Meanwhile, others rumored to have songs inspired by them, like John, have expressed distaste at the way they are portrayed in Taylor’s discography.
“I will say as a songwriter that I think it’s kind of cheap songwriting,” John told Rolling Stone in 2012. “I know she’s the biggest thing in the world, and I’m not trying to sink anybody’s ship, but I think it’s abusing your talent to rub your hands together and go, ‘Wait till he gets a load of this!’ That’s bulls–t.”
But for Taylor, writing her songs has never been about how they are perceived by the listener or their inspiration, especially when it comes to people she’s dated.
It’s a “skill and a craft,” she told Zane Lowe in 2019, noting that the world’s curiosity about the deeper meaning of her songs is “part of the job.”
When it feels as though people are too focused on her personal life, rather than her music, Taylor has a simple mantra for herself and other young women in the industry.
“‘Do not let anything stop you from making art, just make things,’” she explained at the time. “Do not get so caught up in something that you stop making art, or if you need to, make art about this.’”
If you are dying to know who Taylor may have weaved into her art, keep reading…
