It’s time for the final chapter of the beloved book-to-screen adaptation of Jenny Han’s series The Summer I Turned Pretty. That means Team Conrad and Team Jeremiah will be throwing hands on social media as Belly’s story plays out. It also means the Swifties will be able to analyze the meaning of every Taylor Swift song used in the show. Now, sort of speaking to both points here, the author has revealed a Swift song that fits Belly’s story in Season 3, and I’m shook.
So, ahead of The Summer I Turned Pretty’s July 16 premiere on the 2025 TV schedule, Jenny Han and Lola Tung, who plays Belly, sat down with Yahoo News Canada. They were asked to “assign” Belly a Taylor Swift song for Season 3, and the conversation took quite the turn as you can see below:
- Lola Tung: I would say, I’m trying to think, it’s probably something a little later on.
- Jenny Han: “Don’t Blame Me?”
- Lola Tung: Well, when we first see her at the beginning of the season? That’s crazy!
I agree with Tung, “that’s crazy!” For those who might not know, “Don’t Blame Me” is a beloved and very dramatic song off Reputation about love making her crazy. Swift compares her lover to drugs, and says she’ll “be usin’ for the rest of my life,” and she sings about how no matter what happens, no matter how crazy she goes, she’ll stay with this person. To prove that, here are a few of the lyrics:
Don’t blame me, love made me crazy / If it doesn’t, you ain’t doin’ it right / Lord, save me, my drug is my baby / I’ll be usin’ for the rest of my life
I’m honestly reeling about this. I don’t even know who this could be referring to, and I’ve read We’ll Always Have Summer, which is what Season 3 is based on. Is it referring to the idea that – book spoilers ahead – Belly and Jeremiah’s relationship could go sour, but she, despite her best judgement, decides to stay with him? Or could we go a bit off script? Could we see Belly yearning for Conrad, and that’s the love that’s making her crazy while she’s in a relationship with Jeremiah?
Honestly, I think either option could happen, since Han did say this season could “surprise” us. No matter what, though, this kind of song implies some passionate and potentially questionable decisions from Belly, which I’m stressed about, but I also cannot wait to watch it unfold with my Amazon Prime subscription.
“Don’t Blame Me” wasn’t the only T-Swift song Han provided, though; it was just the wildest one. After Tung said that choice was “crazy,” they also chatted about a few fitting tracks off Midnights, saying:
- Jenny Han: There’s “Midnight Rain,” there’s “Bejeweled.”
- Lola Tung: Maybe “Bejeweled” is a nice thing, because she’s having fun, she’s in college.
- Jenny Han: She’s going out tonight.
- Lola Tung: Hell, yeah. Belly’s outside.
I mean, come on? Lyrics like “he was sunshine, I was midnight rain” go so hard, and, to me, imply Jeremiah’s sunny disposition and the Conrad-shaped cloud that has constantly been hovering over their relationship. However, the song also talks about everyone getting “some kind of haunted,” which could be attributed to the fact that Conrad and Belly can’t seem to shake each other. So, I agree that “Midnight Rain” is a great choice.
I think “Bejeweled” is too. Belly’s in college, she probably is “goin’ out tonight,” and I think this summer will be about her truly finding out what makes her “shimmer.” Maybe it’ll be Jeremiah, maybe it’ll be Conrad, or maybe it’ll be neither of them. It’s hard to say.
However, one thing I know for sure: love is probably going to drive all three of them crazy, just like the lyrics of “Don’t Blame Me” imply.
