Taylor Swift has a message for the haters on her new song ‘Cleveland!’

Singer released four new songs as part of a deluxe edition of her 2025 album

Author of the article:

Washington Post

Emily Yahr, The Washington Post

Published Sep 25, 2026  •  Last updated 5 minutes ago  •  3 minute read

Taylor Swift. Photo by TAS Rights Management

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Taylor Swift has returned to many of the same themes in her songwriting throughout her 20-year career, from enduring love to brutal breakups to the toxicity of fame. And even as she has ascended to become one of the most powerful stars in the world, Swift can never resist one of her favourite topics: sending a message to her haters.

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In 2010’s “Mean,” she called out a music critic for his harsh commentary and labeled him a pathetic loser. In 2014’s “Shake It Off,” she waved away the haters who are always gonna hate. In 2017’s “Look What You Made Me Do,” she mocked the negative comments about her on the internet. In 2019’s “I Forgot That You Existed,” she triumphed over a nemesis. In 2024’s “But Daddy I Love Him,” she skewered “wine moms” who judge her relationships.

The list goes on, and Friday, Swift added a new track to the canon. She released four new songs as part of a deluxe edition of her 2025 album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” which shattered records last fall when it sold 4 million copies in its first week. The song in question is called, of all things, “Cleveland!”

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When the extended track list dropped this week, the title caught people’s attention. If it wasn’t a “30 Rock” reference (after all, everyone wants to flee to the Cleve), the song obviously had to be about Swift’s new husband, Travis Kelce, who grew up in Cleveland Heights. Kelce recently purchased a $5.35 million lakefront mansion that’s a short drive away from his old neighborhood. Plus, when Swift appeared on Kelce’s podcast last year, she referred to him as a “human exclamation point.”

Kelce indeed gets some shout-outs, though not before Swift starts the track – co-written with her longtime collaborators Max Martin and Shellback – by ticking off a list of critiques that are frequently leveled at her online: About her physical appearance; her limited dancing ability; how she’s not a “girl’s girl” who supports other women; and her style choices. (“With all of that money, why’s she dressed like trash?” Swift sings.)

In the chorus, however, Swift declares that none of that nasty commentary matters – because she found her soulmate who likes her just the way she is: “He already took me to Cleveland and showed me the Heights,” she taunts. “So hate all you like, this is the love of my life.”

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Swift lists a few more criticisms in the second verse and how her man ignores them (“Must not have read that scathing take about how I’m fake”), culminating with a spoken word bridge. “You only need to find one person in this entire world who doesn’t find you completely insufferable,” Swift says. “And I have an important announcement to make … I found mine!” Later, she adds, “Now I’m wearing white!”

As early reaction from fans streamed in, “Cleveland!” was instantly divisive, which could inspire Swift’s future hater-themed lyrics.

Although “Cleveland!” will receive plenty of attention, Swift poured even more resources into another deluxe album song, “Patient Zero.” She recently teased that a “Patient Zero” music video, starring Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell, will debut Sunday during the MTV Video Music Awards.

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