FX must have paid a pretty penny to license a Taylor Swift song for The Bear Season 3.
Taylor Swift in The Bear Season 3
In the fourth episode of The Bear Season 3, Taylor Swift's song “Long Live (Taylor's Version)” is used. This occurs when Frank (Josh Hartnett) opens the door for Eva (Annabelle Toomey).
This is not the first time that Swift was mentioned in the series. Back in Season 2, Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Eva embraced. Richie then revealed his love for Swift.
Later in the season, Tiffany (Gillian Jacobs) wore a T-shirt with the 1989 album cover on it. Additionally, throughout the season, Richie spent a lot of time trying to buy tickets to Swift's “Eras” tour. In the seventh episode, Richie also belts out “Love Story (Taylor's Version).
Clearly, Swift has had a big impact on The Bear. It is great to see that the series can continually reference the “Shake It Off” singer and use her music in the series.
What is “Long Live”?
Swifties will know that “Long Live” is a song recorded on Swift's third studio album, Speak Now. While it was never released as a single, the song has been included in several of her concert tour sets.
On the “Eras” tour, which is still going strong as of the writing of this article, Swift has performed the song 44 times. It made its tour debut during her July 7, 2023, show in Kansas City, Missouri. Since then, it has been played 43 more times. The most recent performance came on March 9, 2024, during a show in Singapore.
Additionally, the song was re-recorded for Speak Now (Taylor's Version). This was the iteration used for The Bear Season 3. Speak Now was Swift's third album to be re-recorded after Fearless and Red. 1989 followed it. Still remaining to re-record are Reputation and Swift's self-titled debut album.
What is The Bear about?
The Bear is a comedy-drama series from FX that follows Carmen (Jeremy Allen White), a renowned chef tasked with inheriting his family's sandwich shop after the death of his brother. He has to return home to Chicago. Running the business is met with hurdles such as debts, family conflicts, and an outdated kitchen.
The series has been a big hit. Season 1 debuted on June 23, 2022. A second season followed nearly one year later on June 22, 2023. The Bear Season 3 came out on June 26, 2024, with all the episodes available to stream.
Jeremy Allen White leads the cast as Carmen. Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri also star in the series as Richie and Sydney, respectively. Other cast members include Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, Abby Elliott, and Matty Matheson.
The supporting cast is also star-studded with the likes of Joel McHale, Oliver Platt, Alex Moffat, and Molly Gordon also appearing in the series. The series' guest stars include Jon Bernthal, Will Poulter, Bob Odenkirk, Jamie Lee Curtis, Olivia Colman, John Mulaney, and John Cena.
At the Emmys, The Bear has garnered 13 nominations. It has won 10 awards including Outstanding Comedy Series in 2023. White, Edebiri, and Moss-Bachrach also won acting Emmys for their respective performances.