Taylor Swift and Brendon Urie's 'ME!' Song Lyrics Show How Far She's Come in Her Relationship With Joe Alwyn

From ELLE

Finally, after literal weeks of teasing, Taylor Swift has dropped the first single off her seventh album, "ME!" The track, which Swift collaborated with Panic! At the Disco's Brendon Urie on, came complete with a music video full of rich imagery and a message all about self-love.

Swift explained the meaning of the song ahead of its release to Robin Roberts. "'ME!' is a song about embracing your individuality and really celebrating it, and owning it," she said. "I think that with a pop song, we have the ability to get a melody stuck in people’s heads, and I want it to be one that makes them feel better about themselves."

But it's the lyrics, penned by Swift herself, that are a clear self-love anthem and give a revealing look at Swift's own personal growth to loving herself so fiercely and having confidence of her worth in her relationship (in real life, to her boyfriend of two years, Joe Alwyn). Here, the lyrics, via Genius, with references to Swift's life explained.

Intro: Taylor Swift

Verse 1: Taylor Swift

Swift could be referring to her boyfriend Joe Alwyn here. Swift's Reputation song "Gorgeous" was believed to be about Alwyn and his arresting good looks.

As Genius fans pointed out, this may be a reference to Swift's infamous Reputation "Look What You Made Me Do" line, "I’m sorry, the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, cause she’s dead!"

The trouble Swift is talking about here is likely her fame and the scrutiny she gets as being someone in the public eye. Swift has talked before about the trouble with dating her. Back in a 2015 Telegraph interview, she mused that she'd be single at 30. "I'll probably still be single," she said then. "Let's be honest. No one's going to sign up for this and everything that goes with it. 'Hi, nice to meet you, want a date? Do you love camera flashes? I hope you do!'" Swift has been dating British actor Joe Alwyn for nearly two years now. She'll turn 30 in December.

Pre-Chorus: Taylor Swift

Chorus: Taylor Swift

Swift's chorus here shows her self-growth from Reputation and the belief she now has in her self-worth. In the video, her Reputation era snake literally becomes a butterfly. And lyrically, there's a huge difference between the confidence she has her in her value to her partner "I promise that you'll never find another like me-e-e" versus the doubt she had in herself in Reputation's song "Delicate." Her lyrics there show a lot more hesitancy. She opens the song, singing, "This ain't for the best / My reputation's never been worse, so / You must like me for me… / We can't make / Any promises now, can we, babe? / But you can make me a drink."

Verse 2: Brendon Urie & Taylor Swift

Swift can say this with authority: Before dating Alwyn, she had a reputation for dating various famous men (and later writing songs about them). Those boys included Harry Styles, Joe Jonas, Jake Gyllenhaal, Calvin Harris, Tom Hiddleston, and John Mayer.

Swift's "Delicate" music video was shot in the rain. The song was believed to be about Alwyn, although whether they literally had a fight in the rain or that rain was metaphorical, only they can say.

Pre-Chorus: Taylor Swift and Brendon Urie

Chorus: Brendon Urie and Taylor Swift

Bridge: Brendon Urie, Taylor Swift

Chorus: Taylor Swift and Brendon Urie

Outro: Brendon Urie, Taylor Swift

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