Taylor Swift Songs in "The Summer I Turned Pretty"

Taylor Swift’s songs are woven deeply into "The Summer I Turned Pretty", often saying what the characters themselves cannot. Across moments of first love, distance, jealousy, and heartbreak, the music helps shape the emotional rhythm of the series.

The story behind the series

The series follows Isabel "Belly" Conklin as she spends each summer at Cousins Beach alongside brothers Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher. Much of the story centers on Belly growing older while trying to understand love, friendship, loyalty, and her changing place within the family around her.

Conrad often appears emotionally distant and difficult to read, while Jeremiah is more open and reassuring. That contrast shapes much of the tension throughout the show, especially as Belly moves back and forth between comfort, uncertainty, and longing.

Watch the official trailer for season 3:

How Taylor Swift became part of the series

Author Jenny Han spoke openly about wanting Taylor Swift’s music to become part of the series from the beginning. She even wrote Swift a personal letter explaining how strongly the lyrics connected with Belly’s emotional journey.

That connection became visible throughout the show. Instead of using the songs only for dramatic moments, the series often places them during quieter scenes: car rides, late-night conversations, awkward silences, or moments where characters struggle to say what they really feel.

Read more about Taylor Swift on her artist page

How the songs shape Belly and Conrad’s relationship

Many of the Swift songs connected to Belly and Conrad focus on timing, emotional distance, and unfinished feelings. In season one, "Lover" plays during one of their earliest emotional moments, giving the relationship a feeling of warmth and possibility before things become more complicated later on.

See the official music video for "Lover":

"This Love (Taylor's Version)" appears during their long-awaited kiss, making the scene feel less triumphant than emotionally overdue. The song’s slow build and reflective tone mirror the years of tension and uncertainty between them.

"False God" appears during moments where closeness and hesitation exist at the same time. The song first plays during an almost-kiss, then returns seasons later when Belly cares for an injured Conrad. By repeating the same track across different stages of the relationship, the series turns the song into a reminder of feelings that were never fully resolved.

Listen to the song "False God":

Season two expanding beyond romance

Season two uses Swift’s music in a broader emotional way. Songs like "Last Kiss (Taylor's Version)" and "Bigger Than the Whole Sky" are connected less to romance and more to grief, distance, and change inside the Fisher family.

One especially effective placement is "Sweet Nothing", which appears during a scene that quietly shifts Belly’s understanding of childhood memories and emotional safety. Instead of pushing the moment dramatically, the song makes the scene feel smaller, quieter, and more personal.

The role of season three

Season three introduces some of Swift’s most emotionally direct songs into the series. "You're Losing Me" immediately frames the growing collapse of Belly and Jeremiah’s relationship, while tracks like "loml", "How Did It End?" and "The 1" deepen the feeling of regret and emotional uncertainty surrounding Belly and Conrad.

The series also becomes more comfortable with silence during these episodes. In several scenes, music disappears completely before returning at emotionally difficult moments. That restraint makes certain song placements feel more deliberate and memorable.

Why the music became so important to the show

Part of the reason Swift’s music fits the series so naturally is the way her writing focuses on memory, changing relationships, and emotional detail. Many of her songs describe feelings indirectly through small observations, which mirrors how the show approaches romance and growing up.

Critics and viewers often described the series as "Swiftified", but the songs work because they feel connected to the characters rather than added for recognition alone. Certain tracks return across seasons, carrying emotional history with them and allowing scenes to echo earlier moments without needing extra dialogue.

Taylor Swift’s music ultimately became part of how many viewers remember the series itself. Certain scenes are now closely tied to specific songs, making the soundtrack feel less like accompaniment and more like part of the storytelling.

Here are all the Taylor Swift songs in the series, with full lyrics:

Season 1

• "Cruel Summer"
• "Lover"
• "False God"
• "The Way I Loved You (Taylor’s Version)"
• "This Love (Taylor’s Version)"
• "Hey Stephen (Taylor’s Version)" (as ringtone)
• Trailer: "This Love (Taylor’s Version)"

Season 2

• "Last Kiss (Taylor’s Version)"
• "Hey Stephen (Taylor’s Version)"
• "Invisible String"
• "Sweet Nothing"
• "Delicate (Taylor’s Version)"
• "Snow on the Beach" (feat. Lana Del Rey)
• "Bigger Than the Whole Sky"
• "Exile" (feat. Bon Iver)
• Trailer/Teaser: "August"
• Trailer/Teaser: "Back to December (Taylor’s Version)"
• "This Love (Taylor’s Version)" (appears again)

Season 3

• "You’re Losing Me (From the Vault)"
• "False God" (repeated from Season 1)
• "Robin" (The Tortured Poets Department)
• "loml" (The Tortured Poets Department)
• "cardigan"
• "How Did It End?"
• "You’re On Your Own Kid"
• "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart"
• "The 1"
• "Dress"
• "Out of the Woods"
• Trailer: "Daylight"
• Trailer: "Red (Taylor’s Version)"
• Feature only: "Us" by Gracie Abrams feat. Taylor Swift

Read more about Taylor Swift on her artist page

Further reading:

Lyrics explained: "hate that i made you love me" by Ariana Grande

The Meaning Behind "Man I Need" by Olivia Dean

Lyrics Explained: Billie Eilish’s "WILDFLOWER"