Sept. 17 marked the series finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty, the hit YA adaptation that grew from a one-off Amazon Prime show to one of the defining romance series for ages 16 to 30. The story follows Isabel Belly Conklin (Lola Tung) and her love affair with the fictional Cousins Beach, and the brothers who defined her summers there. Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and Conrad Fisher (Chris Briney) both have something to offer, but for Belly, choosing one feels like it means losing the other. In its three seasons, The Summer I Turned Pretty has charted Belly’s journey from awkward pre-teen to self-assured Paris resident, and the relationships with Jeremiah — and eventually Conrad — that marked those eras. And following the series finale, Amazon announced the story would continue in a feature film production, one fans desperately hope will capture Belly and Conrad’s wedding.
Jenny Han, author of The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s source material, has always been an avid fan of romance. However, as the show’s fan base has grown, The Summer I Turned Pretty has tangentially become known for its wild pop needle drops, many of which feature Taylor Swift songs. “She is a really great storyteller, and she writes songs about young women that really speak to girlhood and the experience of being a woman in the world,” Han tells Rolling Stone. “So [her music] really lends itself well to Belly, who’s on this journey coming of age. Using Taylor’s music just kind of deepens that.”
Han chooses many of the key moments where she thinks songs will fit best with the storyline, working with Music Supervisor Melissa Hartman, who sources the music. While Swift’s discography features heavily in Belly’s love stories, there are plenty of other jaw-dropping moments that wouldn’t be the same without the songs that played behind them — so Rolling Stone spoke with Han about some of the show’s defining tracks.
Warning: Spoilers below.
Belly (Lola Tung) with Conrad (Christopher Briney)
Erika Doss/Amazon Prime
‘Lover’ by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift’s titular single from her seventh studio album is a ballad that dreamily recounts all the ways two lovers are meant to be together forever. This is the backing track to the first time Belly and Conrad see each other on screen in the series. There’s even the lyrics “And I’m highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you / I’ve loved you three summers now, honey, but I want ’em all,” which cheekily fits into the ever-present themes of Cousins Beach.
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“It’s a song that is really romantic and clearly written about someone that the character really loves. To me, it felt like it had a romance and gauziness to it, and that’s how Belly felt about Conrad.”
‘Silver Springs’ by Fleetwood Mac
The Fleetwood Mac song is all about the fire and might of a scorned woman, but the Summer I Turned Pretty flips this assumption on its head by playing “Silver Springs” when Belly is scorned entirely at the wrong time. After Susannah’s funeral, a struggling Belly sees Conrad being comforted by a female friend. His mom is dead and he’s heartbroken. But instead of calming down, she confronts him in the quiet wake, causing a scene in the middle of the mourners and falling — disappointing everyone around her.
“It’s really emotional. Belly is definitely not in the right. Conrad’s also not in the right, but he’s more in the right than she is, because it’s his mom’s funeral. For me, at that age of being 16 years old, you have these really big emotions, and sometimes you’re not controlling yourself that well. That was a moment where Belly really let her own self down and how she behaved, and she’s not proud of that. But I think she felt right in that moment, so the song and emotions lend itself well to that.”
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‘False God’ by Taylor Swift
This Swift hit is actually played twice in the series. In its first appearance, ‘False God’ is playing when Belly and Conrad almost have their first kiss. (The moment is interrupted by Jeremiah setting off a firework.) When it comes up again, an engaged Belly is trying to figure out how to interact with Conrad in the summer house while her fiancé, Jeremiah, remains out of town for work. Conrad is cut while surfing, and when Belly helps him tend the wound, their closeness takes her back to the start of their relationship.
“I love that song. It’s one of my favorites. I got to experience it live as the secret song at the Eras Tour. [In the show], you hear the sound of Belly’s heartbeats, and then you hear the beginning of that song. It’s her remembering those feelings and opening up. She’s been in denial and pushing it down, and then it just overtakes her. Belly’s back is almost a muscle memory of how it felt to be so close to Conrad.”
‘Sign of the Times’ by Harry Styles
When Conrad decides to go surprise Belly in Paris, he has no way of knowing if she’ll be happy about it. But by boarding his flight, he’s finally acting on the love and desire he’s had for Belly since the beginning, feelings he fought to ignore in the past.
“I was really, really excited to get that song because I’ve been wanting a Harry song on the show forever. This was a big one, and Melissa Hardwick, who’s our music supervisor, was really working hard to get this one for us. When she called to tell me the news, I literally teared up. I was so happy. It’s a big, epic song. And I love that you can hear the sound of the plane taking off. It feels like you’re going somewhere with that song. And Harry saying ‘Welcome to the final show’ felt like the perfect way to send Conrad off [to Paris] and to send the audience off into the finale.”
‘Wild Horses’ by The Rolling Stones
One of the most famous scenes of the books happens in hazy detail in The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s last season. After running errands for Jeremiah and Belly’s upcoming nuptials, Conrad and Belly see a roadside peach cart and pull over for a snack. She’s focused on the summer fruit, but for Conrad, the light and scenery only serve to emphasize how much his feelings for Belly haven’t gone away.
“The peach scene happens in Conrad’s POV episode. So the music is a little different than other songs throughout the show. We get to hear Otis Redding, and we hear the Rolling Stones and Van Morrison. It’s a different vibe because it’s coming from his perspective, and so I was really excited to be able to explore different sounds when we were out of Belly’s head.”
‘Scott Street’ by Phoebe Bridgers
The last time we see the rest of Belly’s family, which includes her mom Laurel, brother Steven, and her best friend Taylor, the group is celebrating Jeremiah’s successful dinner party.
“Phoebe Bridgers is an important artist for the show. We’ve used one of her songs in each season. We had ‘Funeral’ in Season One, and that was a really big musical moment. So it felt really great to return to her. And that song is really nostalgic. It feels like you’re already in a memory as you’re listening to it. And that’s how I wanted the ending to feel. It does have that really cozy sound to it. It felt like the most fitting song for the end of the series.”
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‘Dress’ and ‘Out of the Woods’ by Taylor Swift
In the series finale, Conrad and Belly reunite in Paris the night before her birthday. The two spend a steamy night together, and while the aftermath leaves both of them confused, Belly realizes Conrad is the love of her life and runs to the train station to catch him before he leaves the city.
“Well, I love ‘Dress.’ It’s really passionate and sexy, and it felt like the best song to use for that moment. It’s one of my favorite songs from Reputation, and it has a big build to it. And then ‘Out of the Woods,’ is used in such a moment about realization. So I really wanted the audience to have the same experience as Belly in that moment. Hopefully, the first couple of seconds you’re not aware of what the song is. And then you hear [the lyrics], ‘I remember.’ It’s Belly remembering who she is and her own identity, and remembering that she is a person who loves Conrad. That’s what sets her off on that run. And I think the song has a beautiful momentum that just pushes us all the way to the end.”
