Move over, karma—Taylor Swiftmay have a new bestie.
The singer known for “Life of a Showgirl” recently wrote an essay praising Dakota Johnson, explaining why she’s such a wonderful person and friend.
Taylor told Time magazine, which named Dakota one of its 100 Most Influential People of 2026, that she can personally attest to Dakota’s authenticity and that Dakota is also incredibly empathetic – one of the kindest people she’s ever met.
The 36-year-old complimented Dakota’s straightforwardness, saying it was a welcome change from typical, polished responses. They joked that her calm way of speaking and honest answers were so genuine, it seemed like she simply wasn’t capable of being dishonest.
Taylor and Dakota have been friends for years, but they generally keep their relationship private. However, since 2016, they’ve been seen having dinner together several times with other celebrities like Cara Delevingne, Suki Waterhouse, and Zoë Kravitz.
And their quality time has clearly forged a beautiful connection between the singer and actress.
Taylor added, “It might be true that she’s incapable of lying. But there are plenty of other things she just can’t help doing. She constantly asks people about their lives, always eager to understand what it’s like to be them.”
The Grammy winner explained that she consistently pushes her boundaries, even taking on ambitious new projects like her production company, TeaTime Pictures. She’s also always delving into the nuances of human relationships.
In the end, Taylor sees Dakota as someone leaving a powerful legacy.
She’s naturally engaging on camera and deeply curious off it. Her honesty shines through, transforming her storytelling into something artistic, genuine, and enduring – just like her personality.
Dakota had previously suggested she and Taylor were close when she hosted Saturday Night Live in 2024.
During her opening remarks on Saturday Night Live, Dakota Johnson shared a photo of herself from the show’s 40th anniversary special. In the picture, she was sitting near Taylor Swift and then-President-elect Donald Trump. She joked about how strange it was to be so close to someone who would soon become the most powerful person in the country, and the camera then focused on Taylor Swift.
Although Taylor Swift hasn’t written any songs specifically about her friendship with Dakota Johnson, here are some songs inspired by her other relationships.
Prior to the release of The Life of a Showgirl, Taylor Swift had only definitively written one song about her future husband, the Kansas City Chiefs player. That song was “So High School,” which the couple fittingly used as the soundtrack to their engagement announcement on Instagram in August 2025. (The updated version of “Karma” from The Eras Tour is an exception.)
Fans have theorized that the song “The Alchemy,” from The Tortured Poets Department, references Travis Kelce due to its football and high school imagery. However, the song “So High School” contains a more direct reference with the lines: “Are you going to marry, kiss or kill me? / It’s just a game but really / I’m betting on all three, for us two.”
In a 2016 game of “Marry, Kiss, Kill” with AfterBuzzTV, Travis said he would choose to kiss Taylor Swift over Ariana Grande and Katy Perry.
Travis loves the song, and even though he’s a Taylor Swift fan—which makes the competition fierce—he considers it his favorite of all time.
He jokingly admitted to Access Hollywood in 2024 that he was probably a bit biased when making the decision.
Taylor Swift seemingly wrote multiple songs on her album The Tortured Poets Department about a brief relationship with The 1975’s frontman in 2023. The album’s title track even mentions Jack Antonoff, a friend and frequent collaborator they both worked with.
Songs like “Fortnight,” “Down Bad,” and “But Daddy I Love Him” are also said to be about Matty Healy, with the last one seemingly addressing the criticism Taylor faced due to their relationship.
Okay, so there’s been a lot of chatter about whether Matty Healy listened to Taylor Swift’s latest album. He told the paparazzi, according to Entertainment Tonight, that he hadn’t, though he thinks it’s probably good! But honestly, his mom, Denise Welch, really came down on the idea that the songs are about him and their split. It’s definitely been a topic of conversation, and she wasn’t having it!
Okay, so get this – she was on Watch What Happens Live in 2025, and one of the hosts, from Loose Woman, was basically saying how someone told her she couldn’t talk about something. And then, can you believe it? She went and wrote an entire album inspired by it! I mean, seriously, an album! It’s just… genius. I’ve listened to it a million times, trying to figure out exactly what she wasn’t allowed to say, and every time I discover something new. It’s incredible!
For more on Matty’s place in Taylor’s catalogue, read here.
During their six-year relationship, Taylor Swift wrote numerous songs inspired by and even featuring Joe Alwyn. Soon after their relationship became public in 2016, she released the album Reputation, which contained several songs clearly about Joe, including “Call It What You Want,” “Dress,” and “King of My Heart.”
Taylor Swift’s album Lover features the song “Cornelia Street,” named after the New York City apartment she shared with her then-boyfriend during the beginning of their relationship. Fans also think other songs are about him, including “invisible string” from folklore, and “Sweet Nothing” and its bonus track “You’re Losing Me” from Midnights. Producer Jack Antonoff confirmed that “You’re Losing Me” was actually written two years before Taylor and her boyfriend split in 2023.
I’ve been so fascinated to watch Taylor’s creative process evolve! It turns out Joe is a huge part of it – he actually cowrites songs with her! He’s credited on tracks from both folklore and evermore, like “betty,” “champagne problems,” and “exile,” but he uses the really cool pseudonym William Bowery. It’s amazing to see their collaboration come to life!
You know, it’s funny how things happen! I was chatting with a former Brutalist star recently, and they told me the story of how they ended up co-writing a song during lockdown. It was completely unplanned – just goofing around at the piano, singing terribly, and someone overheard! Then they thought, ‘Why not see where this goes and actually finish the song together?’ It just goes to show, sometimes the best creative projects start with a little accidental fun.
For more songs inspired by Joe, see here.
After a controversial phone call leaked in 2016 – which was later found to be edited – between Kanye West and Taylor Swift regarding a lyric about her on his album The Life of Pablo, Taylor has responded to the couple with pointed remarks on several occasions.
In 2024, Taylor Swift released the song “thanK you aIMee,” which many believe is about Kim Kardashian, as the capitalized letters in the title spell out her name. She also hinted at Kanye West on another version of the same album, capitalizing “YE” within the track’s title.
Before TTPD, Taylor Swift had already subtly referenced Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s conflict over his “Famous” music video. In her song “Mad Woman” on the folklore album, she sings lyrics that seem to allude to their feud, including, “Women like hunting witches too / Doing your dirtiest work for you / It’s obvious that wanting me dead has really brought you two together.”
As a huge Taylor fan, I always saw her first single from Reputation, “Look What You Made Me Do,” as a direct response to all the drama she was going through publicly. And then, with “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things,” it felt so personal – like she was singing about a friendship that had tried to be fixed, but sadly fell apart all over again. It really resonated with me!
Taylor Swift’s musical connection to Kanye West goes back to the infamous 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, when he famously interrupted her acceptance speech. She addressed the incident in her song “Innocent” from the album Speak Now, offering forgiveness. West received significant criticism for his actions, even from then-President Barack Obama.
In the song, Taylor reflects on the challenges of public scrutiny, singing, “It’s OK / Life is a tough crowd.” He also references his age at the time of the VMAs, adding, “32 and still growing up now / Who you are is more important than past mistakes / You’re still someone good at heart.”
For a thorough dive into Taylor’s beef with Kanye, see here.
Though their romance was brief, lasting only a summer in 2016, Taylor Swift and actor Tom Hiddleston reportedly inspired several songs by the singer. Many fans believe tracks like “Getaway Car” and “High Infidelity” detail their relationship, which overlapped with her breakup with Calvin Harris after a year together. She split from Harris and began dating Hiddleston around the same time in June 2016.
Both songs explore the idea that a relationship built on even a small betrayal is destined to fail.
Fans believe Taylor Swift wrote “Getaway Car” about her relationships with Calvin Harris and Tom Hiddleston, but none of the three have confirmed if that’s true.
Despite Taylor Swift denying she based songs on her relationship with the former One Direction member, many fans believe her album 1989 contains hidden references to the singer of “Watermelon Sugar.”
Fans often believe the songs “Style,” “Out of the Woods,” and the bonus track “Wonderland” are about Harry Styles. The reference to a “Cheshire cat smile” in “Wonderland” particularly leads some to think of his hometown, Holmes Chapel, which is located in Cheshire, England.
The song “Is It Over Now?,” originally recorded in 1989, clearly captures the moment Taylor realized her relationship with Harry had ended.
She references the well-known January 2013 photo taken after her and her partner reportedly split while singing, ‘Blue dress on a boat.’ She continues with the line, ‘Your new girl is my clone,’ implying a striking resemblance between herself and her partner’s new girlfriend.
In the song “Now That We Don’t Talk,” she brings up their failed vacation once more and criticizes Harry’s musical preferences with the lines, “I don’t have to pretend I like acid rock / Or that I’d enjoy being on a mega-yacht.”
Taylor dated several other celebrities from Britain after Harry, but he was her first British boyfriend. Because London is mentioned in some of her older songs, like “Come Back, Be Here” and “Message in a Bottle” from the album Red, many people believe those songs are also about Harry.
Taylor Swift didn’t come up with the entire idea behind her 1989 album. Many fans think the song “Bad Blood” is about Katy Perry, as Taylor hinted in a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone that it was inspired by another female artist who attempted to ruin her concert tour.
Taylor explained that she realized she and Katy were direct rivals, saying, ‘It became clear we were enemies.’ She clarified the conflict wasn’t over a romantic relationship, but stemmed from professional issues, specifically after some of her dancers joined Katy’s tour.
However, Taylor maintained she penned the song simply to get some feelings off her chest.
Honestly, it really bothered me when people acted like I was just trying to stir up drama! That wasn’t it at all. I shared my story because I wanted others who’d been hurt – who’d felt that same awful sting of betrayal – to connect with it and maybe find some comfort, you know? It was about them, not about starting some messy scandal.
However, the song eventually sparked a conflict. The day after Rolling Stone published its article, Katy posted on X, warning people to be careful of someone who seems innocent but is actually mean, comparing them to Regina George from the movie Mean Girls.
The singers resolved their differences in 2019, and Katy Perry later appeared in Taylor Swift’s music video for “You Need to Calm Down.”
Taylor Swift also enjoys writing fanfiction. Before her album Red came out, she met Ethel Kennedy while dating her grandson, Conor Kennedy. Inspired by Ethel and her late husband, Taylor wrote the song “Starlight” imagining a romantic date night for the couple.
Taylor Swift said she was inspired to write “Starlight” after seeing a photo of Ethel and Bobby Kennedy as teenagers. She didn’t know the story behind the picture, but it made her imagine they were having a wonderful night, which became the basis for the song’s lyrics.
In response to the nod, Ethel told the Cape Cod Times, “She is just sensational, inside and out.”
Many fans believe Taylor Swift’s hit breakup song, “All Too Well”—especially the extended 10-minute version—is about actor Jake Gyllenhaal. The song includes details that match their brief 2010 relationship, like references to fall, a family home, and a distinctive scarf. Jake’s sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal, is a well-known actress, and the couple reportedly shared a striped Gucci scarf during their time together.
Taylor Swift also seemed to reference her relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal in songs like “The Last Time,” “We Are Never Getting Back Together,” and “I Bet You Think About Me” (from the Red vault). These songs mention details about his preferences in music and his privileged upbringing.
Although many people think the album Red was largely based on Jake, he later denied any connection to it after the 2021 re-release.
“It’s about her relationship with her fans,” he told Esquire in 2022. “It is her expression.”
Taylor agreed with Jake, explaining that she’d watched “All Too Well” evolve into something more meaningful than just a song about a breakup.
It was amazing to see that fans quickly embraced the song and declared it their favorite, even without us promoting it that way,” she said on Good Morning America in 2021. “Within the first six months of the Red album’s release, they really made it the standout track.
Many fans believe Taylor Swift’s song “The Manuscript” from The Tortured Poets Department is inspired by the effect her song “All Too Well” had, and specifically relates to her relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal.
When Taylor was nineteen, a significant part of her heart belonged to the musician behind the song “Gravity,” and he likely inspired several tracks on her Speak Now album, including “Dear John” and “The Story of Us.” Taylor has confirmed that both of those songs were about the same person.
In 2010, she told USA Today that ‘The Story of Us’ came from a real experience: seeing an ex-boyfriend at an awards show. They were sitting near each other, and she felt an intense connection. She wanted to ask him if the situation was as painful for him as it was for her, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak, as they both seemed to be protecting themselves emotionally.
Although Taylor Swift now says she no longer hides clues about her personal life in her music, fans discovered a secret message in the original album notes for her song “Story of Us.” The notes, which Taylor used to use for hidden messages, spelled out “CMT Awards,” an event both she and John Mayer attended in 2010.
As for where “Dear John” is concerned? John himself had to respond to the brazen shots fired.
In a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone, the musician said, “I didn’t think I deserved that treatment.” They added, “I’ve learned to take responsibility for my actions, but I hadn’t done anything to warrant it. It was a really unfair thing for her to do.”
Taylor Swift has moved past teenage conflicts and doesn’t want to dwell on past drama. Before performing “Dear John” during The Eras Tour in 2023, she told her fans she’s put the past behind her, focusing only on the music she created and the good memories she shares with others. She feels she’s grown beyond caring about things that happened when she was 19.
As she put it, “I do not care. We’ve all grown up. We’re good.”
After a brief romance with Taylor Lautner in 2009, Taylor Swift wrote the song “Back to December” which is believed to be about him. The song references a “September night” when he saw her upset – a possible reference to the 2009 VMAs where Lautner was present – and she subtly acknowledged him in the song’s album notes by writing just his nickname, “Tay.”
Before Taylor Swift re-released her album Speak Now in 2023, actor Taylor Lautner, known for Sharkboy and Lava Girl, playfully mentioned feeling secure about the songs, as he told Today.
Some fans believe Taylor Swift’s songs “Today Was a Fairytale” and “I Can See You” (where she appeared in the music video) were also inspired by her Valentine’s Day co-star. In “I Can See You,” she sings about maintaining a professional relationship, which then led to a romance.
Surprisingly, Taylor Swift used to be nervous around Adam Young, the singer of Owl City. Her song “Enchanted” is actually about the night they met, and she secretly included the word “wonderstruck” in the lyrics as a nod to him – he had used that same word in an email he sent her!
In a 2010 interview with Yahoo, Taylor described meeting him as intensely worrying, explaining she was desperately hoping he wasn’t already in love with someone else.
A year after Taylor’s song came out, Adam replied by recording his own version. He added new lyrics, singing, “Oh Taylor, I was just as enchanted to meet you.”
He explained in a note on his band’s website that he’s naturally shy and finds it easier to express himself through music. He recorded a song as a response to a beautiful track on their latest album, adding, “You are a true princess from a dreamy fairy tale.”
Taylor Swift used to be very open about the real-life inspirations behind her songs, particularly those written after her split from Joe Jonas. In 2008, she famously wrote “Forever & Always” and quickly added it to her album Fearless. This timing coincided with an appearance on Ellen, where she publicly criticized Jonas for ending their relationship with a very short phone call – lasting only 25 to 27 seconds.
Taylor Swift’s 2010 album, Speak Now, featured two songs hinting at her relationship with Joe Jonas. One was the emotional ballad “Last Kiss,” which specifically mentions July 9th – the date she saw the Jonas Brothers perform while they were still a couple.
Taylor Swift also included the song “Better Than Revenge” on the album, which was a response to the Jonas Brothers’ song “Much Better.” That song contained a clear reference to Swift in the line, “I’m done with superstars and all the tears on her guitar.”
As Taylor Swift’s music evolved, she began referencing her relationship with Joe Alwyn more warmly in songs like “Holy Ground” on her Red album and “Invisible String” on folklore. In the latter, she reflects on how they later became friends. The song includes the lyric, “Cold was the steel of my axe to grind for the boys who broke my heart,” followed by, “Now I send their babies presents,” showing a change in perspective.
Taylor Swift revisited her past relationship with Joe Jonas when she released Fearless (Taylor’s Version) in 2021, including the song “Mr. Perfectly Fine,” which she actually wrote shortly after their 2008 split. Joe’s then-wife, Sophie Turner, appeared to confirm the song was about him by sharing it on social media and playfully calling it “not a bop.”
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2026-04-16 02:49