Taylor Swift Has Released "This Love (Taylor's Version)" but Who Is the Song About?

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Published May 6 2022, 11:12 a.m. ET

Taylor Swift
Source: Getty Images

Multi-talented Grammy-winning artist Taylor Swift has kept fans in suspense, waiting for the rerelease of her next album. While many fans played tug-of-war speculating which of her classic albums would be the next rerelease, Taylor herself seemed to confirm one way or another with the surprise arrival of her single "This Love (Taylor's Version)."

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"This Love (Taylor's Version)" is from the "1989" album, but who did she write the song about? Here's everything we know.

Taylor Swift attends the 'Cats' premiere.
Source: Getty Images
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Who did Taylor Swift write "This Love" about?

Per Vulture, in 2014, when Taylor's "1989" album and "This Love" were first released, every song had a hidden message in the liner notes in true Taylor fashion. She had previously revealed that "This Love" was the first song she wrote for "1989" shortly after she was finished with the "Red" album. The hidden message in the liner notes reads, "Timing is a funny thing," and the lyrics hint at a relationship where one party returns to the other.

The lyrics of "This Love" also hint at a loss that comes back around: "High tide came and brought you in / And I could go on and on, on and on, and I will / Skies grew darker / Currents swept you out again / And you were just gone and gone, gone and gone," Taylor sings in the first verse.

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Taylor Swift.
Source: Getty Images

By the chorus, it's obvious that the themes of the song refer to a reunion: "This love is good / This love is bad / This love is alive back from the dead, oh, oh, oh / These hands had to let it go free, and / This love came back to me."

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As many fans have already deduced, the "1989" album is largely about Taylor's four-month relationship with fellow musician and ex–One Direction member Harry Styles, so it would be a safe guess to say "This Love" is about Harry. As Vulture also points out, the themes and hidden liner notes for "1989" were all complete sentences for the first time, and all revolved more or less around one romantic relationship rather than more than one.

Taylor Swift and Harry Styles.
Source: Getty Images
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"This Love" could easily be about the period of time in late 2012 when Taylor and Harry weren't touring and briefly reconciled. Of course, the fan speculation about their relationship has never been confirmed, although Taylor certainly makes the hints more obvious in this album than previous albums, especially after naming one of her songs "Style."

Fans are excited that "1989" is getting the rerelease treatment, and there has even been speculation that Harry Styles will be featured on a Vault Track this time around, especially after the internet noticed them talking at the 63rd Grammy Awards. Swifties will have to keep streaming "This Love" until they find out!

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