Taylor Swift's New Album Sparks Viral Cultural References Debate

Taylor Swift's 2025 album "The Life of a Showgirl" features the track "Cancelled!", which incorporates the phrase "Did you girl-boss too close to the sun?", a line popularized by conservative commentator Candace Owens in relation to the Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively legal saga. Owens claims Swift directly quoted her podcast, where she discussed the ongoing case and predicted it would be remembered by that phrase, though Owens acknowledged she did not originally coin it. The song has sparked fan speculation about which of Swift's friends it references, with Brittany Mahomes and Blake Lively being primary subjects due to recent controversies and legal battles. Lively is involved in a lawsuit against Baldoni, who allegedly orchestrated a smear campaign against her, and Swift has been asked to submit text messages with Lively as part of the case. Owens has expressed amusement and pride at the lyric's inclusion, seeing it as a recognition of her commentary. The album also contains other provocative references, such as a potential nod to a viral Ariana Grande fan tweet in the song "Wood," highlighting Swift's blend of personal and cultural commentary.