Taylor Swift is inextricably tied to certain things: cats, the number 13, teardrops on guitars, and The Summer I Turned Pretty. Thanks to the Prime Video show’s creator (and book series’ author) Jenny Han’s undying love for Ms. Swift, fans get treated to perfectly selected songs that complement Belly’s summers on Cousins Beach.
Season 1 incorporated five songs by Miss Americana (all Taylor’s versions, of course), and if Season 2’s trailer and first three episodes are any indication, we Swifties have a lot more to look forward to this season. I’ll update you all summer on which songs make an appearance as new episodes come out each Friday. Here’s every Taylor Swift song featured in Season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Spoiler warning: Spoilers for The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2 follow.
teaser trailer
- “august”
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In true TSITP fashion, Season 2’s teaser trailer features an atmospheric version of “August” that sounds like a summer fairytale. The cinematic rendition makes my heart swell every time I listen to it. July 14 couldn’t come fast enough.
episode 1: “love lost”
- “this love (taylor’s version)”
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Taylor’s version of this song from 1989 (Deluxe) made its worldwide debut in the Season 1 finale. Season 2 picks up right where Season 1 left off, with Belly and Conrad having finally kissed on the beach after a whole summer of romantic tension. The song’s instrumentals play as the pair walk home after their kiss. Shoutout to continuity!
- “Last kiss” (Taylor’s version)
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Speak Now is so TSITP-coded. “Last Kiss (Taylor’s Version)” plays as Belly reminisces over old pictures of Conrad and Susannah in her camera roll. It’s impossible to tell whose last kiss she misses more, which makes the song choice a thousand times more devastating.
EPISODE 2: “LOVE SCENE”
- “HEY STEPHEN (TAYLOR’S VERSION)”
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“Hey Stephen (Taylor’s Version)” is Belly’s ringtone for her brother Steven. The spelling may differ, but the song choice couldn’t be more fitting.
- “INVISIBLE STRING”
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It’s just so pretty to think that “Invisible String” adds a whole new layer of cuteness when Belly and Conrad go to Cousins in the winter and play with snow on the beach. I can’t help feeling like this scene fumbled the perfect opportunity to use a different, much more obvious Swift song, though. I mean, it was literally snowing on the beach.
Episode 4: “Love Game”
- “Sweet Nothing”
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“Sweet Nothing” shows up in a flashback scene when 12-year-old Belly and 14-year-old Conrad spend the afternoon on the boardwalk. Conrad really did want sweet nothing from Belly; he only took her there so he could see his crush working the ring toss. This is the middle school epitome of heartbreak.
Episode 6: “Love Fest”
- “Delicate (Taylor’s Version)”
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We’ve finally gotten our first snippet of Reputation (Taylor’s Version)! Belly & Jeremiah’s pool scenes always feature iconic music. Their first kiss in Season 1 to Tyler, the Creator’s song “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?” still gives me butterflies; Season 2’s scene is almost as dreamy. They’re at the same tentative beginning what-are-we stage of a relationship that Swift sings about in “Delicate (Taylor’s Version).”
- “Snow On The Beach (feat. Lana Del Rey)”
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Two couples get linked to “Snow On The Beach (feat. Lana Del Rey)”: It starts playing at the end of Belly’s drunken talk with Conrad at the beach and continues into Steven and Taylor’s first kiss.
I still firmly believe that this song should have been swapped out for “Invisible String” in Episode 2; Taylor and Steven’s unexpected romance is exactly the kind of relationship “Invisible String” is about! However, “Snow On The Beach” does add a certain melodramatic vibe to the end of this episode that captures everyone’s emotional flurry, so it still works.
Episode 8: “Love Triangle”
- “Bigger Than The Whole Sky”
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“Bigger Than The Whole Sky” plays when Belly visits Susannah, who’s nearing the end of her life, in Cousins. Their goodbye scene is one of the season’s most heart-wrenching moments, especially with Swift’s song in the background.
- “Exile (feat. Bon Iver)”
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At the motel, Belly decides to release Conrad from her heart in order to fully commit to her and Jeremiah’s blossoming relationship. Of course, “Exile (feat. Bon Iver)” is there to support Belly’s mental monologue. The song choice is equal parts cheesy and thoughtful.
I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling happy with Season 2! The season racked up a total of nine Taylor Swift songs throughout its eight episodes. Although Season 3 has been announced, Swifties will have to hold tight to see which songs make the next cut. Until then, I’ll be listening to The Summer I Turned Pretty’s version of “August” on repeat.