Studying Time: 3 minutes
A brand new Taylor Swift album is upon us, which signifies that followers are as soon as once more eagerly dissecting the lyrics looking for hidden disses and coded confessions.
A number of the most obsessed-over traces are featured in “Father Figure,” the music that — as Swifties accurately guessed when the monitor listing was launched final month — options an interpolation of the George Michael music by the identical identify.
As normal, Taylor’s sights appear squarely aimed toward her haters — however there’s some debate over precisely which enemies she’s focusing on this time.
Taylor Swift performs on stage through the “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at Wembley Stadium on August 15, 2024 in London, England. (Picture by Kate Inexperienced/Getty Pictures)
‘Father Figure’ appears to be Taylor’s approach of lashing out at a number of foes
The music sees Taylor spinning a yarn about an formidable younger singer and the mentor who winds up exploiting her.
“Your thoughtless ambition sparked the ignition / On foolish decisions, which led to misguided visions / That to fulfill your dreams, you had to get rid of me,” Swift sings.
So the obvious targets listed here are Scooter Braun, who infamously bought the rights to Taylor’s music, and Scott Borchetta, the previous head of Large Machine Data, who minimize the take care of Braun.
“This empire belongs to me,” Taylor sings in a later verse, seemingly celebrating the truth that she’s lastly managed to purchase her masters again.
A show with unique version merchandise for Taylor Swift’s new album, “Life of a Showgirl” is seen at Goal on October 02, 2025 in New York Metropolis. (Picture by Valerie Terranova/Getty Pictures)
So case closed, proper? Properly, there could be extra to the story right here.
How does Olivia Rodrigo issue into the ‘Father Figure’ narrative?
It’s been extensively rumored that Rodrigo vented her frustration towards Swift — whom she’d as soon as considered a mentor — on her 2023 music “Vampire.”
So when Taylor addressed an adoring protege and sang, “You remind me of a younger me” on “Father Figure,” it’s not shocking that many followers jumped to the conclusion that she was referring to Olivia.
Olivia Rodrigo attends The Drop: Olivia Rodrigo at The GRAMMY Museum on October 03, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Picture by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Pictures for The Recording Academy)
“I showed you all the tricks of the trade / All I asked for is your loyalty, my dear protégé,” Swift sings on the monitor, later including, “I saw a change in you / My dear boy / They don’t make loyalty like they used to.”
Maybe in a second of self-reflection, Taylor noticed the similarity between the 2 conditions.
Or possibly followers are as soon as once more delving a lot too deep into Taylor’s lyrics.
