Fans Muse Over Taylor Swift's Clapback Over Kanye West Name-Drop in Her New Song

Taylor Swift’s fans, affectionately known as Swifties, are buzzing with speculation that the pop star has subtly responded to Kanye West after she and her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce, were mentioned on West’s album, Vultures 2. The song in question, Lifestyle (Demo), features a verse by Lil Wayne that seems to reference Swift and Kelce, stirring up memories of the long-standing feud between Swift and West. In Lifestyle (Demo), Lil Wayne raps, “I twist my Taylor spliffs tight at the end like Travis Kelce.” The clever wordplay alludes to Swift’s first name and Kelce’s role as a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. This reference comes just months after West name-dropped Swift on his Vultures 1 track, Carnival, where he boasted about his influence over her career.

As per Page Six, Swift’s fans have always been vigilant, and they didn’t miss the potential jab. During her Eras Tour stop in Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday, Swift took to the stage wearing a T-shirt that read ‘I Bet You Think About Me,’ a notable choice given the recent events. This particular shirt, previously worn during her performances, seemed to take on new significance in light of West’s latest lyrical mention. The song is from Swift’s 2021 album Red (Taylor’s Version) is widely believed to touch on her tumultuous relationship with West, adding fuel to the fan theories.

The tension between Swift and West dates back to the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, where West infamously interrupted Swift’s acceptance speech for Best Female Video. West declared,  "Yo, Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'ma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!" Swift later shared, "I was standing on stage and I was really excited because I'd just won the award and then I was really excited because Kanye West was on stage … And then I wasn't excited anymore after that." However, a while after, she revealed,  "Kanye did call me and he was very sincere in his apology, and I accepted that apology. The support I got from other artists and from the fans, and so many people sticking up for me, that's what got me to the place where I could accept that apology. And I'm just very thankful that everyone showed me so much love."

As per Mirror, the rivalry intensified in 2016 when West released Famous, a track in which he claimed to have made Swift famous, a line that Swift ferociously denied approving. The lyrics were like, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / I made that bitch famous.” In an interview, she said, “I moved to a foreign country. I didn’t leave a rental house for a year. I was afraid to get on phone calls. I pushed away most people in my life because I didn’t trust anyone anymore. I went down really, really hard.” 

Despite brief moments of reconciliation, such as Swift presenting West with the MTV Video Vanguard Award in 2015 and other subsequent exchanges, the release of Famous reopened old wounds. During her Grammys acceptance speech, she asserted, "As the first woman to win Album of the Year at the Grammys twice. I want to say to all the young women out there, there are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame.”