“…in someone’s handwriting, not mine”

February often can feel like a whirlwind - with a lot packed into less days than other months. It’s a month for handwritten notes, familiar songs on repeat, and noticing the small moments that carry more meaning than we expect. This month’s Dear Reader is all about leaning into those February feels. Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day, Groundhog Day or just making it through the shortest month of the year, I hope this newsletter brings you some cozy, joy-filled moments just for you. So let’s dive into your February Swiftie inspo!

In this newsletter you’ll find:

• 🗓️ Swiftie February Dates - Highlights from this month

• 🎧 My February 2026 Swiftie Playlist - A soundtrack for January

• 🎶 February-Coded Mashups - a compilation of throwbacks from Swiftmas

• 🥞 Featured Recipe - “King Of Your Heart” Pancakes

Swiftie February 2026 Dates

February is already shaping up to be a big month in the Swiftie universe, starting with Taylor officially announcing and releasing her next single from The Life Of A Showgirl, “Opalite,”. The music video premiered yesterday - have you watched yet?! There’s always so much to dissect in Taylor’s music videos, and this one is no exception. I LOVE that Taylor brought back together the gang from her episode of The Graham Norton Show that she was on back in November 2025, while doing press for TLOAS. You can check out a little teaser video I put together of how it all started, and how it’s going! Let me know if you’d like any more content about the “Opalite” music video as well - Easter Eggs, breakdowns, etc.

Alongside that major release, February is full of beloved music anniversaries - from Picture to Burn and Teardrops On My Guitar to pop-era staples like Style and New Romantics. And we also get a little cinematic Taylor nostalgia with her appearance in the movie Valentine’s Day, a fun February throwback.

February 2026 Swiftie Playlist

This month’s February Swiftie playlist explores many different shades of love - from friendship, to falling in love, to the quiet certainty of loving someone deeply, all set against wintery imagery and cozy February moods. Think soft reflections, heart-fluttering lyrics, and songs that feel like handwritten notes, late-night conversations, and warmth on cold days. It’s a soundtrack for wherever this month meets you.

You can listen to my February 2026 Swiftie Playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and YouTube, with clean versions on Spotify and Apple Music.

February Coded Mashups

Here are a few throwback mashups that I think are perfect for the month of February:

• Super Bowl Half Time Show Mashups - I put together these mashups in honor of the last two Super Bowl Half Time Shows

  • 2025 Part 1

  • 2025 Part 2

  • 2024

• Labyrinth x You’re Losing Me - From the minute Midnights released, “Labyrinth” has been a song I’ve always strongly associated with the month of February.

• I Don’t Wanna Live Forever x Dress - Another combo that I think is so Valentine’s Day coded. One of my favorite Eras Tour mashups!

Featured Recipe: “King Of Your Heart” Pancakes

What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with a plate of heart-shaped pancakes?! I whipped these up last year for V-Day and wish I could send all of you a plate - but since I can’t, here’s the recipe! 🫶

Ingredients:

• 1 mashed banana

• 1 cup almond/oat milk

• ⅔ cup applesauce

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 2 tbsp oil (I used olive oil)

• 1 cup sourdough discard

• 1 ½ cup all purpose flour

• 2 tbsp brown sugar

• 2 tbsp baking powder

• 1 pinch of salt

• Toppings: maple syrup, fruit (I used blueberries, persimmons and banana slices)

1️⃣ Mash your banana before adding in all wet ingredients (milk, applesauce, maple syrup, oil and sourdough discard).

2️⃣ Mix well, and then add in the dry ingredients (flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt). Mix until everything is well incorporated.

3️⃣ Heat up a pan with oil (I use avocado oil). The more oil you use, the crispier the pancakes will get! But this recipe works perfectly well without any oil on the pan, as long as you’re using a good non-stick pan.

4️⃣ Spoon the batter onto the hot pan. I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter to make the heart shapes, or you could make circular pancakes and cut out the heart shapes later. Once the pancakes start bubbling (it happens pretty quick!), flip them over and cook until golden on both sides.

5️⃣ Serve up with fruit and maple syrup, and enjoy!

That is all for this February newsletter! Until the next one…

“Stars all aligned and they intertwined”,

Bekah

🎶 Can I Ask You a Question? 🎶

• 🥳 What’re you most excited about for February?

• ✨ What are your favorite moments from the Opalite music video?

Leave a comment

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“...I miss you like it was the very first night”

I don’t know about you, but January has been flying by. With so much going on at the moment in my life, I ended up taking a bit of a hiatus from social media. But I’m excited to be back - and even more excited about what’s ahead. I’ll be sharing more fun, bite-sized Swiftie inspiration, meaningful moments from Taylor’s music and career, and more. So thank you for being here, for sticking around, and for starting 2026 with me.

We may already be at the tail end of the month, but it’s never too late to celebrate - so let’s dive into your January Swiftie inspo!

In this newsletter you’ll find:

• 🗓️ Swiftie January Dates - Highlights from this month

• 🎧 My January 2026 Swiftie Playlist - A soundtrack for January

• 🎶 13 Days of Mashups - a compilation of throwbacks from Swiftmas

• 💛 Featured Recipe - A cozy Turmeric Latte

Swiftie January 2026 Dates

This month’s Swiftie January Dates may be a quieter than most, but it’s big when it comes to legacy. The standout moment happened las week, when Taylor Swift was officially announced as an inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. This honor cements her place among the greatest songwriters of all time. She also made history as the youngest woman ever inducted, and the second youngest inductee overall, with only Stevie Wonder having been inducted at a younger age. Truly iconic company.

The rest of January has so many hits from eras we love - from “Fearless” and “Today Was A Fairytale” to evermore’s deep cuts like “no body, no crime” and “coney island:, and of course the fan favorite, “Out Of The Woods”. We also celebrate the anniversaries of Miss Americana, a documentary film that gave us an intimate look at Taylor’s artistry and activism.

And of course, January wouldn’t be complete without celebrating the people (and pets!) closest to her heart - including Andrea Swift’s birthday and the birthday of the one and only Olivia Benson, one of Taylor’s beloved cats.

What’s been one of your favorite moments/memories from January?

January 2026 Swiftie Playlist

January’s Swiftie Playlist is all about firsts - fitting for the very first chapter of a brand-new year. Each song connects to a lyric or moment that captures the feeling of beginnings: first days, first loves, first chances, and the quiet hope that comes with starting again.

We open, naturally, with “New Year’s Day” - the first day of the year - before moving into “the 1”, a song about choosing yes to new things. From there, “Welcome to New York” captures that exhilarating moment when everything feels possible “when we first dropped our bags” in a new big city.

Then “Our Song” brings us back to the innocence (and nerves) of a first date. We revisit first glances (“Holy Ground”), first beliefs (“Mine”), and first kisses (“Fearless”). Songs like “The Very First Night” and “Dancing With Our Hands Tied” bottle up that rush of emotion when everything feels new - “first sight”. We also reflect on first heartbreaks - “first scar” - with “A Perfectly Good Heart” and the quiet power of starting over in “Begin Again” - “and for the first time what’s past is past”.

The playlist closes with “Timeless” and “the first time I saw you”. I love the timeless-ness of this song, both in the lyrics and the sound. And at the start of a new year, when it feels like time is racing by, this song helps us slow down and appreciate the way life is unfolding around us.

You can listen to my January 2026 Swiftie Playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and YouTube, with clean versions on Spotify and Apple Music.

13 Days of Mashups for Swiftmas

For 13 Days of Swiftmas last month I shared 13 mashups - one every day as a bit of a fun Swiftie Advent Calendar! Here’s the full roundup, in case you missed any:

• Day 1: All I Want for Christmas Is You x Christmas Tree Farm

• Day 2: Out Of The Woods x Is It Over Now? (December Coded)

• Day 3: ivy x Elizabeth Taylor

• Day 4: But Daddy I Love Him x Love Story

• Day 5: All Too Well (10 Minute Version) x Labyrinth

• Day 6: Timeless x Mary’s Song

• Day 7: Hits Different x Clean

• Day 8: the last great american dynasty x mirrorball

• Day 9: YOYOK x New Year’s Day x The Manuscript

• Day 10: Say Don’t Go x Clean x All You Had To Do Was Stay

• Day 11: evermore x Breathe

• Day 12: Getaway Car x august x The Other Side Of The Door

• Day 13: Taylor Swift Birthday mashup

Featured Recipe: Turmeric Latte

Ingredients

• 1 scoop vanilla protein

• boiled water

• 1 cup plant milk *adjust for your mug size

• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

• A dash of cinnamon powder (optional, but recommended!)

Boil the kettle; if using an electric frother, also add your milk and start the frother.

While the kettle is boiling (and milk frothing), add your protein powder, turmeric and cinnamon to a mug. Then add enough boiling water to cover the protein powder.

Using your frother, mix up the protein powder and spices with the boiling water.

If you’re using a handheld frother, you can add milk at this point and froth everything until completely mixed and frothy. If using an electric frother, add the frothed milk to the latte. Then enjoy! You can find more latte recipes here on my blog.

That’s it for your first bite-sized Swiftie inspo newsletter of 2026! Until the next one…

“Hold on to the memories, they will hold onto you”,

Bekah

🎶 Can I Ask You a Question? 🎶

• 🥳 What’s been your favorite highlight of January?

Leave a comment

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“And when I'm feeling alone
You remind me of home…”

Merry Christmas Eve! 🎄✨

Whether you’re wrapping last-minute gifts, heading out to see loved ones, or enjoying a quiet, candle-lit evening at home, I wanted to pop into your inbox to wish you the coziest, happiest Christmas Eve.

To soundtrack the remainder of the year, I’ve put together my Swiftie Christmas Playlist - a festive journey through nostalgia, holiday sparkle, heartbreak, and quiet winter reflections. It starts with the pure childhood magic of Christmas Tree Farm, drifts through glittering lights and bittersweet December memories, dips into late-night holiday feelings, and wraps everything up with some classic carols and timeless Christmas wishes. I hope it can carry you through the rest of the year!

You can listen to my Swiftie Christmas Playlist here:

Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube | Amazon Music | Spotify Clean | Apple Music Clean

Thank you so much for being here, for reading along, and for letting me share Swiftie inspiration with you this year. Wishing you a beautiful Christmas Eve, a very happy Christmas Day, and a joy-filled end to 2025. Until next time…

Oh, baby, baby, Merry Christmas
Bekah

🎶 Can I Ask You a Question? 🎶

• 🎄 What’s your favorite Christmas song?

Leave a comment

🫶 There are 1k+ subscribers to the Dear Reader newsletter - I’m so happy you’re here! If you haven’t yet subscribed and are interested, you can subscribe ⤵️

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“…I go back to December all the time”

There’s something about this month that always feels a little nostalgic and bittersweet. I don’t know if it’s all of the fairy lights and festivities, coinciding with the year coming to a close, but it’s a mix of busy fun and quiet contemplation as we approach the new year.

From album anniversaries to holiday traditions, from mashups to memories, this month’s newsletter is packed with all things cozy and glittery. So why not put out some tea and chai sugar cookies, light a candle, grab your coziest cardigan, and let’s dive into December together!

In this newsletter you’ll find:

• 🗓️ Swiftie December Dates - Mark your calendars!

• 🎧 My December Swiftie Playlist - Songs to get you in the mood for Novembe

• 🎶 13 Days of Mashups - a compilation of throwbacks to celebrate the month

• 🍪 Featured Recipe - Taylor Swift’s Chai Sugar Cookies

Swiftie December Dates

This month’s Swiftie December Dates is filled with exciting things! As always we have some very special musical anniversaries - including the anniversary of my personal favorite Taylor Swift album, evermore. It’s often joked about as the “forgotten” album, but honestly evermore was the album we didn’t even know we needed. Dropping as a surprise just months after folklore (which was also a surprise), evermore expanded the world Taylor created and gave us beautiful, dreamy escapism during such an isolating and difficult time in the world.

We also get to celebrate Taylor’s birthday on December 13th! And of course, a few more Chiefs games to keep an eye on - including a home game on Christmas Day.

Finally, this December truly marks The End of an Era. Disney+ is releasing a 6-part docuseries giving us behind-the-scenes glimpses into the Eras Tour, plus the premiere of The Final Show in Vancouver, featuring the full Tortured Poets Department set - the era missing from the original Eras Tour movie. It’s the perfect way to relive the magic as we close the chapter on this legendary tour.

What are you most excited about happening in December?

Swiftie December Playlist

A playlist taking you from ‘Hey December’ through Taylor’s birthday, the holiday season and the wi$h li$ts we make, and finally to the end of the year and the “End of an Era” 🥹🎶

You can listen to my December Swiftie Playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and YouTube, with clean versions on Spotify and Apple Music.

Click here for links to all of my playlists!

13 Days of Mashups for Swiftmas

For 13 Days of Swiftmas this year I’m sharing 13 mashups - one every day as a bit of a fun Swiftie Advent Calendar! 6 days of mashups are up on my Instagram. Stay tuned for the rest, and leave your requests in the comments and I’ll see if I can create your mashup!

• Day 1: All I Want for Christmas Is You x Christmas Tree Farm

• Day 2: Out Of The Woods x Is It Over Now? (December Coded)

• Day 3: ivy x Elizabeth Taylor

• Day 4: But Daddy I Love Him x Love Story

• Day 5: All Too Well (10 Minute Version) x Labyrinth

• Day 6: Timeless x Mary’s Song

Featured Recipe: Taylor Swift’s Chai Sugar Cookies

It’s the most wonderful time of the year - aka time for Taylor’s staple holiday recipe. In 2014 for a 1989 ‘Secret Session’ Taylor Swift baked these Chai Sugar Cookies, and then shared the recipe on her Tumblr. I’d been wanting to try it out myself for years, and a couple of years ago I finally did! They’re full of seasonal spices, perfect for this time of year.

I swapped in vegan options for the dairy ingredients (for any other lactose intolerant friends out there), and it worked like a treat. You can find the recipe (for both Taylor’s version and my vegan version) here on my blog.

And that’s a wrap on this December’s bite-sized Swiftie inspo! Until the next newsletter…

“Turn around and make it alright”,

Bekah

🎶 Can I Ask You a Question? 🎶

• 🥳 What are you most excited about happening in December?

• 🎶 Any mashup requests for my 13 Days of Mashups?

Leave a comment

🫶 There are 1k+ subscribers to the Dear Reader newsletter - I’m so happy you’re here! If you haven’t yet subscribed and are interested, you can subscribe ⤵️

Subscribe now

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Can you believe it’s been 41 days since The Life of a Showgirl took center stage? Taylor’s 12th studio album is still breaking records, dominating the charts, and living rent-free in all of our playlists. And I feel like I’m still uncovering new tidbits with every listen.

I still remember pressing play at midnight and listening to this album for the very first time on release night. I’ve been sharing individual track reaction videos over on my YouTube channel since, but I finally posted my full reaction as well - including all 12 tracks, my initial top 5 after first listen, and more. You can watch it here!

For my paid newsletter subscribers, I wanted to share something extra: mini dives into each track - my first impressions, extra knowledge, and new reflections after living with the album these past weeks. Think of this as the Director’s Cut (or the Extended Edition) of my midnight reaction.

In the coming weeks, I’m planning deeper dives into each song (lyrics, music, symbolism, etc) - so stay tuned for that and let me know if you have any requests for that series. Now, let’s get into the mini dives!

Read more

“…late November,
Holdin’ my breath, slowly I said
“You don’t need to save me
But would you run away with me?”
Yes”

Happy November! We’ve made it to the heart of autumn 🍂 The air is crisp, the days are shorter, and this month feels like a time for reflection and remembrance as we approach the end of the year. Especially after the glittering whirlwind of The Life of a Showgirl release, we’re all catching our breath and settling into that pre-holiday season coziness.

This month’s newsletter is full of everything you need to make November a little more magical - from important Swiftie dates to note, to my November playlist to supplement your TLOAS listening, a roundup of my TLOAS mashups, and a cozy pumpkin pie porridge recipe for your chilly mornings. Let’s dive in!

In this newsletter you’ll find:

• 🗓️ Swiftie November Dates - Mark your calendars!

• 🎧 My November Swiftie Playlist - Songs to get you in the mood for November

• 🎶 TLOAS Mashups - A roundup of my TLOAS mashups

• 🥣 November Pumpkin Pie Porridge Recipe - A cozy bowl for chilly mornings

🗓️ Swiftie November Dates

Our November Swiftie Dates calendar is packed with album anniversaries, iconic single releases, and of course, more football games to take us into the holiday season.

From Fearless (2008) to Reputation (2017), and Red (Taylor’s Version) (2021), November is a month-long celebration of Taylor’s evolution. Whenever an album anniversary rolls around I love to go back and re-listen to the album. And these are three absolutely iconic eras! The OG version of Fearless dropped 17 years ago, and I’m still hearing speculation about when we might get those Reputation vault tracks (I’m happy to wait however long Taylor wants!). 4 years ago we were also blessed with Red (Taylor’s Version), and one of Taylor’s best album rollouts ever - do you remember All Too Well: The Short Film, Taylor’s SNL performance, and listening to those vault tracks on repeat?!

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Swiftie calendar without a few football moments sprinkled in. The Chiefs took on the Bills last week and are playing the Broncos, Colts, and Cowboys later this month.

And finally, we end the month with a special celebration: the one-year anniversary of The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology vinyl and The Eras Tour Book release on November 29. I remember waking up early and driving to Target to pick up my own copy of The Eras Tour Book, which has had a place of honor on my bookshelf ever since. So here’s to spinning the vinyl, flipping through the pages, and taking the time to reminisce and remember this month.

What are you most excited about happening in November?!

November Swiftie Playlist

A playlist to take you through the month of November 🍂 From planting a memory garden for Remembrance Day, to ‘November flush’ in ‘late November’, and of course ending with the autumnal classic of “All Too Well” but the Sad Girl Autumn Version – cause that just feels right for the end of the month – I hope this playlist gives you all the November feels!

You can listen to my November Swiftie Playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and YouTube, with clean versions on Spotify and Apple Music.

Click here for links to all of my playlists!

TLOAS Mashup Roundup

In case you missed any of them, here are my TLOAS mashups that I’ve created and shared so far:

1. The Fate of Ophelia x Say Don’t Go - When TLOAS meets 1989 ❤️‍🔥🩵

2. Wi$h Li$t x Glitch - I heard this mashup in my head on my first listen to Wi$h Li$t, these two songs were meant to be put together!

3. Eldest Daughter x this is me trying - When I heard the lyric “I’ve been dying just from trying to seem cool” in “Eldest Daughter” I knew I had to make this mashup

4. Eldest Daughter x this is me trying (The Bridge Version) - Truly can’t stop listening to these two top-tier bridges together 🥹

November Pumpkin Pie Porridge Recipe

As the days grow colder, this November porridge bowl is a warm, cozy hug in a bowl, with a festive twist of pumpkin and spices!

• 1 cup oats

• 1 cup milk (I use almond or oat milk)

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 cup pumpkin pumpkin purée

• A sprinkle each of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg

• A handful of raisins

• Toppings: Banana slices and pecans

Combine the oats, milk, water, and pumpkin purée in a pot. Stir in the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and bring to a gentle boil. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the oats are tender and thickened. Add raisins for sweetness and texture, then top with fresh banana slices and a handful of pecans for crunch.

Hope you enjoy this cozy bowl as much as I do!

Well, rhat’s a wrap on November’s newsletter! Until next time…

Call it what you want, yeah, call it what you want to,

Bekah

🎶 Can I Ask You a Question? 🎶

• 🥳 What are you most excited about for November?

• 🎶 What other TLOAS mashups would you like to hear?

Leave a comment

🫶 There are 1k+ subscribers to the Dear Reader newsletter - I’m so happy you’re here! If you haven’t yet subscribed and are interested, you can subscribe ⤵️

Subscribe now

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Share

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“You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby”

Well, Taylor’s latest hit has been pretty hot ❤️‍🔥 12 days ago The Life of a Showgirl (TLOAS) dropped. And during its opening week it has absolutely dominated the charts and smashed records that many thought could never be broken. Plus, it’s just filled with bop after bop - I don’t know about you, but I’ve been listening to it on repeat since its release.

This newsletter covers my own reactions to the new album, some of the biggest records that TLOAS has broken, and recaps another exciting announcement from earlier this week in case you missed it!

In this newsletter you’ll find:

• 🎥 First Reaction to The Life of a Showgirl

• 🏆 Major Records Broken by TLOAS

• 🫶 “The End of an Era” and “The Final Show”

🎥 First Reaction to The Life of a Showgirl

My first listen to The Life of a Showgirl was not at all what I expected. I sat down at midnight, pressed play on “The Fate of Ophelia” and was immediately whisked away to a land of both fantasy and modern vibes. I’ve been so enjoying learning these new songs, bopping to banger after banger on long car journeys, and fathoming songs that have grown on me more and more since that first listen (“Father Figure” is currently blowing my mind).

The first two videos in my “Midnight Musings” series are now up on my YouTube channel, breaking down my initial reactions to the first two tracks of the album. I’d love to hear your own thoughts on these tracks! Stay tuned for the rest of the album as well - my reaction to “Opalite” is coming up next and is one of my top faves 😍

• “The Fate of Ophelia” Reaction Video

• “Elizabeth Taylor” Reaction Video

🏆 Major Records Broken by TLOAS

Taylor Swift is having the album rollout of her career! Here’s a roundup of some of the most jaw-dropping records TLOAS broke in its first week:

1. The Biggest Debut of all time! - TLOAS earned 4.002 million equivalent album units (beating Adele’s record of 3.482 million back in 2015). This record was thought to be nearly impossible to break, because in the age of streaming there’s much less incentive to buy physical records. So earning this number of album units is absolutely insane!

2. Top 12 Spots on the latest Billboard Hot 100 – The entirety of TLOAS took over the top spots of Billboard’s Hot 100. This is the third time Taylor’s held the top 10 spots on this chart (she held the top 14 for The Tortured Poets Department, and the top 10 for Midnights). She’s the only artist to ever do this!

3. The Largest Sales Week in the Modern Era – TLOAS sold 3,479,500 copies in pure album sales in its first week (including purchases of digital downloads, CDs, vinyl LPs and cassette tapes). That’s the single largest sales week for an album since 1991.

4. Taylor’s 15th No. 1 Album on the Billboard 200 – This is Taylor’s 15th No. 1

   on the Billboard 200, making her second only to the Beatles who have 19.

5. Largest Streaming Week of 2025, 4th of All Time – TLOAS generated 680.90 million on-demand official streams in its first week. Taylor holds the overall record for the biggest streaming week ever with TTPD (with 891.37 million via 31 songs - TLOAS has 12 tracks)!

6. Most No. 1s on the Top Album Sales Chart – This is Taylor’s 16th No. 1

   on the Top Album Sales, extending her record (Jay-Z is second on the list with 14).

7. Most No. 1s on the Vinyl Albums Chart – This is Taylor’s 14th No. 1

   on Vinyl Albums, extending her record (the Beatles are tied for second with Metallica, Mac Miller and Jack White, all with 6).

8. “The Fate of Ophelia” is her 13th career No. 1 song – This gives Taylor Swift the most No. 1 songs of this decade.

*Stats come from Billboard’s substack, and Billboard articles (on the album debut, and occupying the top 10)

🫶 The End of an Era and The Final Show

If the album wasn’t enough, this week we got a huge announcement: “The End of an Era”, a 6-part docu-series will give a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of our beloved Eras Tour. The first two episodes of the docu-series will premiere on Disney+ on Dec. 12, and then two episodes will air weekly for the next two weeks.

On top of that, ALSO on Dec. 12, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour: The Final Show” will premiere on Disney+, showing a full concert film of her final stop on the Eras Tour in Swiftcouver (aka Vancouver) on Dec. 8, 2024. I remember watching the livestream of that final show (best way to finish out my birthday), and I cannot wait relive in with this concert film 🥹

Are you excited?! I’m already dreaming about watch parties, Eras Tour outfits and themed food. I can’t believe we’re getting both the documentary we’ve been hoping for AND the Eras Tour with TTPD’s era included before the end of the year. What a time to be a Swiftie 🫶

It’s been so fun to experience this record-breaking album release with you! I’m looking forward to sharing more reaction videos, digging more into this album, and of course for the Eras Tour docu-series and concert film coming up in December. So much to look forward to! Stay tuned for more updates and Swiftie inspo - until next time…

Keep it 💯 on the land, the sea, the sky,

Bekah

🎶 Can I Ask You a Question? 🎶

• ❤️‍🔥 What’s your favorite song from TLOAS so far? Has it changed since first listen?

Leave a comment

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Subscribe now

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The countdown is almost over - Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl (TLOAS, aka TS12) officially releases at midnight tonight! With just hours left before release, the anticipation is electric. And there is SO MUCH GOING ON AT THE MOMENT! So this newsletter will try and update you as best as I can on all the big highlights. From lyric reveals to jam-packed interviews and appearances, release week is looking incredible - what a time to be a Swiftie. Here’s what you need to get through these final hours before the big release!

In this newsletter you’ll find:

• 📅 Release Week Schedule

• 🎶 TS12 Track Titles

• 🎹 TLOAS Producers and Writers

• ✍️ Revealed Lyrics

• 🤡 Potential Easter Eggs

• 🫶 Taylor Swift’s Discography Sorted: Pre-TLOAS

📅 Release Week Schedule

Release week of The Life Of A Showgirl is absolutely packed! It was already looking full when I posted this schedule on my Instagram yesterday, and since then we’ve already had some new additions. Tonight kicks off with the album drop at midnight, and then Taylor’s schedule is full of radio interviews, Last Night show spots, and a movie release.

The major item to note is the addition of “STANDBY” on Taylor Nation’s Time Card. Taylor is notorious for her release week surprises, so this could be a number of exciting things. I’ve heard rumors of a surprise SNL appearance, others are clowning for Rep TV tracks, and there’s always the hope of an Eras Tour 2.0 movie or Eras Tour Documentary being tossed around (which I think could make sense during this new showgirl era!)…what do you think it means?!

Here’s everything to look out for this week:

• Oct 3 - The Life of a Showgirl Album Release! (12:00am ET)

• Oct 3 - Radio Interviews

  • BBC Radio 1 (2:00am ET)

  • Capital Breakfast (3:00am ET)

  • Hits Radio Breakfast Show (3:00am ET)

  • Magic FM (3:10am ET)

  • Heart Breakfast (3:15am ET)

• Oct 3 - Taylor Swift on The Graham Norton Show (5:40pm ET)

• Oct 3-5 - The Official Release Party of a Showgirl Movie Release

• Oct 4 - “STANDBY”

• Oct 5 - “The Fate of Ophelia” and TLOAS Lyric Videos premiere on YouTube (7:00pm ET)

• Oct 6 - Taylor Swift on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (11:35pm ET)

• Oct 9 - Taylor Swift on Late Night with Seth Meyers (12:35am ET)

🎶 TS12 Track Titles

The 12 tracks for The Life of a Showgirl promise intrigue, drama, and lots of sparkle. Taylor and Travis told us that this is going to be a pop album, and from the way they described it, I think it’s going to be absolutely iconic. The opening track “The Fate of Ophelia” is going to be the first single from the album - and we’ll get to see the music video for it in theaters this weekend. The rest of the album titles sound like the basis for such good storytelling. And we’re all so excited to hear the collaboration between Taylor and Sabrina on the title track, “The Life of a Showgirl”!

1. “The Fate of Ophelia”

2. “Elizabeth Taylor”

3. “Opalite”

4. “Father Figure”

5. “Eldest Daughter”

6. “Ruin the Friendship”

7. “Actually Romantic”

8. “Wi$h Li$t”

9. “Wood”

10. “Cancelled!”

11. “Honey”

12. “The Life of a Showgirl” (featuring Sabrina Carpenter)

🎹 TLOAS Producers and Writers

For this album, Taylor reunites with powerhouse producers Max Martin and Shellback - an iconic trio behind some of her biggest pop hits.

We also got confirmation just earlier today that track 4 will pay homage to George Michael, with “Father Figure” credited to him for its interpolation of his 1987 classic. Michael’s partner Kenny Goss recently shared that he believes George would have loved this inclusion. Tonight we’ll get to hear exactly how Taylor was inspired by Michael’s original song “Father Figure” in her own track.

✍️ Revealed Lyrics

Billboards around the world (New York City, São Paulo, London and Toronto) have teased lines from the new album, giving us a taste of the lyrical genius we’ll get to see in this new album. Here’s all of the lyrics we’ve seen so far:

• “Oftentimes it doesn’t feel so glamorous to be me”

• “Everyone’s unbothered ‘til they’re not”

• “You wanna take a skate on the ice inside my veins?”

• “My infamy loves company”

• “Thank you for the lovely bouquet”

🤡 Potential Easter Eggs

Taylor Swift loves her Easter Eggs, and it seems like she’s been dropping loads around this album release. Audio teasers have sampled songs from Reputation (“Gorgeous”, “So It Goes”), and Target’s promo even had a nod back to the Eras Tour. Cracks in purple, blue, and red have appeared on her Apple Music page - maybe a nod to hatching, as she mentions in her letter after she bought back her masters? it definitely mirrors the stage during “Delicate” from the Eras Tour.

Capitalized letters have also been found in previous collaborations with Max Martin and Shellback in songs from Reputation, 1989 and Red - revealing hidden messages across Taylor’s discography. This is something she’s been doing since her debut album, and the hidden messages this time around are so interesting. Here’s a breakdown of some of the Easter Eggs I’ve come across around this new album drop:

• The audio of other TLOAS teasers used audio from “Gorgeous” and “So It Goes”

• The audio from Target’s vinyl teasers is from the interlude before “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” on the Eras Tour

• The Exit sign theory - there’s been lots of Exit signs popping up in Taylor’s promotional materials lately

• Purple, blue and red cracks appearing on Taylor Swift’s Apple Music artist page

• Capitalized letters within lyrics on Apple Music creating the following messages - presumably lyrics in songs from TS12:

  • From Rep: “They don’t make loyalty like they used to”

  • From 1989: “You’re only as hot as your last hit baby”.

  • From Red: “I protect the family”

🫶 Taylor Swift’s Discography Sorted: Pre-TLOAS

Finally, I thought I’d share one last fan tradition before midnight - ranking Taylor Swift’s entire discography. If you haven’t tried a song sorter yet, now is the perfect time! I’ve only done this once before, in anticipation of TTPD’s release. But it’s a really nice way to get a lay of the land and see how you rank Taylor’s songs, before 12 new tracks enter the mix. I recently sat down and did my own re-ranking pre-TLOAS, and TTPD did break into my top five! I can’t wait to see how Showgirl will land once we’ve all sat with it for a bit.

These pre-release rankings are such a fun way to pause and reflect before Taylor’s new music transforms everything all over again. Here’s a link to the song sorter I use, and check out my YouTube video to see how my rankings turned out. Let me know your own top tracks in the comments!

Can you believe that in less than 6 hours we’ll be entering the new era of The Life of a Showgirl, and listening to 12 new tracks from Taylor?! Whether you’re staying up to stream the album the second it drops or saving it for a first listen in the morning, this moment feels monumental. Stay tuned for lots more TS12 content coming your way, and enjoy your first listen to the album - and many more after that I’m sure. I’ll see you on the other side! Until then,

And, baby, that’s show business for you,

Bekah

🎶 Can I Ask You a Question? 🎶

• 🤡 What do you think “STANDBY” means? What other Easter Eggs have you come across? Are you clowning for anything this weekend?!

• ❤️‍🔥 What song are you most excited to hear from this album/what’s your favorite track from TS12 after listening?!

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Happy first day of autumn! As the air gets crisp and the days grow shorter, I’ve put together a 13-track Swiftie playlist to kick off the season. Each song was chosen for the way it captures autumn - whether through its lyrics, imagery, or simply the feeling it gives off. From football to golden leaves to cozy nostalgia, these songs are the perfect companion for cardigan weather and pumpkin-spiced everything.

You can listen to the playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube, with clean versions on Spotify and Apple Music!

Here’s a walkthrough of my 1st Day of Autumn Swiftie Playlist:

Read more

Dear Reader,

We’ve made it - the Season 3 finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty is here! My sis and I sat down to discuss our biggest predictions for Episode 11 for our Sister Chat series, and let me tell you…we had a lot of thoughts. From potential episode titles, to Belly and Conrad’s prefect day in Paris, to Taylor Swift songs we’re convinced have to get played, this finale is shaping up to be pretty unforgettable.

So let’s dive into some of our major predictions and thoughts for this final episode.

❤️ The Episode Title: At Last or Last Love?

I’ve loved Jenny Han’s episode titles all seasons, and I have a feeling this final episode title is going to bring on the waterworks before the viewing even begins 😭 Our best guess for this final title is: At Last. It would be the perfect callback to Belly and Conrad’s dance at the debutante ball in the final episode of Season 1. But we also think Last Love could be in play, tying into the “first loves vs. last loves” theme teased in Season 3’s trailer. What’re you thinking?

✈️ A Perfect Day in Paris

The previous episode ended with Conrad on his way to Paris (eee!!). He wasn’t phased by the $473 extra fee to change his flight, and he’s armed with Belly’s new address in his wallet. So we’re thinking the episode will kick off with Conrad finding Belly just in time for her birthday (because he always remembers her birthday). Whether it’ll be a doorstep reunion like in “Last Christmas”, or a “Begin Again” café moment (my personal favorite), it’d be amazing to get to see these two experience the magic of Paris together.

Do you think Belly and Benito are still together? How do you think Belly and Conrad’s day in Paris could go?

📝 Loose Ends to Tie Up

Aside from our main couple, there are a lot of storylines this season has explored that I’m hoping we’ll get some resolution to in this finale. Here’s my list of loose ends I’d love to see get tied up:

• Belly and Conrad’s relationship (of course)

• Belly and Benito

  • Is Benito finito?

• Steven

  • Conrad and Steven repairing their friendship

  • Will Steven ever confront Jeremiah about Cabo?

  • Steven and Taylor are still going strong - right?

• John and Laurel

  • Is John going to have a heart attack?

  • Will he and Laurel get remarried?

• Jeremiah and Denise’s blossoming relationship

  • Is this actually happening?

• Anika

  • Where has she been lately?

• Lucinda

  • How is her new business going? And things with her new man?

• Kayleigh and Adam

  • Will Jeremiah ever find out about his father’s infidelity?

🎶 Song Predictions

Finally, my sister and I couldn’t resist throwing in our predictions for songs that we think just have to make this final episode. We’re betting heavily on Taylor Swift’s “Begin Again” and “This Love”. But could “Paris”, “The Way I Loved You”, or even “The Prophecy” make their way into the finale?

My sis has also been clamoring for “Infinity” by One Direction (it just makes sense, right?), “Some Protector” by Role Model and “Spring Into Summer” by Lizzy McAlpine. Plus, wouldn’t be be perfect to see Belly and Conrad dancing once again to “At Last” - maybe as their first dance as a married couple? 🥹

🌊 Final Thoughts

That’s really just scratching the surface of our predictions for this finale. In our full video, we dig into the meaning of “14,” the Paris observatory, potential flash-backs and flash-forwards, the possibility of a double episode finale, and more. You can watch the full video here for all our finale theories!

All in all, we are so excited to see how everything unfolds and this season finishes. It’s truly the end of an era. And no matter what, we trust that Jenny Han is going to give us a beautiful ending.

What are your predictions for this final episode?! And what time will you be watching it? We can’t wait to debrief with you afterwards! In the meantime…

These hands had to let it go free,
Bekah

🎶 Can I Ask You a Question? 🎶

• What’re your TSITP Finale predictions?

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“…still, the yearning stays”

Happy September! The month of cozy cardigans, spiced lattes, and crisp autumn air. This month’s newsletter is full of Swiftie goodness to help you sink into September: important dates to keep on your radar, a carefully curated playlist to take you from late summer into fall, a “cardigan” mashup perfect for the season, and even a warming porridge bowl recipe inspired by folklore.

Just before we dive in, I also wanted to share the exciting news that Dear Reader officially reached 1,000 subscribers this past week! Thank you so much to everyone who reads along every month - it means the world to me. I love writing these newsletters, and my hope is always that they feel fun, inspiring, and a little bit magical for you. If you ever have requests, feedback, or just want to share your thoughts, please feel free to comment below or hit reply to this email - I love hearing from you!

In this newsletter you’ll find:

• 🗓️ Swiftie September Dates - important dates to keep track of this month

• 🎧 My September Swiftie Playlist - including links to listen

• 🎶 “cardigan” Mashup - that will always be “Timeless”

• 🥣 Featured Recipe - folklore porridge bowl

Swiftie September Dates

This month’s Swiftie calendar is another busy one!

I can’t believe that we’re coming to the end of The Summer I Turned Pretty. The season finale is on September 17th. I don’t know about you, but I’m so eagerly awaiting these final two episodes.

This past week we had the kickoff of football season, and the Chiefs played their first game in São Paulo, Brazil. Unfortunately they did not win, but Travis did get a touchdown! Next week the Chiefs are in a re-match with the team that defeated them in the last Super Bowl - the Eagles. Then there’s two more games to round out the month on the 21st and the 28th.

Tonight is the VMAS, which has traditionally been a big night for Taylor in the past! I’ve seen rumors that she may not be at this year’s show, but she is up for one award (Artist of the Year).

The final thing I’ll note is Ed Sheeran’s new album “Play”, coming on September 12th! Ed and Taylor have brought us some of my favorite collaborations, and so I’m excited to hear his new album. I love the track “Old Phone” - give it a listen if you haven’t already.

Any other dates to look out for? What’re you most looking forward to this month?!

September Swiftie Playlist

The first playlist I ever shared was my September 2023 Swiftie playlist. It’s gone through a couple of tweaks since then, but it’s largely stayed intact, and it’s one of my favorite transition playlists. My goal with it was for the music to take the listener from those hot hazy days of summer to the crisp air of early autumn.

This September Swiftie Playlist starts off with the long pond studio sessions’ “august”. I remember watching folklore: the long pond studio sessions for the first time on Disney+ and falling in love with this version of the album. It has quite a different vibe from the original version of folklore, and this version of “august” really fits that end of summer feeling. Plus, while I love that we celebrate “august” all month long, the lyrics literally say “august slipped away into a moment in time”…meaning it’s technically a September song too, right?

From august slipping “away into a moment of time”, we get to “sweet tea” in the summer and the “afterglow” of the end of a season. As a nod to back-to-school season, I included “Fifteen” - specifically the OG version! I love Taylor’s younger voice in this track. It makes it feel even more high school. Speaking of, we then go into “So High School” - the perfect track for this time of year, especially after the big news of Taylor and Travis’ engagement! With windows “flung right open” to get that “autumn chill that wakes me up”, we then embrace “new Septembers” (marking the VMAs especially). To really mark the transition of summer to autumn we’ve got summer going away in “You’re On Your Own, Kid. The opening of strains of “State of Grace” instantly get me into my fall feels. And then we’re jumping and falling into autumn to finally end with a classic to kickstart Swiftie season that we know “All Too Well”.

You can listen to this playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and YouTube - no clean version was needed for this playlist!

Click here for links to all of my playlists!

“cardigan” Mashup

A mashup that will always be “Timeless”. For me autumn is all about cardigans - so I figured this mashup was a fun one to bring back for the occasion. I love the way that the lyrics of these two songs weave together. Let me know if you have any autumnal Swiftie mashups that you’d love to hear this season!

folklore Porridge Bowl

I am all about smoothie bowls in the summer. But once September hits, I love to fully embrace those comforting porridge breakfast bowls. This one is a staple this time of year, and perfect for cozy mornings. Pro tip: make while listening to folklore. Here’s how:

folklore Pear Porridge:

• 1 pear, chopped

• 1 cup oats

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

• 1 handful raisins

• Spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger

• Toppings: Banana slices, tahini, pear letters, granola

1. Chop the pear into small pieces

2. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the pear slices and maple syrup and let it boil for about 5-10minutes until tender.

3. Add oats, raisins, chopped walnuts and spices (I add around 1 tbsp of cinnamon, and about 1 tsp of finger and nutmeg, but adjust for your own tastes)

4. Cook until oats have reached your desired consistency. Then serve up in a bowl with your added toppings and enjoy!

Well, that’s a wrap on another month’s newsletter! Until next time…

You're on your own, kid, you always have been,

Bekah

🎶 Can I Ask You a Question? 🎶

• 🥳 What are you most excited about happening this month?!

• 🍁 Any autumn content requests?

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“It’s a love story, baby she SAID YES”

Today, at 13:05pm ET, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce shared a joint post on Instagram with an earth-shattering announcement. I don’t know about you, but the news immediately had me screaming, crying, and wanting to share it with everyone I know. We’ve cheered on Taylor through albums, tours, and eras of her life filled with both heartbreak and love. So getting to witness her find her fairytale ending is so sweet. She’s always felt like family, and today, our whole Swiftie family is celebrating the news!

Speaking of, the internet has been buzzing nonstop since the announcement dropped. I’m not sure how we’re supposed to move on from news like this. So if you want to join in all of the celebrations, here’s a roundup of some notable reactions, plus some fun facts about the engagement. Oh, and if you’re looking for a playlist to fit the vibes of the occasion, I’ve got you 😉 Links to my Ultimate Tayvis Playlist are all below!

Taylor and Travis’ Post + Some Fun Facts

Can we just take a moment and appreciate everything about this engagement announcement post? The caption was perfection: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married 🧨” And it paired perfectly with the song choice of “So High School”. Like, are you kidding me?? 😭

The flowers and setting are pure magic. To me, the photos included in the carousel post don’t feel overly posed or staged - they feel just like a girl sharing her engagement with all of her friends on Instagram. Which is exactly what Taylor did! Of course the setting, and certainly the ring, aren’t as relatable 😅 But it’s all just so stunning.

The flowers definitely capture a photoshoot from Taylor’s Lover era - which blows my mind. I also love how Taylor didn’t apply the usual filter that she often adds to personal photos, to these engagement photos. The moment is so beautifully captured, and it’s just amazing that she is now sharing it with us 🥹

ALSO - final fun fact, but Taylor shared this news today: August 26, 2025. The 26th. And guess which track is 26 on The Tortured Poets Department? “The Prophecy”. I’m crying all over again 😭

Public Reaction and Posts

Has anyone else been glued to social media, absolutely eating up the reactions and posts about the news?! Here’s a roundup of some of my faves - I’ve also created a story highlight on my IG with these and more that I’ve been finding:

• Taylor Nation - shared the news on their stories with Taylor’s classic “Love Story” lyric revised to say “It’s a love story, baby, she SAID YES”

• New Heights - How it started ➡️ How it’s going

• The Chiefs - welcoming Taylor as a permanent member of the Chiefs family 🥹

• NFL - from a friendship bracelet to a ring

• The Empire State Building - can always count on them for top-notch Swiftie content

• espn, espnW, and espnnfl - shared a video of Travis in 2023, saying his celebrity crush growing up was Taylor Swift

• Instagram - even IG is getting in on the action, posting on their stories “everyone go look at @taylorswift’s account right NOW omg”

• Apple Music - from “Love Story” to “End Game”

• Abigail - Taylor’s childhood friend, Abigail (mentioned in her song “Fifteen”), reposted Taylor’s post with the text “This ❤️”

The Ultimate Tayvis Playlist

I figured today was the perfect occasion to re-share my Ultimate Tayvis Playlist! I’ve been listening to it since hearing the news 🥹 The playlist takes you from friendship bracelet beginnings, through “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs”, to “I'll be eighty-seven, you'll be eighty-nine, I'll still look at you like the stars that shine”. These are all of the songs I've come to associate with Taylor and Travis' “love story” ❤️‍🔥

You can read a walkthrough of this playlist, highlighting why each track is included, here on my blog!

And you can listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube, with clean versions on Spotify and Apple Music.

That’s a wrap on this Swiftie Scoop e-mail. I hope you’re all having a beautiful day and soaking in the celebrations of this announcement! Until next time…

"I'll be eighty-seven, you'll be eighty-nine, I'll still look at you like the stars that shine",

Bekah

🎶 Can I Ask You a Question? 🎶

• 💍 What’s been your favorite post/reaction to this news?!

Leave a comment

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“…and the rust on your door”

Welcome to another august! That time of year when the air gets salty, doors hopefully aren’t too rusty, and we’re all streaming “august” on repeat. So here’s some inspo to keep you going this month. We’ve got a very full calendar of Swiftie happenings; a playlist to serve as your soundtrack of the month; an “august” mashup; and an “august” themed recipe. Plus a TSITP video update, in case you’re also watching - so let’s dive right in!

In this newsletter you’ll find:

• 🌊 TSITP Sister Chat Update - Video #2

• 🗓️ Swiftie August Dates - important dates to keep track of this month

• 🎧 My August Swiftie Playlist - including links to listen

• 🎶 An “august” Mashup - for those summer vibes

• 🥣 Featured Recipe - “august” Smoothie Bowl

  • Upcoming Dear Reader Newsletters

TSITP Sister Chat Video Update

Can you believe that in T-6.5 hours, Season 3’s Episode 5 of The Summer I Turned Pretty will be released into the world?! I’m not prepared. How are you feeling?! I’m planning on waking up bright and early (not as early as 3am, but as close as I can get to still be a bit functional during the day 😅) to watch - and I’ll definitely be posting about it on my Instagram. I’m also finishing up final edits to my Sister Chat #2 video covering Episodes 3 + 4, so that’ll be up tomorrow as well. If you’d like a refresher on the previous two episodes of the season along with your Episode 5, you can check it out on my YouTube Channel!

Swiftie August Dates

This month’s Swiftie calendar is one of the most packed ones I’ve shared to date! Who knew we’d have so much going on? 😅 The Summer I Turned Pretty is in full swing, we’ve got football preseason (go Chiefs!), the Lover album anniversary, and Sabrina Carpenter is releasing her new album “Man’s Best Friend”.

I also can’t believe I left this off the calendar initially, but someone commented on my IG post reminding me that in a few days we’re celebrating the anniversary of when Taylor Swift announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Potentially the most epic album announcement ever, right?! I’ll never forget watching that livestream on August 9, 2023 (8/9!), and freaking out more and more as Taylor kept emerging in blue outfits all night long.

Celebrating 6 years of Lover is also an exciting milestone for this month. That album holds a very special place in my heart because it released while I was in my own living-in-London era. So when it released I got to listen to it on loop, walking the streets of London to “Cruel Summer”, “Death By A Thousand Cuts”, and of course, “London Boy”.

What are you most excited about happening this month?!

August Swiftie Playlist

I’ve been listening to this August Swiftie Playlist on repeat since the month began, and it just doesn’t get old. It’s a playlist to take you from “salt air” to "rolling thunder", a “picture to burn” to beating the heat, and ending with “dreaming of some epiphany” - all to get you into that late summer mood.

My goal with this playlist was to try and extend the warmth of summer that the song “august” captures so well. I love how when I listen to it, I instantly feel transported into summer. I feel the weight of a hot and humid summer’s day - you know how that kind of heat just envelops you like a blanket the second you step outside?

So of course, I kicked off this month’s playlist with “august”, and then continued the summer heat storyline with songs showcasing escapism, summer imagery, beaches, and thunder storms. There’s a lot of passion and fire in this playlist - both positive and negative. But I tried to balance it out with some softer songs as well. I also end the playlist with “epiphany” because Taylor was partially inspired in writing it by her grandfather. He fought in World War II and the Battle of Guadalcanal, which began in the August of 1942.

You can listen to this playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and YouTube, with clean versions on Spotify and Apple Music.

Click here for links to all of my playlists!

August Mashup

If you haven’t already listened, one of my very favorite mashups that I’ve worked on is this one of “august” x “Hits Different”. I feel like the two songs work so well together, and just give off such summertime vibes. I’m also wondering, could “Hits Different” feature on an upcoming episode of this final season of TSITP? Let me know what you think, and if you have requests for more summer and/or “august” mashups!

August Smoothie Bowl

Green smoothie bowls have become a staple this summer - it’s such a refreshing way to beat the heat!

To make this “august” smoothie bowl, I popped into a blender: frozen banana, frozen cauliflower, fresh spinach, and plant-based protein. Then I topped it with lots of summer fruit, including fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, banana flowers, granola, and cantaloupe “august” letters.

That’s a wrap on this August newsletter! Until next time…

I never needed anything more,

Bekah

🎶 Can I Ask You a Question? 🎶

• 🥳 What are you most excited about happening this month?!

• 🌊 Any august/summer content requests?

Leave a comment

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Losing him was blue…

Season 3 of The Summer I Turned Pretty is in full swing, with 4 episodes now out, and 7 more to come! To delve deeper into the series, I started a new video series over on my YouTube channel where my sister and I sit down every couple of weeks and discuss our reactions and predictions to each episode. Our first video covering Episodes 1-2 is out now, and we’re filming the next video covering Episodes 3-4 this weekend. So if you have any thoughts or areas you’d like us to cover in that, definitely let me know!

I’m also excited to dive even deeper into aspects of the show here in these paid Dear Reader newsletters. Today we’re going to cover the Easter Eggs we’ve seen so far in Episodes 1-2 - there’s so many of them! From Taylor-coded lyrics and musical moments, to Jenny Han references and parallels, there’s a lot to dig into just in those first two episodes. I may delve a tiny bit into Episode 3 in this newsletter as well, but I’ll save the bulk of that and Episode 4 for a future newsletter - in case you haven’t had a chance to watch those episodes yet. So let’s dive in!

These “Diving Deeper into TSITP” emails are for paid subscribers of Dear Reader, but I send out a free preview for everyone 🫶 If you’re interested in supporting me and this newsletter, you can upgrade your subscription here.

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The Summer I Turned Pretty (TSITP) Season 3 premiered two days ago and I’m still recovering 😅 Between the Easter eggs, the Taylor track, and the overall emotional rollercoaster, there’s been a lot to process. And we have so much to look forward to for the rest of the season! I’m excited to see what Jenny Han has in store for us.

But before we tackle Season 3, let’s take a moment and look back over the last two seasons of TSITP, and all of its Swiftie highlights. Here is your full Swiftie guide to TSITP! Whether you’ve been an avid fan for years, or are just getting into the show here at the start of Season 3, I hope this guide gives you a good recap of the previous 2 seasons and an intro to the new one!

So let’s dive into all of the TSITP Swiftie moments - so far.

In this newsletter you’ll find:

• 📺📚How to Watch and Read TSITP

• 🎧 The Swiftie’s TSITP Playlist - Updated!

• 🎬 TSITP x Taylor: The Ultimate Recap

  • Musical Moments

  • Standout Swiftie Moments from S2

• 🎥 Season 3 Premiere: The Swiftie Breakdown

  • My Standout Scenes

• 🥣 TSITP-Inspired Recipes

• 🎧 Taylor x TSITP Mashups You Need to Hear

📺📚 How to Watch and Read TSITP

I’m guessing a lot of you have already been watching the show if you’re receiving this newsletter. But I do still get some messages and comments asking how to watch the show and how to read the books. So, in case you’re just discovering the world of TSITP, here’s some quick answers to that question:

• Where to Watch: Amazon Prime has all three seasons of the show. Seasons 1-2 are complete, and Season 3 premiered on July 16th with Episodes 1-2. Episodes will continue to drop at 12am PT/3am ET on Wednesdays until the finale on September 17th, 2025.

• Where to Read:

  • Kindle Unlimited - All 3 books are available on KU for free! You can get a 1 month free trial, and then it’s 11.99/month for unlimited reading of all books in their catalog.

  • Or if you’d like to read/own a hard copy, you could check out your local library or order any of these beautiful books/sets:

    • The Summer I Turned Pretty - Book 1

    • It's Not Summer Without You - Book 2

    • We'll Always Have Summer - Book 3

    • The Complete Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy (Boxed Set)

🎧 The Swiftie’s TSITP Playlist - Updated!

Every Taylor Swift song on TSITP (Seasons 1-3) - so far! I'll keep this playlist updated with any new songs that we get in Season 3. Check out the links below to listen!

• Spotify | Apple Music | Amazon Music | YouTube

• Spotify Clean | Apple Music Clean

🎬 TSITP x Taylor: The Ultimate Recap

Musical Moments:

I don’t know about you, but a main reason I began watching The Summer I Turned Pretty was because I had heard there were a lot of Taylor Swift songs in it. I was not disappointed! Season 1 had 5 Taylor Swift songs, all used in pivotal and iconic scenes. Season 2 then brought us 9 songs, plus 2 used in the teaser trailers, making for a total of 11 more songs. Season 3 has already started off strong with 2 songs in the teaser trailer, and 1 song in Episode 1. Here’s a breakdown of all the Taylor Swift musical moments of the show:

• 🎶 A compilation of every Taylor Swift Song in Season 1

• 🎶 A compilation of every Taylor Swift Song in Season 2

• 🎶 Every Taylor Song Across Seasons 1–3 (so far!)

Standout Swiftie Moments from S2:

In addition to all of the music, there’s been Taylor-Swift coded scenes as well. As I watched Season 2 in 2023, I made posts for scenes that really stuck out to me. You can check out my “TSITP” story highlight on IG for even more. And here’s a recap of my S2 posts to refresh your memory of the season:

• 🎓 Steven’s Graduation Speech S2 E1

• 📱 Belly’s Ringtone Reveal S2 E2

• 👻 Taylor References in S2 Eps1–3

• 🐚 “Sweet Nothing” S2 E4

• ☔️ “He was Sunshine…I was Midnight Rain” in S2 E5

• 🖤 “Delicate (Taylor’s Version)” in S2 E6

  • 🤯 Why We Thought Rep TV Was Coming That Night

• ❄️ “Snow on the Beach” S2 E6

• ✨ Jenny Han’s Cameo in S2 E6

• 😎 Conrad’s “What Else Do I Get?” S2 E7

• ♾️ Team Conrad vs Team Jeremiah - Taylor & Steven Weigh In S2 E8

• 💔 “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” S2 E8

• 😭 “Bigger Than The Whole Sky” - w/Book Quote

• 🫐 Susannah’s Blueberry Muffins - w/Book Quote

• 🚪 exile Lyric Edit S2 E8

🎥 Season 3 Premiere: The Swiftie Breakdown

The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 premiered on Amazon Prime on July 16th at 12am PT/3am ET. When did you start watching?!

I wasn’t committed enough to pull an all-nighter and start watching at 3am. But I did wake up at 5:50am to get in those first two episodes. And what a roller-coaster way to start the day! I’m still processing all that went down in those first two episodes - it’s a lot. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed! As one firmly on Team Conrad, I was pretty shocked by the contrasts between Conrad and Jeremiah in these first two episodes (Team Conrad, we are so back 😍). I thought some of the narrative development was a bit quick at times, but I also appreciate the pace and it leaves a lot of room for more drama to happen the rest of the season.

My Standout Scenes:

• S3 E1 - I adore the sibling banter between Steven and Belly and one of my favorite scenes was when they go out to dinner together. I thought they had some real life, genuine conversation here, and I just love their chemistry and brother-sister relationship.

• S3 E1 - The use of “You’re Losing Me” was about as perfect as it can get. I especially appreciate how the scene fades to black as the lyrics say “my heart won’t start anymore”.

  • 💙 “You’re Losing Me” lyric edit

• S3 E2 - Conrad lying down next to Belly after she falls by the stairs, and then picking her up and moving her to the sofa, will live rent free in my mind for the foreseeable future 🥹

• S3 E2 - I just cannot get over the Crossword puzzle Easter Egg scene - did it make you think of the lyrics from “Red”: “Fighting with him was like trying to solve a crossword…”? The infinity imagery for Conrad and Belly, the Jenny Han book reference (P.S. I Still Love You), and the meaning behind Conrad leaving this puzzle for Belly - it’s all just so meaningful. It’s little touches like these that make me love this show so much.

  • ❤️ Red TV Easter Egg: Crossword Lyric Reference

  • ❤️ Crossword Scene Video Clip

🥣 TSITP-Inspired Recipes

• 🫐 TSITP’s “The Good Muffins” - Susannah’s blueberry muffins are a staple of The Summer I Turned Pretty book series, and make an appearance in Season 1 of the show. To make my own, I was inspired by this recipe from The Roasted Root, but I made it vegan by replacing the egg. Let me know if you’re interested in my adjusted recipe!

• 💙 Blue “This Love” Breakfast Bowl - I was not expecting this breakfast bowl post to get as much love as it has (725,000 views and counting!) 🥹 You can find my recipe for it here!

🎧 Taylor x TSITP Mashups You Need to Hear

• This Love x Back To December - a mashup dedicated to Team Conrad

• The Way I Loved You x Haunted - two of the most TSITP-coded songs, put together!

• The Way I Loved You x Haunted TSITP Edit - I had to make an edit to the mashup

• Bigger Than The Whole Sky x exile - You may want some tissues for this one

I hope you’ve found this Swiftie Guide to TSITP helpful! I’ll be updating my TSITP Swiftie playlist as new episodes drop and continuing to share lots more content over on my IG and TikTok. I’m also planning some more in-depth TSITP content for my next paid subscribers’ newsletter (coming on July 22nd).

As always, let me know if you have any specific requests for future content. AND let me know your thoughts on the new season! Were you surprised by anything? Do you have predictions for upcoming episodes?! I’d love to hear what you think - leave any thoughts in the comments below. Until next time…

I can’t find a pulse, my heart won’t start anymore,

Bekah

🎶 Can I Ask You a Question? 🎶

• ♾️ Are you Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah?

• 🎶 What’s your fav Taylor Swift song used in TSITP so far? Any songs that you’re hoping to see in the rest of the season?!

• 🤔 Thoughts on TSITP Season 3?!

• 💌 Let me know if you have any TSITP content requests!

Leave a comment

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“All of the music I've ever made... now belongs... to me.”

Happy July 9th! Today I’m listening to Last Kiss (OG Version), because now Taylor owns it 🥹 And on that note…

In May 2025, Taylor Swift announced that she had officially regained ownership of her masters. All of them. Every album. Every video. Every memory. After years of heartbreak, headlines, and hard work, her music finally belongs to her!

So let’s look back at the full timeline of Taylor’s re-recording journey.

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“…like a fireworks show” 🎇

Happy 4th of July! Whether you're soaking up the sun, enjoying fireworks, or however you’re spending your Friday, I hope today brings you some sparkling joy. In this special 4th of July edition, we’re celebrating all things July - from festive popsicles and firework-filled mashups to a new Swiftie playlist and a calendar full of Taylor-coded dates to look out for this month. I hope this newsletter gives you some fun summer inspo - let’s dive in!

In this newsletter you’ll find:

• 📆 Swiftie July Dates - important dates to keep track of this month

• 🎶 July Swiftie Playlist - with a walkthrough of the playlist and links to listen

• 🎧 July Mashup - including fireworks for your 4th of July festivities

• ❤️🤍💙 Featured Recipe - “End Game” 4th of July Popsicles

• 💌 Coming Up - this month’s upcoming Dear Reader Newsletters

📆 Swiftie July Dates

After some quieter months, July has quite a lot going on for us Swifties! This month’s Swiftie Calendar includes song lyric mentions, album anniversaries, National Snake Day, and The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 kicking off - what’re you most looking forward to?!

Taylor doesn’t have a lot of songs that mention specific dates - and in July we get two of them in “End Game” and “Last Kiss”! This month we’re celebrating two years of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), and 5 years since the surprise drop of folklore. Also, an event not included on this calendar, but one that will definitely be marked on my IG (keep an eye out!), is the Tayvis anniversary of Travis at Taylor’s Kansas City N2 Eras Tour show (July 8, 2023). That night set something in motion that I don’t think any of us were expecting.

This month we also get the Season 3 premiere of The Summer I Turned Pretty! I include it on our Swiftie calendar because I think lots of Swifties watch the show. I myself started watching the show because I heard it used a lot of Taylor’s songs - and it’s just gotten better and better. Jenny Han, the author of the book trilogy, has masterfully used Taylor’s discography through 2 seasons, and I can’t wait to see what Season 3 brings.

Finally, I know we’re past clowning for Rep TV, now that Taylor owns all of her old music. But does that mean we shouldn’t be clowning for something to happen on National Snake Day? 🐍 Let me know what you think!

🎶 July Swiftie Playlist

My July Swiftie Playlist takes you on a journey through the month of July. Each song embodies different elements of summertime, to help get you in the summer mood!

I started off with “Slut!” because for me the sound of this song is the epitome of summer in July. From the moonlit swimming pool to the clinking of glasses, this song always transports me to a tropical holiday. The playlist flows right into “Death By A Thousand Cuts”, with more movement and a brighter sound that still (to me) feels very summer.

Next up is “End Game” and something being born on the 4th of July. Then the playlist softens with the folksy sounds of “illicit affairs” and the softness of “Last Kiss”. I purposely used the OG version of “Last Kiss'“ because I feel like the emotion in it is unmatched, and I just love the quality and youthfulness of Taylor’s voice. Now that Taylor owns all of her music, I’m enjoying going back to the OG albums and deciding which version of a song to include on my upcoming playlists, depending on which version best fits the flow and feel of the playlist.

“imgonnagetyouback” brings back some playfulness to our July soundtrack, and we retain those 4th of July party vibes with “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things”. Next up I chose to go with the (Taylor’s Version) of “The Way I Loved You” because I love the matureness of Taylor’s vocals and the clarity of the production. Plus, I felt it was a bit jarring to go back to Taylor’s OG Fearless album and her youthful voice right in-between a track from Reputation and then TTPD.

“My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” has the sandbox imagery that I feel pairs so well with “Suburban Legends” and its crashing waves. “I Can See You” is a nod to Taylor’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) album drop in July 2023, and the music video premiere of that song. Finally the playlist ends on the softer notes of “Sweet Nothing” and its July mention (a pebble that we picked up last July), into the final track of a golden summer, “Daylight”.

There’s a quick walkthrough of my July Playlist! I love sharing these insights into how I put my monthly playlists together - I hope you enjoy them too.

You can listen to it on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and YouTube – no clean versions were necessary for this playlist!

Click here for links to all of my playlists!

🎧 July Mashup: Sparks Fly

For today’s 4th of July holiday, I thought I’d share a throwback to this mashup of Sparks Fly x gold rush! Even if you’re not enjoying fireworks today, I hope you can enjoy the fireworks in this mashup.

I’m woefully behind on sharing new mashups - but I’ve got some in the works that I can’t wait to share with you, and I always love hearing your requests! 🫶

❤️🤍💙 “End Game” 4th of July Popsicles

Continuing with our 4th of July festivities, here’s a refreshing summer treat that is perfect all summer long.

These red, white and blue 4th of July “End Game” popsicles are so fun to make, and super festive for the holiday. The blue layer is frozen blended blueberries + blue spirulina powder (optional), with a bit of coconut water to help them blend. The white layer is plain yogurt (I used Kite Hill’s dairy-free yogurt). And the red layer is blended frozen strawberries (with a splash of coconut water).

To make the popsicles, blend the ingredients for the red layer, and pour it into a popsicle mold, about 1/3 of the way. Put in the freezer to set (~1 hour). Then repeat with the white layer, and end with the blue layer.

I shared this recipe for 4th of July last year, but it’s such a fun one so I’m sharing it again! I’ll have another recipe in the newsletter coming out on July 16th, so keep an eye out for that 👩🏻‍🍳

💌 Coming Up

Finally, here’s some content to look out for this month! I’m working on a (Taylor’s Version) Timeline newsletter, for paid subscribers. I had planned on sharing this last month, soon after the news that Taylor bought all of her masters! Life got in the way, but it’ll be coming your way very soon!

July 16th will drop a The Summer I Turned Pretty (TSITP) edition newsletter in your inbox - just in time for the Season premiere that same day. And I haven’t decided on the topic for July’s paid newsletter, coming on the 22nd - so if you have any requests, let me know!

Upcoming Dear Reader Newsletters

• 💌 June 9th - A (Taylor’s Version) Timeline - a bonus newsletter for paid subscribers

• 💌 June 16th - TSITP Edition! - Free for all Dear Reader subscribers

• 💌 July 22nd - TBD - a bonus newsletter for paid subscribers

  • If you’re interested in receiving these extra emails and supporting me and this newsletter, you can upgrade your subscription for $5/month (or $50/year).

That’s a wrap on this July newsletter! Until next time…

I see sparks fly,

Bekah

🎶 Can I Ask You a Question? 🎶

• 🥳 What are you most excited about happening in July?

• 🎶💌 Any mashup requests? And/or upcoming content requests?!

Leave a comment

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“The best and worst day in June...”

Welcome to your belated June edition of Dear Reader and some Swiftie inspo to get your summer going! I’m sorry that this newsletter is again later than usual. There’s been a lot going on in my personal life, and I truly appreciate your patience as I settle back into content creation. I’m excited to squeeze in some fun June inspo in this newsletter to look back on the past month, and to carry us through the summer season!

In this newsletter you’ll find:

• 🗓️ Swiftie June Dates - what’s been going down in June

• 🎶 June Playlist - celebrating that Taylor now owns all her music

• 🎧 Mashups of the Month - feat. Gracie Abrams

• 🥣 Featured Recipe - a Cruel Summer Smoothie Bowl for your next summer breakfast

Let’s dive in!

🗓️ Swiftie June Dates

June may be just about over, but it’s been pretty packed with both expected and unexpected Swiftie happenings! We had releases from Taylor-adjacent artists - Ed Sheeran, Sabrina Carpenter, and Benson Boone. There’s been single and album anniversaries to celebrate, including Gracie Abrams’ The Secret Of Us, which featured Taylor on Track 5’s “us.”.

We also gotten some surprise Taylor sightings this month - most notably a red carpet debut for her and Travis at the opening night of Tight End University in Nashville, and a surprise performance of “Shake It Off” - surprise songs in June?! Let me know if you’d be interested in a new issue of “The Swiftie Scoop” to round up all the Taylor happenings lately!

🎶 June Swiftie Playlist

This month’s playlist celebrates “Independence Tay” and the fact that Taylor now owns the masters for all of her music! We’re going back to her OG albums with songs that tie back to Taylor achieving her dream of finally owning all of her work 🥹 Here’s a walkthrough of the playlist:

I really wanted the songs on this playlist to include a little nod to Taylor’s musical career and her journey to owning her music - plus to fit into the summer vibe of the season. So I chose to kick off the playlist with 6 iconic songs from Taylor’s 6 OG albums: Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989 and Reputation. I don’t know about you, but I’m loving listening to Taylor’s OG music now - getting to enjoy her younger voice and the original production of those albums. The second half of the playlist, after Taylor’s June lyric reference in “You All Over Me”, ties more into her journey of reclaiming her work. Here’s some key lyrics and reasons for each song that solidified their spot (in my mind) on this playlist:

• Our Song - “I grabbed a pen and an old napkin, and I wrote down Our Song”

• You Belong With Me - “You belong with me”; “All of the music I've ever made... now belongs... to me.”

• Better Than Revenge - “The story starts and it was hot and it was summer…”; Plus the OG lyrics before the lyric change, IYKYK.

• Starlight - “Like we dream impossible dreams”

• Blank Space - “But I've got a blank space, baby, and I'll write your name”

• Getaway Car - “It was the best of times”

• You All Over Me (Taylor’s Version) - “The best and worst day of June”

• Cruel Summer - “You know that I bought it”

• Love Story - “I close my eyes and the flashback starts, I'm standin' there, on a balcony in summer air”

• Wildest Dreams - “Say you'll remember me”

• the last great american dynasty - “And then it was bought by me”

• Karma - “Ask me what I learned from all those years, ask me what I earned from all those tears, ask me why so many fade, but I'm still here”

• Long Live - “Long Live all the magic we made”

You can listen to the playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and YouTube (with so many OG music videos!), with clean versions on Spotify and Apple Music.

🎧 Mashups of the Month: feat. Gracie Abrams

In honor of the 1-year anniversary of The Secret of Us earlier this month, here’s a few Gracie x Tay mashups throwbacks, for your listening enjoyment 💛

• us x Out Of The Woods x Is It Over Now?

• us x Out Of The Woods

• Packing It Up x Sweet Nothing

Let me know if you’d like any more Gracie Abrams mashups!

🥣 Featured Recipe: Cruel Summer Smoothie Bowl

In honor of the start of summer, I put together a smoothie bowl that’s perfect for the season. It’s bright, it’s blue, and it’s loaded with nutrients, textures and flavors. Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients

• Frozen banana

• Frozen cauliflower

• Unsweetened plant-based yogurt (I love Silk)

• Complement protein powder (or your preferred brand)

• Suncore Foods blue spirulina powder

• Toppings: sliced peach, banana, blueberries, Trader Joe’s granola

• Blended in a Vitamix, served in a coconut bowl

Toss the bananas, frozen cauliflower (trust me, you don’t taste it at all and it’s a great way to sneak in extra veggies!), protein powder, spiralina, and anything else you’d like to add, to a blender and mix until smooth. Add the mixture to a bowl, swirl in some yogurt (optional, but it gives a wave/beach like aesthetic), add on your toppings, and there you have it - a summer dream in a bowl!

That’s it for June’s belated newsletter. July’s newsletter will be coming to your inbox much sooner than this one did, so keep an eye out for that! Until then…

It’s a cruel summer with you,

Bekah

🎶 Can I Ask You a Question? 🎶

• 🏖️ What was your fav thing to happen in June?

• 💌 What kind of summer Swiftie content would you love to see?

Leave a comment

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“Are you ready for it?”

It’s May 26, 2025 - and a lot of Swifties are in full clown makeup today 🤡

Why?

Tonight is the American Music Awards (AMAs), and not only is Taylor Swift up for some big awards, but the fandom has pulled out a number of signs that may or may not point to a Reputation (Taylor’s Version) announcement. Of course there’s also the possibility of TS12, an Eras Tour 2.0 movie, a documentary, or even something else going down.

That said...I personally don’t think we’ll get an announcement today. Taylor Swift announced her last two studio albums at awards shows - Midnights and The Tortured Poets Department. And particularly after the mixed reception (us Swifties loved it! But some others didn’t as much) to her TTPD announcement at the Grammys, I’d be surprised if she repeated that kind of move so soon. I also feel like Taylor deserves as long of a break as she wants, given how much she’s given us over the years! So I’m very happy to wait. But I also wouldn’t mind at all if I’m wrong 😋

I have come across a lot of theories about tonight though. So I compiled the major ones into an IG reel, and in this newsletter we’ll go through all 13 Easter Eggs, plus some extras!

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“…it's like we don't remember,

the rain we thought would last forever and ever”

I want to start off by saying thank you for your patience with me this month! We had a family medical emergency and my dad was in the hospital earlier in May. Thankfully he’s doing okay now, but it's been up and down, and I’ve been pretty MIA from social media and Swiftie news since. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things though - just in time for all the clowning surrounding tomorrow’s AMAs. So we’ll touch on that and more in this month’s newsletter!

This month we’re following April’s rainy vibes with a theme that explores what life can look like after the rain. So in this issue, you’ll find a reflective playlist, a breakfast tribute to The Hunger Games, and of course our usual Swiftie calendar dates and mashups too. I know the month is soon coming to a close, but I hope you can still enjoy some belated May inspo - so let’s dive in!

In this newsletter you’ll find:

• 🗓️ Swiftie May Dates - Swiftie-themed dates

• 🎶 May Swiftie Playlist - a playlist exploring what life looks like after the rain

• 🎧 May Mashups - May-themed mashups

• 🌱 Featured Recipe - A Hunger Games Breakfast Tribute

Swiftie May Dates

Our Swiftie May Dates showed a relatively quiet month - and it has been…so far! Because of that I added some fun holidays that felt a little Taylor-coded. Did you know there’s a day celebrating paper airplanes? It felt like something every Swiftie should know about (“two paper airplanes flying, flying”).

I also got some super helpful comments on this IG post that pointed out two pretty big milestones I had initially forgotten to add. This month we celebrate the anniversary of Taylor announcing Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). Nashville was the lucky recipient of this milestone on May 5, 2023!

May also marks the kick-off of The Eras Tour 2.0. Taylor kicked off the European leg of The Eras Tour in Paris on May 9, 2024, with a completely reimagined show. Not only did she add the TTPD era, but the rest of the show was slightly re-ordered, the folklore and evermore eras were combined to create a “folkmore” era, and some beloved numbers were lost (I’m still mourning “Long Live”, “tolerate it”, etc. 😭). But of course we understood that sacrifices had to be made and the TTPD era quickly became a standout of the new Eras Tour.

The main big event to look forward to this month is actually going down tomorrow evening - the AMAs (American Music Awards). Will you be watching? Do you think Taylor will attend?? Or that there could even be an announcement?! 🤡 I’ve seen so many theories and Easter eggs lately. I’ll be sending out a newsletter tomorrow for paid subscribers with a roundup of all the AMAs speculations, just in time for the show.

May 2025 Swiftie Playlist

Every month I curate a themed Swiftie playlist—and after April’s stormy mood, May’s Swiftie Playlist is about what comes after the rain. I’ve personally been going through a bit of a rainy season in life, so this playlist has been my soundtrack all month long. I hope it speaks to you too.

I had been creating 1-minute walkthroughs of my playlists the last couple months, and was planning on making a similar video for May - but with everything going on I didn’t the chance to edit and post it. So I thought I’d share my breakdown of this month’s playlist with you right here in this newsletter!

We start off with perhaps the perfect anthem to help you take on the world after a rainy season - “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart”. Next up is one of my absolute favorite tracks - “renegade” - describing how hard it can be to support someone else through challenges, but staying anyways. Given all The Hunger Games buzz lately, I thought “Eyes Open” was a perfect nod to the movie franchise. Plus it offers an always helpful warning. “illicit affairs” softens things down, only to bring on lots of zingers in “Mr. Perfectly Fine”.

I pulled in “This Love” as a sweet preview to The Summer I Turned Pretty. Then we’re left wondering, “Can I ask you a Question…?”, and whether “you miss me” at “The Black Dog”. I added “Mine” as a nod to Taylor’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) announcement in May 2023. “Sweeter Than Fiction” has probably the most fitting lyrics for this month’s theme - “and in this perfect weather, it's like we don't remember, the rain we thought would last forever and ever.” My favorite transition of the whole playlist is from “Sweeter Than Fiction” into “Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)”. And we finish off going down a rabbit hole into “Wonderland” and coming out on the other side, “long story short”, having survived.

And that’s this month’s Swiftie playlist. I know the month is coming to a close, but I hope you enjoy! You can listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon (please note this playlist doesn’t include “Sweeter Than Fiction” because I couldn’t find it in Amazon’s song catalogue 😭) and YouTube, with clean versions on Spotify and Apple Music.

May Mashups

Here are a few throwback mashups that fit the theme of May. I haven’t been able to make as many mashups lately, but I’ve really missed creating them. Let me know what future ones you’d like to hear!

• I Hate It Here x the lakes

• Packing It Up x Sweet Nothing

• Mary’s Song x Timeless

Featured Recipe: Hunger Games Breakfast Tribute

We’re leaning into The Hunger Games vibes this month with a breakfast inspired by the latest addition to the series, Sunrise on the Reaping. Because let’s be honest - those casting announcements have taken over my feed lately. Have you read the book?!

I was reading it over a spread of Cranberry Walnut Bread (recipe inspired by Ken Forkish’s Walnut Bread recipe in his book Flour Water Salt Yeast) and an iced matcha latte (here’s a link to my favorite latte recipes - to make it an iced matcha instead of a matcha latte just replace the boiled water with ice cubes, and I just pour the milk straight in without frothing it).

That’s all for this month’s newsletter! Whether your May has been sunny or stormy, I hope there’s been a moment that made you feel like witnessing a rainbow after rain. Until next time…

Long story short I survived,

Bekah

🎶 Can I Ask You a Question? 🎶

• 🎶 What’s been the soundtrack to your May?

• 🤡 Are you clowning for anything AMAs-related?

• 💌 What kind of summer Swiftie content would you love to see next?

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