The Summer I Turned Pretty Author Wrote Taylor Swift a ‘Handwritten Note’ to Ask Permission to Use This Song on the Show

“I felt like she is someone who bets on women, and I felt like she bet on me,” Jenny Han said of Swift, 35

Jenny Han always had a vision of Taylor Swift in her love stories.

The author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy — who executive produced two of the three To All the Boys movies and is the co-showrunner of the Prime Video series — joined Jenna Bush Hager on her podcast, Open Book, on Jan. 9 and revealed the true story behind the music in of TSITP‘s most iconic scenes.

In the season 1 finale of the show, which premiered in 2022, Conrad (Christopher Briney) steps up to dance with Belly (Lola Tung) at her debutante ball in a long-awaited romantic moment for the pair, and as she turns to see him join her on the dance floor, Swift’s “The Way I Loved You” played.

Han, 44, said she “knew what song I wanted” for that scene from the get-go when she was “pitching out the season.”

“I was kinda trying to, like, inception it into everyone’s heads that this is what we — that we need this,” she said, noting she was willing to do “whatever it took to get it.”

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 1, Christopher Briney and Lola Tung

While she worked on getting permission, the Amazon Music rep Han was working with on the series gave her the idea to write a letter to Swift, 35, because she knew it was “really important” to the author to have the perfect onscreen moment.

“I don’t think anyone thought we were gonna get it, honestly,” Han said.

So she “wrote a handwritten note” to the singer and explained “how much it would mean — not just to me, but I thought to the fans. That was the gift I really wanted to give, because I’m like, they’re gonna go crazy for this.”

Swift ultimately gave her permission and the Taylor’s Version of the Fearless song was used — but not only that. “We were so lucky to get more than one [song],” Han remembered.

Swift later debuted “This Love (Taylor’s Version)” in the season 1 trailer in May 2022 and the season 2 trailer included a similar move as it marked the first tease of “Back to December (Taylor’s Version).”

“She really — I felt like she is someone who bets on women. And I felt like she bet on me,” the author said of Swift. “And I can’t say enough how thankful I am that she let us use her music. And I think she knows, too, her fans would like the show.”

More than a dozen Swift songs have been used in the show’s two seasons, including “Delicate (Taylor’s Version),” which remains unreleased as fans continue to await Reputation (Taylor’s Version).

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce_50JiOcMH/ jennyhan Verified I’m going to post more Summer pictures soon but I have to start with my dearest @lola.tung. Lola, you are a bright shining star, not just because of your incredible talent, but because of your beautiful heart. If Lola Tung has a million fans, I am one of them, if she has ten fans I am one of them, if she has one fan, that one is me, if she has zero I am no longer on this earth! I am Team Lola for life. #thesummeriturnedpretty 4d

Han also told Bush Hager — who posted a photo in March of her daughter Mila reading the first book in Han’s trilogy — that Fearless was what she listened to when she was writing the book trilogy, so much so that she “thought about dedicating one of [the books] to her at the time.”

She’d also tried to get a Swift song into one of the To All The Boys Netflix movies to no avail.

“It wasn’t even a thing that I could really push, but I really wanted it,” she said, especially since, “In the book, at the prom, they’re dancing to ‘Style.'”

“We’ve been so lucky to continue to get to use her music,” Han said of Swift, before teasing that the show’s long-awaited third season will be coming this summer.

The Summer I Turned Pretty fashion

Seasons 1 and 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty can be streamed in full on Prime Video and season 3 is due for a Summer 2025 release.

Related Posts

Photo Emerges of Taylor Swift Giving $100,000 Bonus to ‘Eras’ Crew Member

Taylor Swift took the final bow of her record-breaking “Eras Tour” in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Dec. 8. After nearly a year and a half on tour and…

RESPECT!! After neаrly 14 yeаrѕ of dіvorce, teаrѕ well uр іn Tаylor Swіft’ѕ eyeѕ аѕ ѕhe wіtneѕѕeѕ her раrentѕ reconcіle аnd рreраre to remаrry

Henderѕonvіlle, TN — іn а heаrtwаrmіng turn of eventѕ, Tаylor ѕwіft’ѕ раrentѕ hаve rekіndled theіr love, рuttіng аn end to neаrly 14 yeаrѕ of ѕeраrаtіon. The emotіonаl…

SHOCKING!! Kansas City Charity Turns Down $1 Million from Taylor Swift: “We Don’t Need Your Woke Money For Doing Goods”

A Kansas City-based organization has recently found itself at the center of controversy after turning down a $1 million donation from pop superstar Taylor Swift. The organization,…

REPORT: Taylor Swift Stands Alone as Billboard Music Awards’ All-Time Top Winner After 10 New Wins

In addition to being the top overall winner, she’s the top winner in several individual categories. Taylor Swift performs onstage during the “Taylor Swift | The Eras…

HOT!!! Taylor Swift’s “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” has now surpassed “Yes, And?” by Ariana Grande as the 33rd most streamed song released in 2024!

Taylor Swift’s “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” Surpasses Ariana Grande’s “Yes, And?” as the 33rd Most Streamed Song of 2024! In an exciting twist…

‘Music is back’: Taylor Swift drives UK music sales to 20-year high

The total 2024 UK sales of recorded music topped the 2001 record of £2.2bn and Taylor Swift is to thank for a sizeable chunk, according to new figures released by the Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA).