"Cruel Summer" is a compilation album by the American record label Good Music, under the aegis of Kanye West who is the founder of the label. Released on September 14, 2012, the album features all the artists who were signed onto Good Music at that time and also included several other guest artists from both within and outside the label.
The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, boasting impressive sales right from the first week. It received generally positive reviews and was applauded for its ambitious scope and the high quality, distinctive productions that were characteristic of West's style. The album also had prominent themes of love and heartbreak, with West's influences apparent throughout the album.
"Cruel Summer" spawned four singles, all of which charted within the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. "Mercy", the lead single, topped the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and was certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album was also iconic for popularizing the trap music style within the mainstream music scene.
The album was created in an unusual setting with Kanye West setting up a temporary creative studio in a mansion on the island of Hawaii. It is here that the signature Good Music's "Cruel Summer" sound was born, with West mentoring and harnessing the individual talent of each artist and fusing them into collaboration for the album.-West's innovative and creative direction made 'Cruel Summer' an embodiment of teamwork and artistic synergy.
