Fans Think This Taylor Swift Song Is About Calvin Harris, and We’re Living for This Tea

Shannon Raphael - Author
By

Mar. 22 2021, Updated 4:58 p.m. ET

Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris
Source: Getty

Even though Taylor Swift's new album is entitled "Lover," not every song is filled with romance, adoration, and kind words. While the titular song "Lover" is supposedly about her current beau, Joe Alwyn, and "ME!" is a self-love track, there are a few songs on the album that throw jabs. 

In her track, "I Forgot That You Existed," Taylor slams an unnamed person for taking up space in her mind, and for throwing shade at her. Yikes.

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Fans love guessing the subjects of every Taylor Swift song — since she never confirms who exactly they're about. Like how "Style" is about Harry Styles (she basically handed that one to us) and "I Knew You Were Trouble" is allegedly about John Mayer, so it's no surprise that they've made some guesses about who "I Forgot That You Existed" is about too.

The strongest theory is that the song is about Taylor's ex, Calvin Harris — and there are some lyrics that just about prove it.

Who is Taylor Swift singing about in "I Forgot That You Existed"? Is it Calvin Harris? Could it be Kanye West? Or is it someone else altogether? We break down all the theories below.

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Because Taylor is known for writing songs about her exes, many were surprised when seemingly none of the songs on her album "Reputation" seemed to be about Calvin Harris.

The pair broke up long before the album was released, but it was the first collection she had put out since their public split. But she had begun dating Joe Alwyn, so some assumed that she just left Calvin off because she was happy in her current relationship.

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Calvin and Taylor broke up in 2016 after over a year together. He was the first beau she was super public about, as the two stepped out in matching outfits for the paparazzi, and she posted multiple pictures of him on Instagram. 

But things turned sour fairly quickly after the breakup when Calvin released the song "This is What You Came For," which was written by Calvin and the mysterious Nils Sjöberg. It soon came out that Nils Sjöberg was a pseudonym for Taylor.

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The DJ had to confirm that Taylor was the one who wrote the song, and that she did some backup vocals too. He called her out for trying to make the news into something salacious, when he claimed the pair really wrote the song together and didn't want her collaboration efforts to ever be public. 

He took to Twitter to shame Taylor, even telling her that she should just be happy with her new boyfriend (Joe Alwyn). He ended up deleting the tweets, but the sentiments hurt Taylor.

Who is Taylor singing about in "I Forgot That You Existed"? Calvin Harris is the fan-theory frontrunner.

Taylor seems to mention Calvin's infamous tweets in "I Forgot That You Existed," with the lyrics, "lived in the shade you were throwing / 'til all of my sunshine was gone, gone, gone." 

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Shortly after Calvin tweeted about Taylor's involvement on the song, Kim Kardashian leaked the notorious phone call where Taylor seemingly approves Kanye West's "Famous" lyric that she'd previously denied approving. It was the beginning of a downward slope for her previously perfect reputation, and it sparked her subsequent album title and content.

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Source: Getty
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She also sings, "But then something happened that one magical night / I forgot that you existed / and I thought that it would kill me, but it didn't." 

Fans think that this is Taylor commenting on the fact that she never wrote a song about Calvin until this album. 

The lyrics "I forgot that you / got out some popcorn / as soon as my rep started going down, down, down" also seem to be commenting on Calvin's nasty tweets, and that he seemed to take joy in the demise of her public image. 

She also further throws shade when she sings, "Would've been right there, front row / even if nobody came to your show." It seems like Taylor is also claiming that Calvin's concerts lack attendance. 

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There are some theories that the song is really about the Kanye West drama.

While many of the song's lyrics could be related to the Kanye West drama that began in 2009, it seems unlikely because much of Taylor's "Reputation" album seemed to take it on. 

But there are rumors that "I Forgot That You Existed" was initially intended to be on the "Reputation" album, but it wasn't finished in time to make the final cut. If that's the case, then it is more likely that the song could be about Kanye and/or Kim.

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The song's possible placement on "Reputation" also helps with the Calvin Harris theory too, since any songs about him were left off. The lyrics about someone enjoying watching Taylor's downfall also don't make sense with the Kanye theory, since his role in the whole thing caused a lot of the hits to her public image. It makes more sense that Calvin would be this person, since his tweets preceded the Kimye issues.

Could it be about Karlie Kloss?

There's another theory that the song could be about Taylor's former bestie, Karlie Kloss. Though Karlie never blasted Taylor on social media, she didn't take to defending Taylor either throughout all of her issues. There has never been any confirmation as to why the former best friends are no longer on great terms, so the song could be providing some insight.

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Source: Getty

People are interpreting the "front row" lyrics to be about a Calvin Harris concert, but they could also be about a fashion show, as Karlie is a model. Taylor also was the featured singer during a Victoria's Secret fashion show that Karlie walked in, so the lyric could be referencing that as well. The loss of love in the lyrics could also be about a best friend love, and that while the two are not enemies, they just aren't in each other's lives anymore. 

Though we'll likely never know for sure who "I Forgot That You Existed" is about, there are more signs pointing to Calvin Harris than anyone else. And fans will surely be on the lookout to dissect basically every lyric off the new album. 

"Lover" by Taylor Swift is out now.

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