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All Taylor Swift’s boyfriends and the songs they inspired

Taylor Swift has dated several high-profile men, and many of her relationships have inspired her music.

Swift has over the course of her career garnered a reputation (no pun intended) for using her music to process and narrate her experiences with love and loss. Her songs span a spectrum of emotions—from sorrowful ballads to empowering breakup anthems—making her one of the most relatable artists in pop culture when it comes to heartbreak.

Below is a list of Swift’s known boyfriends and the songs they are believed to have influenced:


Joe Jonas (2008)

Songs Inspired by Him:

  • “Forever & Always” (Fearless) – About their breakup over a phone call.
  • “Last Kiss” (Speak Now) – A sad reflection on their relationship.
  • “Better Than Revenge” (Speak Now) – Allegedly about Camilla Belle, who dated Jonas after Swift.
  • “Mr. Perfectly Fine” (From The Vault, Fearless) – A later song reflecting on the heartbreak.

Taylor Lautner (2009)

Songs Inspired by Him:

  • “Back to December” (Speak Now) – A rare apology song, where Swift regrets ending things.

John Mayer (2009-2010)

Songs Inspired by Him:

  • “Dear John” (Speak Now) – A scathing song about their toxic relationship and age gap.
  • “The Story of Us” (Speak Now) – Likely about their awkward encounter post-breakup.
  • “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” (Midnights) – Revisits their relationship, calling out the regret of dating him when she was 19.

Jake Gyllenhaal (2010-2011)

Songs Inspired by Him:

  • “All Too Well” (Red) – One of Swift’s most famous heartbreak songs, describing their romance and painful breakup.
  • “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” (Red) – A more lighthearted breakup anthem.
  • “The Moment I Knew” (Red) – Allegedly about him missing her birthday party.
  • “Red” (Red) – Symbolizing the highs and lows of their relationship.
  • “I Bet You Think About Me” (From The Vault, Red) – A country breakup song mocking a pretentious ex.

Conor Kennedy (2012)

Songs Inspired by Him:

  • “Begin Again” (Red) – A sweet song about starting a new romance.
  • “Starlight” (Red) – Inspired by his grandparents’ love story.

Harry Styles (2012-2013)

Songs Inspired by Him:

  • “I Knew You Were Trouble” (Red) – Allegedly about their rocky romance.
  • “Out of the Woods” (1989) – Describes their fragile relationship and a snowmobile accident they had.
  • “Style” (1989) – Direct reference to his last name.
  • “Wonderland” (1989) – Suggests their relationship was chaotic and dreamlike.

Calvin Harris (2015-2016)

Songs Inspired by Him:

  • “I Forgot That You Existed” (Lover) – Likely about moving on from their drama.
  • “Dancing With Our Hands Tied” (Reputation) – Talks about a love restricted by external pressures.
  • “High Infidelity” (Midnights) – Some speculate it references their breakup timing.

Tom Hiddleston (2016)

Songs Inspired by Him:

  • “Getaway Car” (Reputation) – Suggests she used their relationship as an escape from Harris.
  • “King of My Heart” (Reputation) – Reflects on moving on to someone new (Joe Alwyn).

Joe Alwyn (2016-2023)

Songs Inspired by Him:

  • “Lover” (Lover) – A romantic tribute to their long relationship.
  • “Delicate” (Reputation) – About the fragile start of their love.
  • “Cornelia Street” (Lover) – Fears of losing him and their shared memories.
  • “Call It What You Want” (Reputation) – Celebrates their strong bond.
  • “The Archer” (Lover) – A vulnerable song about insecurities in a relationship.
  • “You’re Losing Me” (Vault track, 2023) – Allegedly about their breakup.

Matty Healy (2023)

Songs Inspired by Him:

  • No confirmed songs yet, but speculation suggests “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” (The Tortured Poets Department) could be about him.

Travis Kelce (2023 – Present)

No known songs yet, but fans speculate future music may reference their romance.


About Daniel Nkado

Daniel Nkado is a Nigerian writer and social researcher whose work examines Black identity, racism, institutional inequality, social power and belonging. He is the founder of DNB Stories Africa. Read more about Daniel, including his research methodology and full biography, here.

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