Every time Taylor Swift releases a new album, fans can't help but delve into the meaning of each song (and each lyric). The best song from her latest release Midnights is definitely "Anti-Hero," an incredibly catchy tune that people love making TikToks of. With lyrics like "It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me/At tea time, everybody agrees," it's hard not to sing along. And the "Anti-Hero" music video is memorable, with appearances by the hilarious Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Mike Birbiglia, and John Early.
While Taylor Swift has explained what she wrote "Anti-Hero" about, fans have their own ideas about what every line is referring to. And while of course no one but Swift will ever know what she was really thinking, these fan theories are fascinating and make a lot of sense.
Does Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero" Song Refer To Her Fanbase?
Midnights might be Taylor Swift's best album yet as the songs are fun pop hits but also deep and layered. Now that Swift is in her early 30s, she has been famous for a long time. And in every song, she always manages to capture the emotion of living in the public eye while wanting to maintain privacy and a sense of self.
In October 2022, Taylor Swift talked about "Anti-Hero" on Instagram and let her fans know what she wrote the song about.
According to Entertainment Weekly, she said, "I really don't think I've delved this far into my insecurities in this detail before. You know, I struggle a lot with the idea that my life has become unmanageably sized, and that I, you know… not to sound too dark, but, like, I struggle with the idea of not feeling like a person."
While "Anti-Hero" does paint a very detailed picture of someone who is having a tough time, some people see the lyrics differently. And they wonder if Swift wrote the song about her fanbase. They have been listening to her for years and have seen her go through a lot in her personal life.
Redditor @umm_hamzah posted on Reddit about "Anti-Hero" and started a thread called "Is anti-hero about…. us?" The fan wrote, "This song is such a bop! But I was just thinking about the lyrics and wondering if it may be about Tay and her fans? For example, 'I wake up screaming from dreaming/One day I'll watch as you're leaving/And life will lose all its meaning', may be about losing her fan base and support? At 32 I don’t think a man could be the centre of the universe for her to the point where life would lose all meaning if he left."
Redditor @Sn1038 agreed that this could be the meaning behind the song. They wrote that the lyrics "monster on a hill, too big to hang out slowly lurching toward your favorite city" might refer to how "she wants to hang out and be friends with her fans but her level of fame won’t allow her to do that."
Another Redditor shared that the song is "about her career. She does talk about touring and fears of losing fans."
These interpretations definitely make sense. Taylor Swift has always been a singer who cares deeply about her fans. And now that she has released countless albums and toured around the world multiple times, she's likely thinking carefully about what the next phase of her career looks like. She might be hoping that her fans will continue to support her in the coming years. And, of course, it's very likely that they will.
Is Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero" About The Infamous Kanye/Kim Phone Call?
Taylor Swift fans definitely remember that a few years, Kanye West released his song "Famous" which referenced Swift. Shortly after, Kim Kardashian explained that West and Swift talked on the phone. Swift was aware that he was including a song lyric that mentioned her.
According to People, the phone call's transcript came out in 2020. Swift said to West during the phone call, “Did you say that? Well, what am I going to do about it? It’s just kind of, like, whatever at this point. But I mean, you gotta tell the story the way it happened to you and the way that you’ve experienced it."
One fan suggested on Reddit that it's possible that Taylor Swift's song "Anti-Hero" is about this big moment in pop culture history.
Redditor @cinemkr said that the "at teatime, everyone agrees" lyric could be "a dig/reference to a story about the Kardasians ripping on Taylor while having tea around the time Kanye recorded and edited those phone calls with her. Apparently, there is even an Instagram photo of them all at the actual tea. So i think it is a reference to her insecurity about others talking about her behind her back. All the Kardasians and Kanye agree - she’s the problem."
If this is true, it would definitely add some drama to the already catchy and interesting "Anti-Hero" song. Swift often mentions her extreme level of fame in her songs. And fans wonder if her song "Bad Blood" is about her feud with Katy Perry, so it wouldn't be strange for Swift to reference another celebrity in a song.
Could Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero" Be About Joe Alywn?
After Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn announced their break-up in April 2023, fans began wondering if they could see any references to the split in her Midnights album. And some fans think that "Anti-Hero" is about Alwyn.
Redditor @AssortedGourds thinks that when Swift wrote "One day I'll watch as you're leaving/And life will lose all its meaning," she was worried about Alwyn breaking up with her. If this is the case, it's really sad, especially knowing that they have gone their separate ways after six years together.
The fan wrote "It would be really tough to lose a life partner when you're in her situation." The fan also suggested that if Swift is interested in starting a family, Swift could have been wondering what life would be like without Alwyn if they split up
A source explained to Us Weekly in August 2020 that “Taylor and Joe have discussed children." But, of course, no one but Swift knows what she is thinking.
No matter what Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero" is about, it's one of her most fun and dramatic songs yet. And there's no doubt that her fans will continue to listen to it for many years to come.
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