Taylor Swift and Her BFF's BF Release Song Probably About Harry Styles
Lena Dunham's best friend released her new song tonight—co-written with Dunham's boyfriend The Other Guy From That Band—and, for anyone out there who has drawn a sprawling map of Taylor Swift's relationships on their bedroom walls, it's the one everyone thinks is written about Harry Styles.
It's called "Out of the Woods," and you can buy it on iTunes or stream it here via a Taylor fan Tumblr. The connection to Styles, who Swift dated—probably!—off-and-on in 2012, was first made by Rolling Stone's Josh Eells in the magazine's recent cover story.
Of all the songs on the album that seem to be about Styles, the most intriguing one is "Out of the Woods." Co-written by Antonoff, it's a frantic tale of a relationship where, Swift says, "every day was a struggle. Forget making plans for life – we were just trying to make it to next week." The most interesting part comes when Swift sings, "Remember when you hit the brakes too soon/Twenty stitches in a hospital room." She says it was inspired by a snowmobile ride with an ex who lost control and wrecked it so badly that she saw her life flash before her eyes. Both of them had to go to the ER, although Swift wasn't hurt. She corrects herself: "Not as hurt."
The Antonoff referred to in that story is Jack Antonoff, Dunham's boy who is also the face of the band Bleachers and the co-face of fun. Where Swift's "Shake It Off" signaled her launch into full-on pop by completely making over her sound to slot comfortably next to pop radio staples like Macklemore and Jason Derulo, "Out of the Woods" feels like an organic outgrowth of the seeds Swift planted on her last album Red. Antonoff's new wave influences are clear in the tone of the song's dramatic sweep, but structurally it resembles Red's stadium rock stompers "State of Grace" and "Holy Ground."
Swift's 1989 is out on October 27, and it's already rendered the events of an entire year irrelevant.
[image via Getty]