arrangement, which contributes to the section’s excited vibe and provides engaging contrast against the preceding chorus. However, instead of leading directly into the chorus, the section concludes with what Hit Songs Deconstructed calls the “Last Chorus Super S.I.A.” technique (section impact accentuator). An extra bar is tacked onto the end of the bridge, where all the elements are removed from the mix, save for Swift’s lead vocal, until the last beat when a reverse synth riser ushers in the ensuing chorus. This jarring, unexpected moment serves to notably heighten the listener’s engagement moving into the chorus while spotlighting the “he looks up grinnin’ like a devil” “Swiftism.”

In addition, “Cruel Summer” uniquely contains two bridges as opposed to one, which is an anomaly in both Taylor Swift’s body of work and hit songs in general. The bridge’s reprise, which follows the final chorus, is highly similar to the first but features a more intense instrumental arrangement that helps take the song’s excitement to a grand peak.

All in all, “Cruel Summer’s” highly effective bridge is the epitome of Taylor Swift “moments” and “Swiftisms.” You know you got it just right when another major artist – Olivia Rodrigo – incorporates its essence into their own song, which then becomes a global hit (déjà vu).

View this technique in the techniques library here.