While many people may know, or think they know, who singer-songwriter Taylor Swift’s songs are about, some may be surprised to find out Swift may have a hidden ex. While this person was a major part of Swift’s life until her mid twenties, many fans haven’t caught onto some of the possible nuances of the singer’s love life. Looking specifically into the track “right where you left me,” fans have begun to find not-so-hidden signs to speculate the identity of this “secret ex.”
Swift had a best friend, supermodel Karlie Kloss, who was always at her side. They would always be seen at many different events and often post pictures of them going on trips together.
Many PV students have inferred that this seemingly normal friendship may have been an undercover romance. Even though Swift nor Kloss have confirmed their sexualities, it has been rumored that they may have had a romantic relationship in their early twenties.
Sources have claimed that the pair would reside in romantic destinations together on their occasional vacation. However, these claims were never substantiated, causing many to doubt. “It might not be true because it has never been confirmed by anyone of actual importance,” junior Swetha Narmeta stated.
Swift’s song, “right where you left me” is described as “something more than a friendship breakup,” by The Shameless Podcast, who further questioned the platonism of the pair’s relationship
Fans believe the song “right where you left me” contains lyrics which may allude to Kloss, with verses such as “Friends break up, friends get married / Strangers get born, strangers get buried.” Some listeners interpreted from these lyrics that this song is about an old friend of Swift’s who got married, had a child and the child is now a stranger to Swift. Kloss is married to famous republican politician Joshua Kushner and shared a child with him after her fallout with Swift.
Swift continues with the line, “I swear you could hear a hair pin drop,” which is a historically gay phrase. The New York Times defines the phrase as “to drop clues… about one’s own homosexuality in an effort to induce one’s interlocutor to follow suit.” Swift’s use of this verse could imply that she is calling out to queer fans to recognize that she is potentially talking about a queer relationship she was once in.
Some question the integrity of the aforementioned evidence. Narmeta stated “I would consider it to be a stretch since it’s a cliche and there’s so many different connotations of a hair pin dropping.” While there is truth to the doubts about this phrase, many fans know Swift likes to create puzzles for her fans to figure out, leading them to believe the mention of a hair pin dropping to be a hint to something greater.
Later, she sings, “She’s still 23 inside her fantasy / And you’re sitting in front of me / At the restaurant /when I was still the one you want.” This verse catches listeners off guard because Swift is now implying she saw this person in a romantic way. Listeners may infer that this song isn’t just about a friendship breakup, but possibly a romantic breakup.
The lyrics continue, “I could feel the mascara run / You told me you met someone / Glass shattered on the white cloth / Everybody moved on.” The act of shattering glass in a white cloth is defined by Business Insider as a ceremonial Jewish tradition in order to ward off demons, which could be alluding to Kloss because she married a Jewish man and, therefore, had a Jewish ceremony.
However, she does not explicitly reveal anything else about their relationship, except that it could’ve been a nonexclusive romantic relationship. It was the audience who originally inferred that, if this song is about Karlie Kloss, their potential homosexual relationship wouldn’t have been accepted at the time, so they would’ve been forced to hide.
Conversely, junior Rory Meeduri mentions the verse, “I’m sure you got a wife out there. Kids and Christmas, but I’m unaware.” Meeduri comments “It seems like a straight relationship because it would be kinda hard to have kids in a homosexual relationship.”
Although this is true, Swift could be trying to sway the audience by making her audience believe this is a heterosexual relationship. Seeing as she has provided apparent evidence for her audience to believe otherwise, some say it wouldn’t be unreasonable for the audience to assume that Swift is trying to throw a curveball to make her puzzle a little harder.
Finally the verse that affirms the theory, “If our love died young, I can’t bear witness.” At this point, Taylor Swift directly states that this story is about a previous lover, to whom she is still not over.
If this theory is true, Swift is possibly outing both herself and the now married Kloss. Currently, Kloss is managed by Scooter Bruan and is reputed to have had a part in selling Swift’s records. Braun is rumored to be one of the reasons for their falling out.
Although the details about what happened between Swift and Kloss are ultimately a mystery for many PV students, if their relationship was romantic, this song is possibly bringing up some of the unfortunate realities of being a queer celebrity. While some Swifties may be supportive of LGBTQIA+ people, the entertainment industry is known for its discrimination against minorities and queer artists. Thus, the reveal of their identities (if true) would just introduce them to a cloudier world of mistreatment and criticism.
However, untrue fan theories can contribute to the toxic gossip train.. With fans inferring and overanalyzing every little thing an artist says or does, they can unintentionally contribute to the spread of false information, which could harbor unearned criticism of an artist.
As true with high school rumors, many PV students know what it’s like to be the subject of an untrue rumor. However with celebrities, rumors can be emulsified and spread out of proportion. Thus, many high school students approach topics such as this with caution because there’s so many uncertainties regarding a private relationship.
Ultimately, Swift doesn’t talk in depth about what goes on in her love life, so most fans don’t truly know the facts about the relationships the star once held. While many Swifties obsess over the little details revealed in songs and interviews, Swift has her own secrets that are hers to keep.
