Quick Links
Jenny Han’s book turned TV series The Summer I Turned Pretty, premiered on Amazon Prime Video in June 2022. Immediately, viewers couldn’t help but notice Taylor Swift's songs in the soundtrack throughout the seven episodes. According to Time, Han listened to Swift’s music “nonstop” when she was writing the original book more than a decade ago. “Her music does really match up beautifully to the themes, and she’s just an incredible storyteller in her own right,” she says. Han continued by saying that “over the years, people have asked me: If the show ever got made, could it please have Taylor Swift’s music on it?”
Swift is a huge inspiration behind the romantic drama series. Her songs are naturally perfect for the significant scenes and themes. With so many iconic Swift songs, here’s how she influenced the show.
What Is The Summer I Turned Pretty About?
“The Summer I Turned Pretty” is a #1 New York Times Bestseller young adult trilogy by Jenny Han adapted into a TV series. It’s about a teenage girl named Belly who finds herself in a love triangle with two brothers (Conrad and Jeremiah) while also dealing with the breakup of her ex-boyfriend Cameron.
According to Jenny Han's website, the boys (Conrad and Jeremiah) have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one Summer changes everything. Although the series remains true to certain aspects of the book, the author did make some adjustments to the characters and storylines.
How did Taylor Swift's Music Become A Huge Part Of The Show?
Han is a Swiftie (Taylor Swift fan). She knew her audience wanted Taylor Swift's content to be incorporated into the show. Therefore, she made it happen. In addition, she chose Swift's songs as the main focus of attention-grabbing scenes making it a much better show.
According to E! News, Han was overjoyed to feature Swift's music on the show. "I don't even know the words for what that means to me", she said. "That was my number one dream, to get one of her songs on this show.” However, as much as it meant to Han to include Swift’s music, she knew it would be well-received by fans.“It's been so many years since the first book came out and so many people have been connecting her music to the story," she explained.
"I knew what it would mean to me and I knew even more what it would mean to the people who have held these books really close to their hearts," she continued. "That just felt like the best gift I could ever give.”
Han was originally inspired by one of Swift's songs, 'The Way I Loved You' when writing the book. She said “I make playlists for books and I tend to do that at the beginning of the writing process to help me sort of tap into the emotional vein of the stories”, according to Cinema Blend.
Han recognized that Taylor Swift fans and her book/TV series go hand in hand. According to TVLine, she said “the Venn diagram of Swifties and Summer fans, it’s like a circle. It’s like all overlap. And as we were telling the story, there’s just so many moments where I [was] like, ‘This could use a little bit of Taylor Swift.’ It was as simple as that. We have a lot of great music on the show, but I’ve always felt that her storytelling as a songwriter really matches up to the vibes of Summer.” Lucky for Han, she got the opportunity to use five Taylor Swift songs in the show.
What Were The Songs Used By Taylor Swift On The Show?
In Episode 1, 'Cruel Summer' - begins to play in the background when Belly is preparing to leave for Cousins Beach with her Mother and Brother. Taylor, her best friend, asks if she’ll tell Conrad how she feels about him. Swift told iHeartRadio, “this song is one that I wrote about the feeling of a summer romance, and how oftentimes a summer romance can be layered with all these feelings of, like, pining away and sometimes even secrecy”. The song aligned perfectly with the scene because not only is it Summer, there are feelings and secrets involved too. Belly has a secret crush on Conrad but has never mentioned that to him.
‘Lover' is also played in Episode 1. It starts playing when Conrad first appears on the screen and Belly arrives at Cousins Beach. When explaining the creation behind the song Swift told the New York Times, “in my head I had like, just the last two people on a dance floor at 3 a.m. swaying. Whatever that would sound like.” The slow and dreamy song was a great introduction to Belly’s love interest.
In Episode 4, 'False God' - begins to play in the background when Belly and Conrad attempted to share their first kiss. However, Conrad’s brother Jeremiah deliberately interrupts them by setting off fireworks. Jeremiah developed a romantic interest in Belly and is heartbroken when he witnesses this. While the song is about the love between two people, it’s also about taking a big risk in the first place by committing to each other. The importance of this song in the scene is that it depicts Belly and Conrad’s interest in each other. But, it’s a risk for them to be together due to Jeremiah’s jealousy.
In Episode 7, 'The Way I Loved You (Taylor's Version)' - is played during the ball scene when Jeremiah is missing and Conrad asks Belly to dance. The song is about recognizing how wonderful your current relationship is, but how it pales in comparison to how you felt in a previous relationship. This applies to Belly's trying to make the relationship with Jeremiah work only to discover that she loves Conrad.
'This Love (Taylor's Version)’ is also featured in Episode 7. It is the last background song played by Swift. It starts to play when Conrad apologizes to Belly for being so distant. The pair finally kiss for the first time. In the chorus, Swift sings "this love is good, this love is bad. This love is alive back from the dead.” The song represents the rebirth of an imperfect relationship. It applies to Conrad and Belly because despite their Summer romance’s ups and downs they were able to be together.
What Was Taylor Swift's Response to Her Music Being Used In The Summer I Turned Pretty?
Taylor Swift never spoke about why she allowed Han to use her songs. But, given how well they fit the show’s plot and Han’s admiration for Swift, it's no wonder she agreed.
In an Instagram post for the trailer, Swift did thank Han for debuting her song This Love (Taylor’s Version), in the trailer for The Summer I Turned Pretty. According to People, she wrote: "Thank you @jennyhan for debuting my version of This Love in the trailer for @thesummeriturnedpretty!! I’ve always been so proud of this song and I’m very 🥺🥺🥺 about this turn of events."
Overall, the usage of Swift’s music in the series also benefited her. According to Variety, her streams, sales, and followers increased. Songs like “Cruel Summer,” “False God” and “This Love” — re-entered the Billboard Top 40 three years after its release. The album “Lover” which contained these songs became her No. 1 streamed album on Spotify after gaining 3.9 million streams.
The series was a hit on Amazon Prime and has already been renewed for a second season.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGirmrGcpL9uv9aina1lnarAqq%2BMoqVmrJiaerTBzKacq2WZYsG2vs2em2aooprBtcWO