Cover You can count on Taylor Swift songs to make onscreen moments so much more memorable. (Photo: Neilson Barnard / Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
You can count on Taylor Swift songs to make onscreen moments so much more memorable. (Photo: Neilson Barnard / Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
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From romance to heartbreak, these TV shows used Taylor Swift songs to score their most memorable moments
TV has long borrowed pop hits to supercharge a scene, but Taylor Swift songs have a particular alchemy. Beyond setting the mood, they thread into character arcs, turning quiet beats into emotional turning points and magnifying drama without a single extra line of dialogue. Her catalogue is built on intimacy and detail, so when a series drops one of her tracks, it’s like slipping a handwritten note into the script. From teen crushes to midlife reckonings, these moments resonate worldwide—including with Asian Swifties, who recognise the thrill of hearing those familiar chords bridge the screen and their own stories. These TV shows knew exactly how to use Taylor Swift songs to amplify their storytelling.
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1. ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’
Above Belly dances with Conrad to Taylor Swift's ‘The Way I Loved You’.
The Amazon Prime series The Summer I Turned Pretty has prominently featured Taylor Swift’s music throughout its run, with her songs deeply enriching the emotional and romantic atmosphere of the show. Creator Jenny Han, a devoted Swift fan, personally reached out to Swift to include tracks such as the lesser-known “The Way I Loved You” from Fearless, setting a tone of heartfelt romance that aligns perfectly with the series’s narrative centred on Belly Conklin’s love triangle with the Fisher brothers. Swift’s extensive catalogue of poignant ballads and sparkling love songs has become integral to the storytelling, providing perfect soundtracks for key moments across all three seasons.
Critical scenes in the series are often underscored by Swift’s songs, which express the characters’s complex feelings and relationship dynamics. For example, the debutante ball scene in Season 1, where Belly dances with Conrad, is powerfully accompanied by “The Way I Loved You”, highlighting the emotional intensity of their connection. Season 2’s trailer featured “Back to December (Taylor's Version)”, giving fans a preview of Swift’s re-recorded work and deepening the show’s themes of nostalgia and reflection. The series also uses newer Swift songs like “Daylight” and “Red (Taylor's Version)” prominently in Season 3 promotional trailers, illustrating the evolving romantic tensions, especially Belly’s conflicted feelings between the two brothers.
2. ‘Heartstopper’
Above The Season 2 finale uses Taylor Swift’s ‘Seven’ in what Taylor Swift herself thought was a beautiful, moving scene.
In the Season 2 finale, when Darcy finally confesses “I love you” to Tara, Taylor Swift’s “Seven” begins—almost intimately—underlining the scene with a profound quietude. The song continues through a montage of the friend group laughing, dancing and simply being together after prom. The choice speaks volumes: “Seven” recalls childhood innocence while also acknowledging hidden hardship, mirroring Darcy’s private struggles and the comfort of queer joy.
3. ‘Bridgerton’
Above ‘Bridgerton’ uses Duomo covers of Taylor Swift songs.
From its debut, Bridgerton has made orchestral pop covers, including those of Taylor Swift songs, a signature element of its soundtrack. In Season 1, Duomo’s string-quartet rendition of Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams” was used to underscore romantic moments such as Daphne and Simon’s countryside ride, lending the scene a lush, sweeping romanticism. This classical reinterpretation set the tone for the show’s musical style, which reimagines contemporary hits as elegant period-appropriate instrumentals.
Later in Season 3 episode 7, Duomo’s cover of “You Belong With Me” accompanied Penelope and Colin’s first dance at their wedding breakfast, bringing a tender and knowing mood that highlights Penelope’s long-standing affections. While Bridgerton has maintained its tradition of using Taylor Swift covers during significant scenes, these pieces often enhance the emotional subtext and invite fans to appreciate the mashup of modern songwriting with classical instrumentation.
4. ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
Above The lyrics ‘I’m not a princess’ perfectly depict Meredith Grey’s rude awakening.
In Season 5 of Grey’s Anatomy, Meredith Grey’s painful confrontation with reality is powerfully underscored by Taylor Swift’s “White Horse”. The song plays during a quiet hospital corridor scene where Meredith realises that Derek’s grand romantic gestures cannot reconcile with the complexities of their relationship. The stripped-back production—featuring minimal instrumentation—mirrors her emotional clarity and heartbreak, while the lyric “I’m not a princess” dismantles the fairytale notion Meredith had clung to.
5. ‘True Blood’
Above The dark intensity of ‘Haunted’ was perfect for ‘True Blood’.
True Blood may not seem like the quintessential Swiftie TV show, but watch its characters more intently and you might see how Taylor Swift songs would fit well with their narratives and internal thoughts. In Season 4, episode 9, “Haunted” scores Jessica and Jason’s impulsive hook-up in the back of a pickup truck. The track’s urgent strings and breathless pace amplify the scene’s reckless energy, turning what could have been a standard steamy interlude into something almost operatic. It’s an unusual choice for a show steeped in swampy Southern rock, but that contrast makes the Taylor Swift song land harder—glossy, heightened and charged with a sense that both characters are crossing a line they can’t uncross.
6. ‘The Bear’
Above Cousin is a certified Swiftie.
The Bear may be more associated with Sufjan Stevens and Wilco, but there are a couple of memorable Taylor Swift songs in its soundtrack, too. Richie’s car sing-along to “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” in Season 2 is more than a gag about a gruff man embracing a pop anthem. By this point in the series, Richie’s arc is about discovering pride in service and finding unexpected emotional outlets. Season 3 takes a different tack, using “Long Live (Taylor’s Version)” over a tense but tender family moment in the kitchen. Its nostalgic refrain, originally about youthful triumph, reframes the team’s fragile unity as a victory in itself.
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Chonx Tibajia is a senior editor at Tatler Asia’s T-Labs team, where she writes widely on lifestyle subjects including beauty, style, entertainment and travel. She has a long career in journalism, including roles as a columnist at The Philippine Star, and is the founder of the creative platform Pineappleversed. Beyond Tatler, her bylines appear in regional lifestyle and business publications, showcasing a broad portfolio that spans beauty trends, travel guides and culture pieces.
