Music has always been a powerful tool for setting the tone and sparking emotions in any form of storytelling. And few shows have harnessed this magic quite like Prime Video’s global hit, The Summer I Turned Pretty. Based on Jenny Han’s bestselling novels, the series has made Taylor Swift’s music almost a character of its own, blending her iconic songs with the show’s central themes of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery. Ahead of the much-awaited final season’s global premiere, the lead cast shares their views on the significance of Swift’s music in the storytelling and reveals their favourite needle drops, giving fans a glimpse into the creative process behind the show’s soundtrack.
Speaking about this seamless infusion of Swift’s music into the show, Lola Tung, who plays the much-loved character Belly, shares, “She’s an incredible storyteller, just like Jenny. So it felt very fitting. I think for Jenny, she has a personal connection. When she was writing a lot of the books, she was listening to some of this music, like The Way I Loved You. So, for her, she’s had these in mind for so long. Obviously, not all of these albums were out yet, but it helped her shape the world.” She further added, “There are so many incredible needle drops. From the first two seasons, The Way I Loved You is a classic. I have to say, though, the trailer songs like the teaser that just came out as well. I remember when Jenny told me what she was doing with that, from Daylight into Red, and I was like, ‘Oh My God, nobody’s ever gonna expect this.’ It’s so genius, and it’s so perfect.”
Christopher Briney echoes Tung’s thoughts, saying, “Very thoroughly planned and thought out. It’s part of the vision.” Gavin Casalegno also weighs in and praises Han’s ability to curate the perfect soundtrack, highlighting, “I think Jenny does a great job at finding the perfect music for the world. Like with all of Taylor’s music, I think she really does a deep dive into what’s going to fit the world and the feel of all these things. We don’t even know all the songs that are going to be in the next season.”
The upcoming season is led by showrunners Jenny Han and Sarah Kucserka, with Han, Kucserka, and Karen Rosenfelt serving as executive producers alongside Paul Lee, Hope Hartman, and Mads Hansen for wiip. A co-production between Amazon MGM Studios and wiip, this coming-of-age romance drama features Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, Sean Kaufman, Jackie Chung, and Rachel Blanchard in pivotal roles. The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 premieres with the first two episodes on July 16, followed by weekly releases every Thursday until September 17, exclusively on Prime Video, in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada languages.
