Throwback: When Harry Styles Said It Was 'Flattering' Taylor Swift Wrote Songs About Him

Harry Styles showed a surprisingly mature stance on his exes drawing inspiration from their past relationship for their music. In 2020, Styles praised Taylor Swift's songwriting prowess

Published on Aug 08, 2024  |  04:57 PM IST |  125.2K
YouTube/Harry Styles and Taylor Swift
Harry Styles and Taylor Swift (YouTube/Harry Styles and Taylor Swift)

It was 2020 and that’s been a whole seven years since Harry Styles and Taylor Swift ended their relationship. But when asked about the songs Swift wrote for him, Styles said that those were “flattering.” He detailed what he thought of Swift writing songs for him. 

In a March 2020 interview with Howard Stern, Harry Styles was nothing but praise for Taylor Swift's songs that were written for him per fans. He added that Out of the Woods and Style were some great songs, so he wouldn't mind. The few months from late 2012 through to early 2013 that their relationship lasted seemed to have managed to make an overwhelming impact on her musical life.


Styles holds a positive view of exes penning songs about him, provided it doesn't cause distress to the subject of the song. He remarked, “I think about what it means to me to write a song about somebody else, and for somebody else to do that, it’s like flattering," even if the song isn’t that flattering, one can still spend time on it and ultimately, using Taylor as an example, she’s a great songwriter. So at least they’re good songs. This remark shared via E! and Just Jared, highlights his appreciation for the creative process, even when the songs might not cast him in the best light.

He admitted that the only time he questions the personal nature of a song is when considering the potential annoyance it might cause to the other person involved. He concluded, "The only time you really think, 'is this song too personal?' is if you think about, 'is this going to be really annoying for the other person?' Because I do ".

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In the same interview, Styles also spoke about his current relationship status, revealing he is single, before confessing he wants to get married one day. He said, "it's definitely what I would like to do."

Of course, as one might remember, it was rumored Swift and Styles' short-lived 2012 affair inspired a few of the tunes from that album, which were all about him. Songs like Out of the Woods, Style, and I Knew You Were Trouble are always referenced as flashbacks of them together. For some time now, fans have been speculating about references to Styles in Swift's songs, particularly those lines that point an obvious finger at him. Indeed, Swift sings in one song about a man who is "younger than [her] exes but he act like such a man so," which fans think refers to Styles. 


A more obvious reference comes in a song that goes, "Wonder how many girls he had loved and left haunted/But if he's a ghost then I can be a phantom." The line was interpreted as an apparent nod to Styles' song Two Ghosts.

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When asked in a Rolling Stone interview whether he knew of any Swift songs about him, Styles insisted that he didn't, expressing his gratitude if their experiences contributed to her music. He commented, "I'm lucky if everything [we went through] helped create those songs. That's what hits your heart. That's the stuff that's hardest to say, and it's the stuff I talk least about."

Currently, Taylor Swift is in a relationship with Travis Kelce. Meanwhile, it was reported in May this year that Harry Styles had ended his relationship with model and actress Taylor Russell.

ALSO READ: Taylor Swift's Friend Reveals Truth About Her Relationship With Harry Styles; KNOW More

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