Taylor Swift’s DJ ex Calvin Harris wasn’t spared on her Midnights album, it seems. Swift painted a brutal picture of the end of their relationship, suggesting she did indeed leave him for another man with her “April 29” reference. Swift and Harris dated for a little over a year and had a very public relationship.
On that date: On April 29, 2016, Swift and Harris’ song “This Is What You Came For” was released, though at the time, Swift was credited under a songwriter pseudonym, adding fuel to some controversy later. As Genius users pointed out, Swift was in New York City that day, seen shopping before the Met Gala she would host three days later. At the Gala, she was spotted dancing with Tom Hiddleston, who she dated right after. The night before the Met Gala, Swift was photographed leaving a pre-gala dinner immediately after Hiddleston.
Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris in New York City on May 28, 2015.
The lyrics paint a seemingly candid picture of the state of affairs between Swift and Harris during their last days as a couple. Here, take them in with contextual annotations, and listen to the song below, too.
Lock broken
Slur spoken
Wound open
Game token
I didn’t know you were keeping count
Rain soaking
Blind hoping
You said I was freeloading
I didn’t know you were keeping countHigh infidelity
Put on your records and regret me
I bent the truth too far tonight
I was dancing around, dancing around it
High infidelity
Put on your headphones and burn my city
Your picket fence is sharp as knives
I was dancing around, dancing around it
At the time of Swift and Harris’ breakup, sources made it clear that Harris had trouble with Swift’s level of fame and bigger career—perhaps what “your picket fences is sharp as knives” references. Harris, of course, was and is an accomplished DJ, but not quite an A-list celeb like Swift.
A source close to Swift told E! that the singer had been disappointed in Harris’ lack of support of her. “[She] was really disappointed in Calvin and felt like he wasn’t there for her,” the source said. “The relationship wasn’t progressing the way she wanted it to. She felt like he wasn’t taking it seriously enough and wouldn’t come through for her when she needed him most.”
Another source told the outlet that Harris had been “bored” of her. “Adam [Harris’ real name] has been bored for a while and was hoping the spark would come back but it hasn’t,” the source said. “Friends were even surprised it lasted this long because of the lack of chemistry.” In an interview with People, a source close to Harris said that he didn’t see their relationship “leading anywhere.” A friend of Swift, meanwhile, said Harris was intimidated by Swift’s success, “[Harris] said on multiple occasions that he was intimidated by Taylor, which is why he would not attend any events where she was being honored, or any award shows unless he was nominated,” the source said, adding, “Taylor is an independent young woman, and she realizes it will take a very secure man to handle her success.”
Do you really want to know where I was April 29th?
Do I really have to chart the constellations in his eyes?
On April 29, 2016, Swift was in New York City rather than with Harris promoting their song “This Is What You Came For,” which had come out that day. It could have been an offense that Harris was “keeping count” of, although Swift, to be fair, wasn’t even known to be a songwriter at the time, and was about to host the Met Gala three days later.
While it’s unclear when exactly Swift met Hiddleston during Met Gala weekend (perhaps that night, as Swift lyrically suggests), Harris did eventually make his opinions about their romance known. Harris posted Instagram comments on June 24, 2016, about Swift moving on from him with Hiddleston, where he came off as slightly bitter. On how he felt about Hiddleston, Swift’s new boyfriend at the time, Harris wrote, “not jealous, sir, FREE.” He notably agreed with one fan’s comment that “for all we know Taylor broke up with him to be with another man and that is quite upsetting. I would be hurt by that too. He’s not being mean. He deserves to feel free while he’s single and not feel jealous.” He responded, “You’re the only smart one at this point.” The theory that Swift left Harris for Hiddleston may just be confirmed in her lyrics above.
Storm coming
Good husband
Bad omen
Dragged my feet right down the aisle
At the house lonely
Good money
I’d pay, if you’d just know me
Seemed like the right thing at the timeYou know there’s many different ways that you can kill the one you love
The slowest way is never loving them enough
Do you really want to know where I was April 29th?
Do I really have to tell you how he brought me back to life?
Harris was bored in the relationship (“The slowest way is never loving them enough”), as sources said above. People reported that he ended it. The breakup “wasn’t a shock” for Swift, a source said, noting their ongoing issues. “They come from very different worlds. Taylor is used to being treated a certain way.” One more reason why it may not have been a shock for Swift? She had been looking for a way out. In Reputation’s “Getaway Car,” believed to be about Hiddleston and the Met Gala, Swift sang about this explicitly: “The ties were black, the lies were white / In shades of grey in candlelight / I wanted to leave him / I needed a reason.”
High infidelity
Put on your records and regret me
I bent the truth too far tonight
I was dancing around, dancing around itHigh infidelity
Put on your headphones and burn my city
Your picket fence is sharp as knives
I was dancing around, dancing around itDo you really want to know where I was April 29th?
Do I really have to chart the constellations in his eyes?
You know there’s many different ways that you can kill the one you love
The slowest way is never loving them enoughHigh infidelity
Put on your records and regret meeting me
I bent the truth too far tonight
I was dancing around, dancing around itHigh infidelity
Put on your headphones and burn my city
Your picket fence is sharp as knives
I was dancing around, dancing around itOh, there’s many different ways that you can kill the one you love
And it’s never enough, it’s never enoughLock broken
Slur spoken
Wound open
Game token
I didn’t know you were keeping count
Rain soaking
Blind hoping
You said I was freeloading
I didn’t know you were keeping count
But, oh, you were keeping count
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.