‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 3, Episode 6 Features A Sneaky Cameo From Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated”

From Billy Joel’s “A Matter of Trust” to “Archie, Marry Me” by Alvvays and, of course, the return of Taylor Swift’s “False God,” The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, Episode 6 was another huge success in the soundtrack department. But did you catch Avril Lavigne’s song “Complicated” in Jenny Han’s latest TSTIP installment?!

The beloved 2002 hit made a sneaky cameo in “Last Name,” but unless your ears were wide open and you were locked the hell in while channeling your inner Belly Conklin (Lola Tung), there’s a good chance you may have missed the song’s inclusion.

As Decider knows from our weekly The Summer I Turned Pretty Easter egg roundups, Han is a diligent detail-oriented queen who loves to challenge the show’s fans to watch each episode with eyes, ears, and hearts wide open. So when does “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne play in The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, Episode 6? Read on for the answer and get ready to have your mind blown.

When Is “Complicated” By Avril Lavigne In The Summer I Turned Pretty?

TSITP Season 3, Episode 6 strayed from the typical needle drop format TSITP is known for on several occassions. For instance, TSITP Spotify soundtrack — along with Prime Video’s scene-by-scene music guide — included “We Love you Conrad,” which was sung by Bye Bye Birdie Ensembles in the movie Belly and her mom were watching; “Bye Bye Birdie,” performed by young Belly actor Aerina DeBoer; and “Bonjour, Paris,” which Audrey Hepburn sang in Funny Face.

Like those exceptions to the traditional needle drop, when Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” makes its sneaky cameo at the 2:01 mark in Season 3, Episode 6, you won’t hear a straightforward track sung by Avril Lavigne…

What Song Does Belly Sing In TSITP Season 3, Episode 6?

Instead, “Complicated” is sung by Belly in the background of a scene shared between Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and his dad Adam (Tom Everett Scott). As noted in Decider’s Season 3, Episode 6 Easter egg recap, I rewound and listened to Belly singing in the bathroom at Adam’s place several times desperately hoping to decipher whatever song Belly was belting before low-key admitting defeat. I went on to read several incorrect theories, which assumed she was singing the Bye Bye Birdie Conrad song. But after another listen, I knew that wasn’t true. But I was determined.

Then, the goddess of summer (I assume Jenny Han herself) smiled upon me, as I noticed Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated,” one of my favorite angsty jams growing up, was mysteriously posted to TSITP‘s Spotify soundtrack despite not outright playing in Episode 306. Seconds later, EVERYTHING CLICKED. I skipped back to the bathroom scene again with my girl Avril on the brain, and the song I’d belted myself so many times before in my heart. And just like that, Belly’s voice and melody perfectly line up! In that scene, Belly specifically sings:

“But you become
Somebody else
‘Round everyone else
You’re watching your back
Like you can’t relax
You try to be cool
You look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why’d you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you’re acting like you’re somebody else
Gets me frustrated”

Now, in addition to being a straight-up iconic song, the intentional song selection likely gives us serious insight into Belly’s emotional state. She could have sung ANY song, but she chose this one. And we know she’s not loving the version of Jere who’s “becoming somebody else” while trying to please his dad. Later in the episode, Belly even admits she’s having second thoughts on how they’re planning the wedding, since it doesn’t feel like their original vision.

“Complicated” is a song about wanting people to be honest and true to themselves rather than putting up a front, and in a way, that also applies to Belly, who’s just reacquainting herself and viewers with her inner narrative. Without her having to admit it, the song cleverly stresses the “complicated” stage of life she’s in — you know, after Jere slept with Lacie, they got prematurely engaged, and (at that point in the episode) she wasn’t on good terms with her mom. Jenny Han, you genius. And to quote the great Rory Gilmore, “What can you do? It’s Avril Lavigne’s world and we’re just living it!”

New episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3 premiere Wednesdays on Prime Video.