Taylor Swift's relationship history as told by her songs 💕
She puts her heart and soul into her music!
Taylor Swift is one of the biggest artists in the world, not only has she had a hugely successful music career so far, but she's also a talented songwriter - and you can now even study her at university!
The 34-year-old, who has released 10 studio albums - with her 11th, 'The Tortured Poets Department' on its way - as well as four re-recorded albums, is well-known for using personal experiences as inspiration for her songs, choosing not to shy away from using her own relationships as inspiration for her songwriting.
Having been in a few high-profile relationships over the years - including reportedly 'dating' and then 'splitting' from Matty Healy following her split from Joe Alwyn in April 2023 - it's no surprise that some of her previous boyfriends have been the subject of some of her biggest hits.
Taylor Swift's boyfriends: Who has she written songs about?
Joe Jonas
Taylor dated Joe Jonas in 2008, later reportedly writing 'Last Kiss' and 'Forever and Always' about him, but she more recently wrote 'Holy Ground' about the split which showed how she'd moved on and gained some good perspective over their relationship.
'Half of My Heart' with John Mayer - 2009
American rock legend John Mayer tweeted about wanting to record the song with Taylor in March 2009, he wrote, "Waking up to this song idea that won't leave my head. 3 days straight now. That means it's good enough to finish. It's called 'Half of My Heart' and I want to sing it with Taylor Swift."
Listen to 'Half My Heart' on YouTube.
Jake Gyllenhaal
Taylor dated the actor for around three months at the end of 2010, and fans think her song 'The Last Time' could be about him. In an interview, Taylor once explained the meaning behind the song, saying it was an "experience I had with someone who was kind of this unreliable guy. You never know when he's going to leave, you never know when he's going to come back, but he always does come back," leading many to think that Jake's actor lifestyle could have been an issue.
Harry Styles
One of Taylor's most prominent former relationships was with former One Direction star Harry Styles in 2012 for a few months after allegedly being introduced by Ed Sheeran. The pair broke up later that year after they were involved in a snowmobile crash. Taylor's song 'I Knew You Were Trouble' is thought to be about Harry, as well as 'Out Of The Woods' - but this time, Taylor had a song written about her too, in the form of 'Two Ghosts'.
Calvin Harris
Taylor did not date for a while after her relationship with Harry ended in January 2013, but when she was introduced to DJ Calvin Harris by mutual friend Ellie Goulding in 2015 at the BRIT Awards, sparks flew. They dated for just under 18 months, but things turned sour when Taylor referenced Calvin in the music video for 'Look What You Made Me Do' along with her songwriting pseudonym Nils Sjoberg that she used for Calvin's song 'This Is What You Came For' with Rihanna.
Tom Hiddleston
One of Taylor's more short-lived relationships was with Marvel actor Tom Hiddleston. The pair were infamously papped frolicking in the sea together on a 4th July holiday weekend, with Tom wearing a t-shirt which read 'I ❤️ TS' - something she later referenced in her 'Look What You Made Me Do' music video.
Joe Alwyn
Taylor reportedly split from British actor Joe Alwyn in April 2023, having struck up a relationship in 2016. The pair kept their relationship very private, with Joe telling Vogue in 2018: "I'm aware people want to know about that side of things. I think we have been successfully very private, and that has now sunk in for people. But I prefer to talk about work." Her song 'Gorgeous' is thought to be about him.
However, Joe contributed to a few of Taylor's songs under the alias William Bowery over the course of their relationship - co-writing 'Exile', 'Betty', 'Champagne Problems', 'Coney Island', 'Evermore' and 'Sweet Nothing', also co-producing a handful of tracks too.
You can hear Taylor Swift's songs on the Cool FM playlist.
Now read:
Taylor Swift: All your questions answered on the 'Cardigan' singer 🎶
30 of Taylor Swift's best career moments so far
Taylor Swift’s biggest collaborations: From Ed Sheeran to Shawn Mendes 🎶