Taylor Swift released her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, and many fans wondered: Who is “CANCELLED!“about?
On Friday, Oct. 3, at midnight ET, Swifties finally got to hear the pop superstar’s highly anticipated, 12-song album. The subject of track No. 10 sparked debate on social media. Let’s take a deep dive into fan theories.
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Who Is Taylor Swift’s ‘CANCELLED!’ About in ‘The Life of a Showgirl’?
In “CANCELLED!,” Swift does not name anyone. It’s also possible that the song isn’t about a single person but about multiple people or the idea of being cancelled in general. However, that didn’t stop Swifties from debating who “CANCELLED” was about in The Life of a Showgirl.
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The track’s chorus declared, “Good thing I like my friends cancelled / I like ’em cloaked in Gucci and in scandal,” later adding, “Welcome to my underworld /Where it gets quite dark.” Additionally, Swift conceded that at least she knew “exactly who [her] friends are,” noting that they have “matching scars,” seemingly calling back to her own experience.
Taylor Swift Fans Shared Theories About Who ‘CANCELLED!’ Is About
On Reddit, Swift fans speculated about the potential subject of “CANCELLED!,” with Blake Lively, Brittany Mahomes and Sabrina Carpenter all mentioned.
One Redditor insisted, “This is clearly for Blake. She is talking about how she was cancelled like her friend is being now.”
Another fan agreed, writing, “Very clearly about Blake,” as someone else commented, “Yep!!! Cloaked in Gucci and scandal, poison thorny flowers (Lily Blossom Bloom) that’s definitely Blake.”
A different Swiftie echoed, “Guys, is ‘Cancelled’ about Blake Lively? Like saying she’s still her friend bc she’s been cancelled like that before?”
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However, someone else shared, “Ooo… I was thinking it was about Brittany Mahomes,” as a second agreed, writing, “Damn I really thought this was about Brittany Mahomes and the WAGS.”
A different Redditor commented, “I agree with this. Likely not only Blake, but she chose to move forward with this song knowing that’s how it would be interpreted. I think it’s naive of people to think she and Blake are no longer friends over this lawsuit. They’ve been friends forever and seemingly are extremely close. I assume it’s about any of her friends that fall into that category.”
Meanwhile, yet another Swiftie offered a different point of view, sharing, “I think its about Sabrina Carpenter imo. It’s about her knowing how to navigate getting canceled, and it mentions some things in specific that Sabrina has gotten canceled over recently. 🤔 I could 100% be wrong though.”
It’s difficult to know for sure who “CANCELLED!” is about in The Life of a Showgirl. Maybe Swift will address it in her upcoming talk show appearances in the coming days!