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 showâs creator (and book seriesâ author) Jenny Hanâs undying love for Ms. Swift, fans get treated to perfectly selected songs that complement Bellyâs summers on Cousins Beach.Â
Season 1 incorporated five songs by Miss Americana (all Taylorâs versions, of course), and if Season 2âs trailer and first three episodes are any indication, we Swifties have a lot more to look forward to this season. Iâll update you all summer on which songs make an appearance as new episodes come out each Friday. Hereâs 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 2âs teaser trailer features an atmospheric version of âAugustâ that sounds like a summer fairytale. The cinematic rendition makes my heart swell every time I listen to it. July 14 couldnât come fast enough.
episode 1: “love lost”
- “this love (taylor’s version)”
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Taylorâs 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 songâs 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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âHey Stephen (Taylorâs Version)â is Bellyâs ringtone for her brother Steven. The spelling may differ, but the song choice couldnât be more fitting.
- “INVISIBLE STRING”
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Itâs just so pretty to think that âInvisible Stringâ 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 canât 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: âLove Gameâ
- âSweet Nothingâ
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âSweet Nothingâ 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: âLove Festâ
- âDelicate (Taylorâs Version)â
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Weâve finally gotten our first snippet of Reputation (Taylorâs Version)! Belly & Jeremiahâs pool scenes always feature iconic music. Their first kiss in Season 1 to Tyler, the Creatorâs song âARE WE STILL FRIENDS?â still gives me butterflies; Season 2âs scene is almost as dreamy. Theyâre at the same tentative beginning what-are-we stage of a relationship that Swift sings about in âDelicate (Taylorâs Version).â
- âSnow On The Beach (feat. Lana Del Rey)â
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Two couples get linked to âSnow On The Beach (feat. Lana Del Rey)â: It starts playing at the end of Bellyâs drunken talk with Conrad at the beach and continues into Steven and Taylorâs first kiss.Â
I still firmly believe that this song should have been swapped out for âInvisible Stringâ in Episode 2; Taylor and Stevenâs unexpected romance is exactly the kind of relationship âInvisible Stringâ is about! However, âSnow On The Beachâ does add a certain melodramatic vibe to the end of this episode that captures everyoneâs emotional flurry, so it still works.
Episode 8: âLove Triangleâ
- âBigger Than The Whole Skyâ
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âBigger Than The Whole Skyâ plays when Belly visits Susannah, whoâs nearing the end of her life, in Cousins. Their goodbye scene is one of the seasonâs most heart-wrenching moments, especially with Swiftâs song in the background.
- âExile (feat. Bon Iver)â
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At the motel, Belly decides to release Conrad from her heart in order to fully commit to her and Jeremiahâs blossoming relationship. Of course, âExile (feat. Bon Iver)â is there to support Bellyâs mental monologue. The song choice is equal parts cheesy and thoughtful.
I donât know about you, but Iâm 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, Iâll be listening to The Summer I Turned Prettyâs version of âAugustâ on repeat.