As a Taylor Swift and The Summer I Turned Pretty (TSITP) fan, I always obsess over the soundtrack Jenny Han will pick for her show. Jenny is an incredible writer who wrote the books on which TSITP is based. She picks particular parts of songs for specific scenes which have significant meanings. I found this article helpful since it lists all the songs used in The Summer I Turned Pretty, seasons one and two. This article is more of a list of all the songs and does not include in-depth detail about the song's impact on the scenes, characters, storyline and the viewer's emotions. I agree with the article that Taylor Swift and TSITP go hand in hand. I was convinced by reading and watching other fan's perspectives and making my own connections. I will now list a few connections I've made, read or seen between the songs and lyrics.
In the first season, Jenny Han added five Taylor Swift songs, and ten in season two. She had permission to add three unreleased Taylor Swift songs in this series. According to the article, the songs were This Love (Taylor's Version), Delicate (Taylor's Version) and Back to December (Taylor's Version). One example of Jenny's significance with lyrics was in the season two trailer. The lyrics were "I watched you laughing from the passenger side" while Belly looked at Conrad driving.
To set the mood for the series, season one starts with Cruel Summer playing in the background, leading the viewer to believe Belly (the main character) and Taylor (her best friend) are Taylor Swift fans. During the first season, Taylor Swift's songs only played during scenes with Belly and Conrad, which made fans believe there was a specific reason. However, in season two, there was a scene between Belly and Jeremiah where Delicate (Taylor's Version) played. It was the first time a Swift song played in a love scene other than between Belly and Conrad. Jenny Han spoke about Delicate (Taylor's Version) and said: "Many fans feel betrayed. However, I never said that Taylor was only for Belly and Conrad. 'Delicate' is speaking to where Belly's head and heart are at in that moment.
Adding to the change in season two, the first episode of season two starts with the same scene as the ending of season one. It is a scene with Belly and Conrad on the beach, and This Love (Taylor's Version) is playing. The scene and lyrics ("this love is good, this love is bad, this love is alive back from the dead") have significance since they show that their love story did not end. Episode two included a scene showing Belly in front of the beach house, having a flashback to the last time she visited the house with Conrad. They were running to the beach during a snowfall. During this scene, fans suspected Jenny of playing Snow at the Beach by Taylor Swift, but instead, she played Invisible Strings by Taylor Swift. Jenny explained her choice of lyrics ("Hell was the journey, but it brought me heaven") by explaining that Belly is "right here as she's in this memory". I also felt overwhelming joy and a loss since it was a flashback.
In addition to lyrics with meaning, "goodbye goodbye goodbye, you were bigger than the whole sky" was used during a heartbroken scene between Belly and Suzannah. These lyrics make the viewer tear up and feel the same emotions as the characters. Lastly, the season ends with a powerful scene while Exile by Taylor Swift is playing. The lyrics "holdin' all this love out here in the hall", "I think I've seen this film before and I didn't like the ending", and "there is no amount of crying I can do for you" were used to allow the viewers to feel Conrad's emotions with him. I certainly felt heartbroken and sad watching this ending.
In conclusion, this article is an excellent source if you want to know the soundtrack of TSITP, but I would have appreciated an article which explains the connection between the songs and the scenes.
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