Taylor Swift revealed in a new interview with the New York Times Magazine that she wrote her hit 2008 song “Love Story” when she clashed with her parents, Scott and Andrea Swift, over an older man.
“I think the first time I felt like I don’t care if people hate this because I love it so much was when I wrote the song ‘Love Story’ when I was 17, sitting in my bedroom, mad at my parents because they wouldn’t let me go on a date.”
“With a guy who was too old, so I shouldn’t have been on a date with him anyway,” Swift added, then joking, “And this is why you need to discipline your kids, because they might write songs that go No. 1.”
Swift has been romantically linked to several men older than her throughout her numerous high-profile flings, including Jake Gyllenhaal, John Mayer and Tom Hiddleston.
Now she is engaged to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who is just about two months older than her.
Swift is featured by the NYT as one of the 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters, which also features talents like Dolly Parton, Carole King, Mariah Carey and more.
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During her interview, Swift opened up about writing songs from the age of 12 and the creative process that resulted in some of her biggest hit songs.
The now 36-year-old pop star also reflected on some of her favorite works that her fans didn’t fully embrace in the moment but eventually came around to.
“I learned you can’t ever really tell if other people are going to like it. But oftentimes, when I love it to a certain degree, that kind of tends to match up with people,” she said, admitting that other times “it doesn’t match up with the way people feel” until years later.
“I loved the ‘Reputation’ album,” she said of her 2017 album. “I was like, ‘You guys say what you want. I know what I did, I love it, like, go with God, sorry. Like, you can come around if you want. It’s OK if you don’t.’”
Swift then said, “And then, you know, six or seven years later, people are like, ‘Oh, my God.’”
The Grammy winner then pointed to the track “…Ready for It,” the second single released from “Reputation.”
“People slept on that song,” she said. “When we were making that song, I just remember, like, I wanted to headbang myself through a wall.”
