Taylor Swift has opened up about the intense scrutiny her fans apply to her music, likening their detective work to a "paternity test." In a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times, the 36-year-old singer discussed the balance between appreciating her fanbase and feeling uncomfortable when they dissect every lyric for personal references.
"There's corners of my fanbase who are gonna take things to a really extreme place," Swift explained. "When it gets a little bit weird for me is when people act like it's a paternity test. 'This song's about that person.' Because I'm like, 'That dude didn't write the song, I did.'"
Despite the occasional unease, Swift says she channels criticism and speculation into her art. She credits negative feedback as the inspiration behind hits like "Blank Space" and "Anti-Hero." "Criticism has been a huge fuel for me," she noted. "'Blank Space' would not exist if I hadn't had people be like, 'Here's a slideshow of all her boyfriends.'"
Swift, who got engaged to NFL star Travis Kelce last August, also spoke about maintaining ownership of her creative vision. "You have to hold tight to your perception of your art and your relationship with it. And then you kind of have to [blow it away]. There it goes. Hope you like it. And if you don't now, hope you do in five years, and if you never do, then I was doing it for me anyway."