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Taylor Swift Calls Fan 'Paternity Test' Song Theories 'Weird' in New York Times Interview

She pairs a new origin story for 'Elizabeth Taylor' with advice to turn criticism into art.

Overview

  • Swift, in a New York Times video interview published Tuesday as part of its 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters feature, said it gets “a little bit weird” when fans treat her songs like a “paternity test.”
  • She said criticism has been “a huge fuel” for her writing, citing how public digs helped spark hits like Blank Space and Anti-Hero.
  • She urged new artists not to read or reply to online comments and to use sharp critiques as prompts to write songs instead of posting Notes‑app statements.
  • She revealed that Elizabeth Taylor began after a drive with fiancé Travis Kelce, when a melody about the screen icon’s violet eyes came to her and she rushed to record it.
  • She added that listeners will interpret her work once it is released, while pushing back on detective work that assigns songs to exes, a pattern long amplified by fans and media.