Who is Taylor Swift's 'CANCELLED!' about? The scandalous lyrics explained

8 October 2025, 17:43

Is Taylor Swift's 'CANCELLED!' about Blake Lively or Brittany Mahomes? Here's what Taylor has said about the lyrics and their meaning.

Taylor Swift dropped her 12th studio album The Life of a Showgirl in October 2025 and it has certainly got people talking.

The 14-time Grammy award winner has addressed certain topics in this album in a way that she hasn't done before. For example, the explicit lyrics of 'Wood' and the brutal meaning behind the track 'Actually Romantic'.

However, the track 'CANCELLED!' has got everyone thinking about her Reputation era. And of course, Swifties have been speculating about who the song is penned about.

Taylor sings, good thing I like my friends cancelled, but what friend, or friends, is she referring to? Here's what she's said about the scandalous track.

• Read more: Taylor Swift explains what 'Father Figure' is about following Olivia Rodrigo theories

Who is Taylor Swift's song 'CANCELLED!' about?

Taylor Swift hasn't said who the song is about, but in her track-by-track breakdown on Amazon music, she said it's about how she doesn't "naturally just cast people aside just because other people decide they don't like them."

She said: "I make my own decisions about people based on how they treat me within my life and their actions."

Speaking about her own controversies, she said: "The song 'CANCELLED!' is sort of about, you know, having had my own experiences with mass judgment and being at the center of many, you know, dramatic kind of scandalous moments in my career where people were all weighing in at once, or at least it felt like that.

"Having had those experiences, it makes me move through the world a little bit differently. And when other people go through it, you kind of find yourself thinking about how they're probably going to get smarter because of this. If they can get through it, if they can be tough enough, they can actually learn some things through this process."

As Taylor hasn't specifically named any friends that the song was penned about, fans have drawn their own conclusions. Many believe it was written about Blake Lively and/or Brittany Mahomes.

Earlier this year, Taylor was brought into the drama surrounding Blake Lively and It Ends with Us co-star Justin Baldoni.

Taylor was actually subpoenaed as a witness in Blake and Justin's legal dispute over allegations such as sexual harassment and 'social manipulation' on the set of the film, which featured Taylor's song 'My Tears Ricochet'.

The subpoenae was eventually dropped but at the time their were various reports of Taylor "distancing" herself from Blake due to the scandal. But, if this song is about Blake Lively, it could be Taylor's way of saying she'd stand by her no matter what.

In particular fans think the reference to Gucci and flowers in the lyrics, Good thing I like my friends cancelled / I like 'em cloaked in Gucci and in scandal / Like my whiskey sour, and poison thorny flowers, is a nod to Blake's fashion during the It Ends with Us promo tour where the drama between her and Justin first came to light.

Others have argued that the song could be about Brittany Mahomes, the wife of NFL player Patrick Mahomes, who Taylor met when she started dating fellow NFL player Travis Kelce.

This is because, while Taylor endorsed Kamala Harris during the 2024 election, she has faced a lot of backlash for hanging around with Brittany because she is reportedly a Donald Trump supporter.

When was Taylor Swift cancelled?

In her song 'CANCELLED!', Taylor sings that she and her friends have "matching scars". This refers to past "scandalous moments" in her career.

Most notably, in 2016 she was accused of lying by Kanye West and Kim Kardashian - which she reflected on in her TTPD track 'thanK you aIMee'. In response to this cancellation, she released the album Reputation in 2017.

Taylor Swift - 'CANCELLED!' lyrics

VERSE 1

You thought that it would be okay, at first
The situation could be saved, of course
But they'd already picked out your grave and hearse
Beware the wrath of masked crusaders

PRE-CHORUS

Did you girlboss too close to the sun?
Did they catch you having far too much fun?
Come with me, when they see us, they'll ru
Something wicked this way comes

CHORUS

Good thing I like my friends cancelled
I like 'em cloaked in Gucci and in scandal
Like my whiskey sour, and poison thorny flowers
Welcome to my underworld where it gets quite dark
At least you know exactly who your friends are
They're the ones with matching scars

VERSE 2

It's easy to love you when you're popular
The optics click, everyone prospers
But one single drop, you're off the roster
"Tone-deaf and hot, let's f------- off her"

PRE-CHORUS

Did you make a joke only a man could?
Were you just too smug for your own good?
Or bring a tiny violin to a knife fight?
Baby, that all ends tonight

CHORUS

Good thing I like my friends cancelled (Cancelled)
I like 'em cloaked in Gucci and in scandal (Yeah)
Like my whiskey sour, and poison thorny flowers
(Honey) Welcome to my underworld, it'll break your heart
At least you know exactly who your friends are
They're the ones with matching scars

BRIDGE

They stood by me before my exoneration
They believed I was innocent
So I'm not here for judgment, no

VERSE 3

But if you can't be good, then just be better at it
Everyone's got bodies in the attic
Or took somebody's man, we'll take you by the hand
And soon, you'll learn the art of never getting caught

CHORUS

It's a good thing I like my friends cancelled
(You know that) I like 'em cloaked in Gucci and in scandal
I like my whiskey sour, and poison thorny flowers (Ooh)
Yeah, it's a good thing I like my friends cancelled (Cancelled)
I salute you if you're much too much to handle
Like my whiskey sour (I like it), and poison thorny flowers (I love it)
Can't you see my infamy loves company?
Now they've broken you like they've broken me
But a shattered glass is a lot more sharp
And now you know exactly who your friends are (You know who we are)
We're the ones with matching scars

Read all the latest Taylor Swift news here:

• Taylor Swift responds to 'The Life of a Showgirl' criticism
• Taylor Swift's 'The Fate of Ophelia' lyrics meaning and Travis Kelce references explained
• The devastating meaning behind Taylor Swift's Eldest Daughter lyrics explained
• Taylor Swift 'The Life of a Showgirl' tracklist song titles and meanings explained
• All of Taylor Swift's cardigans released so far including new Life of a Showgirl version

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