In many ways, The Summer I Turned Pretty is nothing new — what streamer doesn’t have a messy teen love triangle going on? But Jenny Han’s book-turned-TV-series has something the others don’t: a direct line to Taylor Alison Swift.
Swift was part of Han’s vision from the start. When the author pitched the show to Amazon, she knew she wanted to include Swift’s music, so she did what she had to do to ensure her readers were fed — she put pen to paper. “I wrote [Taylor] a letter and said what she meant to me and what I knew she meant to my readers and how it would be the best gift I could give them,†Han said in a July episode of Podcrushed. “This is probably the best thing that could’ve happened in the show.†The letter worked, obviously, and now the show is practically synonymous with Ms. All Too Well herself.
Of course, The Summer I Turned Pretty is far from the only show or movie to reference Taylor Swift or use a needle drop. Even just this year, a scene from The Bear features Richie giving himself nodes screaming along to “Love Story (Taylor’s Version).†Her songs have also been used in New Girl, Killing Eve, Heartstopper, You, and Bridgerton. But what sets The Summer I Turned Pretty apart from the other Swiftian TV soundtracks is how the writers use her songs to move the plot forward, as if Swift herself is a character on the show. Her presence as a pseudo-cast member is so apparent that almost every press interview (pre-strike) prompted the show’s stars to share their favorite Swift songs, determine which songs best-fit couples on the show, or make a general attempt to connect the singer to the show. Even more influential is the role Swift plays in the central love triangle that follows Belly (Lola Tung), Conrad (Christopher Briney), and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno).
In season one, a Swift song marked every major moment between Conrad and Belly — further solidifying their status as the endgame (whoa-whoa, whoa) couple. When they see each other for the first time (“Loverâ€), when they have their almost-first kiss (“False Godâ€), and then their actual first kiss (“This Love (Taylor’s Version)â€). “Cruel Summer†even softly plays in the background when Belly tells her friend Taylor (no relation) about her feelings for Conrad. In season two, there are nine songs in the show and two used for promotional material; “August†even recharted after it was used in a trailer, according to Billboard. The song also returned to the Hot Rock & Alternative list, its highest spot ever at No. 17.
One of the show’s biggest plot twists and deviations from the book proves the power Swift has over the show as a whole. When Han chose violence and decided to put “Delicate†in the scene where Belly first realizes she has feelings for Jeremiah again, Team Conrad girlies were up in arms, fearing the song’s presence suggested Belly and Jeremiah would become the show’s end-game couple because the author has stated that “Delicate†is her favorite Swift song. But like Swift, Han does nothing by accident. Though she used her personal favorite song for Jeremiah, the history of Swift’s music in the show speaks to Belly’s romantic future in a bigger way. Where Jeremiah is lust and vengeance as personified by Reputation, Conrad is living-room dancing and first love, as primarily represented by Speak Now, Folklore, Fearless, and Lover. Every lyric of every song used on the show perfectly encapsulates that moment in the plot, almost as if Han wrote this show as an ode to her favorite albums.
Without Swift, The Summer I Turned Pretty could have been nothing new, but the pairing between Han’s love story and Swift’s fearless language turned the show into an enchanted affair that has captivated the hearts of girls all over the world. Season three has been confirmed, which fans speculate could bring the end to Belly’s story in line with the book trilogy, though the writers’ and actors’ strikes have halted production for the time being. In the meantime, the presence of Swift’s music may be the best way to predict who will be at the other end of Belly’s invisible string.