Taylor Swift’s ‘Mad Woman’: Demi Lovato and Everyone Else the ‘Folklore’ Track Could Be About
Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift’s eighth album, Folklore, is here. As fans choose favorite songs, they dissect the lyrics to determine who the Grammy-winner is referring to. On “Mad Woman,” Swift sings about being driven to anger. Is it autobiographical? Here’s what Swifties think.
Kanye West
Rapper Kanye West, who Swift has been feuding with for years, is a popular choice. One Twitter user wrote, “Taylor has been attacked, labeled, and gaslit her entire career. Righteous anger from a man is praised, but anything but acceptance or silence from women is condemned.”
They continued, “Case in point — folks taking Kanye & Kim’s side against Taylor even when it was [obviously] a set-up.” They’re referring to the leaked phone call between Swift and West, which his wife, Kim Kardashian West, played a role in. Speaking of her, Swift refers to a man cheating. Fans took that to mean that she believes West has had affairs.
Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta
Also cited is Scooter Braun. The singer has taken issue with the manager for years, while he’s supported West and another client, Justin Bieber, as they tear down Swift. But only in the last year has their feud gone public, after he gained control of her master recordings.
The notable lyrics (via Genius) here are: “‘Cause you took everything from me/Watching you climb, watching you climb/Over people like me.” When Swift came out against Braun, his wife, Yael Cohen, defended him on Twitter. So she could be talking about her when she sings, “It’s obvious that wanting me dead/Has really brought you two together.”
Justin Bieber
Another person who Swift might think wants her dead? Braun’s client, Bieber. Swift’s relationship with Bieber has been shaky at best, even during the days he was dating her friend, Selena Gomez, and he’s made fun of her (sometimes with Braun) on several occasions.
In a thread, one Twitter user details where Swift refers to Bieber and Braun. The lyrics, “What do you sing on your drive home?” could refer to when they sang her song “Teardrops on My Guitar.” Also recalled is how Bieber once tricked Swift into thinking they set someone’s yacht on fire on Punk’d. Thus the line, “My cannons all firin’ at your yacht.”
Karlie Kloss
Guess who else spends time on yachts? Swift’s (possibly former) friend, Karlie Kloss. For years, the singer and the model were close, and Kloss was among those in Swift’s “girl squad” who starred in the “Bad Blood” music video. Some fans even had a theory they were dating, giving them the ship name “Kaylor.”
But Kloss is now managed by Braun. She’s also married to Joshua Kushner, brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Swift has made her feelings about the president known, which could have affected their relationship.
Demi Lovato
Rumors about Swift and singer Demi Lovato have circulated for a decade, since the time the latter told a fan to “Ask Taylor” when questioned about her now ex-friend, Gomez. But the two seemingly made amends, and have been spotted together over the years (see above).
However, the second verse, where Swift sings, “And women like hunting witches too/Doing your dirtiest work for you,” could be about Lovato, too. After all, she signed with Braun and defended him in 2019, calling him “a good man.”
Rebekah Harness
Swift was clear that Folklore is, in part, a fictional narrative. However, she sings about at least one real person: Rebekah Harness. On “The Last Great American Dynasty,” she recounts the story of one of the wealthiest women in American history, whose Rhode Island home Swift purchased years ago.
Like Rebekah, the narrator in “Mad Woman” has been scorned. Swift even uses the same language on the track, singing, “There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen/She had a marvelous time ruining everything.” Perhaps she’s the “mad woman,” not Swift.
