‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Soundtrack: A Look Back at the Show’s Taylor Swift Music Moments

The Prime Video series The Summer I Turned Pretty has seemingly become synonymous with Taylor Swift’s music.
Author Jenny Han and star Lola Tung have been candid about their love of Swift’s music and the singer-songwriter has even enlisted the show to help premiere some of the rerecorded versions of her songs prior to Swift eventually buying back her masters.
During The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s first season, multiple Swift songs were featured throughout seven episodes, including “Cruel Summer,” “False God,” “The Way I Loved You (Taylor’s Version)” and “This Love (Taylor’s Version),” from the 1989 (Taylor’s Version) album which at the time had yet-to-be-released.
“Thank you @jennyhan for debuting my version of ‘This Love’ in the trailer for @thesummeriturnedpretty!!” Swift wrote on social media at the time. “I’ve always been so proud of this song…”
Meanwhile, for the season two trailer, Swift’s “Back to December (Taylor’s Version)” can be heard, which offered fans a preview of the track from the rerecorded album, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), which released a week later. A teaser for the season season also featured a cinematic version of Swift’s folklore song “August.”
When sharing the season two trailer on her social media, Swift wrote, “Crying (Taylor’s Version).”
And the third time proved to be the charm with Swift’s “Daylight” and “Red (Taylor’s Version)” featured in the show’s third season trailer.
With the series chronicling young romance and a love triangle, it’s no surprise that Swift’s catalog has proved to be the perfect soundtrack. From first sparks to heartbreaks, the show has used Swift’s music to help tell the love stories between Tung’s Belly Conklin and the Fisher brothers Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno).
The show has offered other iconic music moments that featured Frank Ocean’s “Moon River”; “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?” by Tyler, The Creator,”; “XO” by Beyoncé; One Direction’s “Steal My Girl”; Fleetwood Mac’s “Silver Springs,” Japanese Breakfast’s cover of Yoko Ono’s “Nobody Sees Me Like You Do”; Billie Eilish’s “When the Party’s Over”; and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Driver’s License” and “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back.”
Amid the season three premiere, The Hollywood Reporter takes a look back at the series’ iconic moments featuring Swift’s songs. This list will be updated with any more Swift music moments from season three.
-
“”
“Cruel Summer”
During the series premiere, Swift’s fan favorite track from her Lover album could be heard in the background as Tung’s Belly and Taylor (Rain Spencer) talk about plans to return to Cousin’s Beach.
“”
-
“”
“Lover”
The title track from Swift’s Lover album played when Belly and Conrad first see each other when reuniting for the summer.
“”
-
“”
“False God”
Tensions begin igniting and a love triangle looms as Belly and Conrad almost kiss while on the pier, but Jeremiah interrupts by lighting a firework in the distance while watching his brother and Belly. During the moment, Swift’s “False God” plays — another track from the Lover album.
“”
-
“”
“The Way I Loved You (Taylor’s Version)”
The first season’s iconic debutante ball sees Belly share a dance with Conrad after being unable to find Jeremiah, who is secretly reeling after learning his mom has cancer. As Conrad approaches Belly for the dance to fill in, Swift’s “The Way I Loved You (Taylor’s Version)” from her Fearless (Taylor’s Version) album begins playing.
“”
-
“”
“This Love (Taylor’s Version)”
The first season ended with a Swift bookend as “This Love (Taylor’s Version),” from the then-yet-to-be-released 1989 (Taylor’s Version) album, played during Belly and Conrad’s first kiss on the beach.
“”
-
“”
“August”
To help kick off season two, Han enlisted Swift’s “August” song from her Folklore album for the season two teaser. However, the series used a yet-to-be-released cinematic version of the ethereal song.
“”
-
“”
“Back to December (Taylor’s Version)”
Throughout the official season two trailer, Swift’s “Back to December (Taylor’s Version)” can be heard, which offered fans a preview of the track from the rerecorded album, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), that would release a week later. Swift shared the season two trailer on her social media at the time writing, “Crying (Taylor’s Version).”
“”
-
“”
“Last Kiss (Taylor’s Version)”
In an early episode of season two, Tung’s Belly is looking at photos of her and the Fisher family on her phone as “Last Kiss (Taylor’s Version)” from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) plays in the background.
“”
-
“”
“Invisible String”
Returning to the Folklore album, the series played Swift’s “Invisible String” while chronicling Belly and Conrad’s return to Cousin’s Beach during the winter.
“”
-
“”
“Hey Stephen (Taylor’s Version)”
In a fun homage, Belly’s brother Stephen (Sean Kaufman) goes to answer his phone as his ringtone “Hey Stephen (Taylor’s Version)“ plays.
“”
-
“”
“Sweet Nothing”
From Swift’s Midnights, “Sweet Nothing” plays during a flashback scene between Conrad and Belly on the boardwalk.
“”
-
“”
“Delicate (Taylor’s Version)”
Fans once again were able to get a sneak peek at a rerecorded song from Swift’s Reputation (Taylor’s Version), though the singer has since said, when she announced she had reacquired her masters, that she hadn’t made much progress rerecording this album and indicated that a new version might not surface. In a season two scene where Belly and Jeremiah are playing around in the pool at the beach house, Swift’s “Delicate (Taylor’s Version)” plays.
“”
-
“”
“Snow on the Beach”
Swift’s melodic song with Lana Del Rey about two people simultaneously falling in love with each other is played both during Belly having emotional distress while still reeling from her breakup with Conrad and his lack of communication about his feelings, and during Steven and Taylor kissing after growing closer over the summer. The song was featured on Swift’s Midnights album.
“”
-
“”
“Bigger Than the Whole Sky”
The series went back to the Midnights catalog for Belly’s final scene with Susannah (Rachel Blanchard) in season two where Susannah is consoling Belly, who is emotional over Susannah’s impending death from cancer. During their embrace, the heartbreaking goodbye song “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” plays.
“”
-
“”
“Exile”
The season two finale shows Belly deciding to pursue a relationship with Jeremiah and move on from Conrad. Swift’s Folklore track “Exile” heightened the emotion as Conrad says goodbye to Belly and Jeremiah at the motel they were staying at and hides his pain from letting her go.
“”
-
“”
“Daylight”
For the first teaser for the third and final season, the series pulls another track from Swift’s Lover album. In the teaser, Belly and Jeremiah are shown as a couple in love as they also attend college together. During their loving montage, Swift’s track “Daylight,” which details finding love that feels golden, plays.
“”
-
“”
“Red (Taylor’s Version)”
Also in the third season trailer, after a montage of Belly and Jeremiah being in love is shown with Swift’s “Daylight” playing as the backdrop, a second Swift song, her hit “Red (Taylor’s Version),” begins to play as Belly opens the door to find Conrad on her doorstep. The transition seemingly teases Belly’s continued conflict over her feelings for both brothers as one has a love that feels “golden” like in “Daylight” and the other is more “burning red.”
“”
Source: Hollywoodreporter
HiCelebNews online magazine publishes interesting content every day in the TV section of the entertainment category. Follow us to read the latest news.
Related Posts
- Toronto Film Fest Adds Chloé Zhao, Paul Greengrass, Rian Johnson Films to 2025 Lineup
- Superman Eve Teschmacher Actress Sara Sampaio Talks Those Selfies
- ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5’s Spectacular First Trailer Released by Netflix
- MomTok on Top: ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Earns First Emmy Nomination
- Bela Bajaria on Which Emmy Nominee She Texted First and One Giant “Disappointment” of a Snub