Taylor Swift's "Maroon" has been the subject of much debate since the release of her tenth studio album, Midnights. Fans have looked at the singer's whole back catalog to try to figure out what the song is about, but all they've found are a lot of ideas and no clear answer.
While Taylor Swift played "Maroon" from "Midnights" as the second surprise song for the fourth day of 'The Eras Tour' in Mexico City, fans were sure to think about the singer's past and use that to form their own ideas and their own interpretation of the song.
Putting the “Red” in i
Swifties says "Maroon" is a darker version of her 2012 studio album "Red." Since Red came out almost exactly ten years before Midnights, fans looked to that record for clues. They have gone through a lot of words to figure out not what the song is about but who it is about.
Theory one: Actor Jake Gyllenhaal
Some of the songs on Red, like "We Are Never Getting Back Together," "All Too Well," and the title track, are said to be about the singer's breakup with Gyllenhaal, whom she dated for three months in 2010. But Gyllenhaal is not the only one being looked at closely in "Maroon."
Theory second: Harry Style
Fans also think that Taylor's short-lived relationship with fellow pop star Harry Styles, which happened between 2012 and 2013, could be the subject of the mysterious "Maroon."
Taylor's fifth record, 1989, has a song called "Clean" that is thought to be about Styles. It is about the end of another relationship. "Clean" talks about a dress I can't wear because it's stained with wine, which many people think is a reference to the "Maroon" line: When you splashed your wine on me, it got on my t-shirt.
The chorus of "Maroon" also shows rust that grew between lines. Several fans think that could mean that they were in a long-distance relationship. Since Styles is from England, this is something they would have had to deal with during their fling.
Other theories
One crazy idea leads to John Mayer, as their short relationship in 2009 sparked a lot of Taylor's songs, but there's nothing in the lyrics that proves "Maroon" is about Mayer. Mayer is a synesthete who sees colors in music.
Tom Hiddleston, an actor and singer’s ex-boyfriend, has also been added to the list of main men. Some people say that "the one I was dancing with in New York" is the Thor star because they danced together at the Met Gala in New York City.
Undoubtedly, the lyrics of Maroon are similar to a lot of Taylor's early life, but fans must decide whether or not the song is about them.