The author of The Summer I Turned Pretty wrote a personal, handwritten letter to Taylor Swift requesting approval to feature one of her songs in the show.
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Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
Jenny Han shared her thoughts on Taylor Swift, 35, saying, “I felt like she supports women, and I felt like she supported me.”
Jenny Han has always envisioned Taylor Swift’s music as a perfect complement to her love stories.
The author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy—who served as an executive producer for two of the To All the Boys films and co-showrunner of the Prime Video series—shared the story behind TSITP’s memorable soundtrack during her appearance on Jenna Bush Hager’s Open Book podcast on January 9.
Han recalled a pivotal scene from the first season’s finale, which aired in 2022. In the emotional moment, Conrad (Christopher Briney) finally steps up to dance with Belly (Lola Tung) at her debutante ball. As she notices him joining her on the dance floor, the scene becomes even more unforgettable with Taylor Swift’s “The Way I Loved You” playing in the background.
Jenny Han, 44, shared that she “knew exactly which song” she wanted for that scene right from the moment she began “pitching the season.”
“I was trying to subtly plant the idea in everyone’s minds, like, this is the song we need,” she explained, adding that she was determined to do “whatever it took to make it happen.”
While seeking permission, an Amazon Music representative working with Jenny Han on the series suggested she write a personal letter to Taylor Swift, 35, understanding how crucial the perfect onscreen moment was for Han.
“I don’t think anyone truly believed we’d get it,” Han admitted.
Determined, she penned a handwritten note to Swift, expressing “how much it would mean—not just to me, but also to the fans.” Han added, “That was the gift I really wanted to give, because I knew they would go crazy for it.”
Taylor Swift ultimately granted permission to use her music, allowing the Taylor’s Version of Fearless’s “The Way I Loved You” to be featured. But that wasn’t all. “We were so fortunate to get more than one [song],” Jenny Han recalled.
Swift debuted This Love (Taylor’s Version) in the season 1 trailer in May 2022, and the season 2 trailer followed a similar trend by premiering a snippet of Back to December (Taylor’s Version).
Han expressed deep gratitude, saying, “She truly supports women, and I felt like she took a chance on me. I can’t thank her enough for letting us use her music. I think she also knows that her fans would enjoy the show.”
Across the two seasons of The Summer I Turned Pretty, over a dozen Swift songs have been featured, including Delicate (Taylor’s Version)—which remains unreleased as fans eagerly await Reputation (Taylor’s Version).
Jenny Han revealed to Jenna Bush Hager—who had shared a photo in March of her daughter Mila reading the first book in Han’s trilogy—that she often listened to Taylor Swift’s Fearless while writing the series. In fact, it resonated so deeply with her that she even considered dedicating one of the books to Swift at the time.
Han also shared that she once attempted to feature a Swift song in one of the To All the Boys Netflix films but was unsuccessful. “It wasn’t something I could really push for, but I wanted it so much,” she said, noting that in the book, the characters danced to “Style” at prom.
Reflecting on her current success with incorporating Swift’s music, Han said, “We’ve been so fortunate to continue using her songs,” and teased that the highly anticipated third season of The Summer I Turned Pretty will arrive this summer.
