The Life of a Showgirl is finally here. Taylor Swift released her highly-anticipated 12th album on Oct. 3, and fans are already dissecting the lyrics for hidden meanings and references. One song in particular — “CANCELLED!” — is drawing some attention, as fans think it may allude to Swift’s friendship with actress Blake Lively. Let’s take a look at the lyrics and break down the fan theories.
Regardless of who the song might reference, one thing is for certain: Swift is describing the phenomenon of cancel culture. She opens the song with the lyrics, “You thought that it would be okay, at first / The situation could be saved, of course / But they already picked out your grave and hearse / Beware the wrath of masked crusaders.” Swift seems to be expressing her familiarity with cancel culture here, and her experience facing backlash as a public figure.
In the chorus, things heat up. Swift sings, “Good thing I like my friends cancelled / I like ‘em cloaked in Gucci and scandal / Like my whiskey sour / And poison thorny flowers / Welcome to my underworld / Where it gets quite dark / At least you know exactly who your friends are / They’re the ones with matching scars.” Swift seems to be embracing cancel culture, saying that facing backlash brings her real friends to light. She also says she’s one to stick by her friends when they’re the ones being “cancelled” — which is where the Blake Lively theory comes in. Lively faced significant backlash after she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, her It Ends With Us co-star, in December 2024. Swift, who has been friends with Lively for years, was caught in the legal fight when Baldoni filed a countersuit against Lively and mentioned Swift in his claims.
Many fans picked up on how “CANCELLED!” describes the backlash women face when being “cancelled,” which many took as a further nod to Lively. In one verse, Swift says, “Did you make a joke only a man could? / Were you just too smug for your own good?” Whether or not the song is a reference to her friendship with Lively, Swift seems to be one to stick by the friends who have stuck by her. In the bridge, she sings, “They stood by me / Before my exoneration / They believed I was innocent / So I’m not here for judgment.”
Here’s what some fans have to say about “CANCELLED!” and the Blake Lively theory.
While some fans believe “CANCELLED!” is a reference to Lively, Swift hasn’t made any statements about who it’s actually about. Swift did offer some insight into “CANCELLED!” in the Track by Track edition of The Life of a Showgirl on Amazon Music, saying, “I don’t naturally cast people aside just because other people decide they don’t like them. I make my own decisions about people based on how they treat me.” Regardless of who the song may be about, it makes a statement on friendships in the celebrity world, and how Swift’s loyalty isn’t swayed by public backlash.