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Taylor Swift Dropped a Very Gay New Song & Queer Girls Want Answers
In "betty," Swift sings about wanting to kiss a girl!
Surprise! A new Taylor Swift era is upon on us! The international superstar dropped her new album folklore last night with less than 24 hours of warning, and fans already have it trending globally on social media.
But it's one song in particular, "betty," that many LGBTQ+ folks have some questions about.
One the album's 14th track, Swift addresses a girl named Betty. "Betty, I won't make assumptions/About why you switched your homeroom, but/I think it's 'cause of me," she sings. "Will you love me?/Will you kiss me on the porch/In front of all your stupid friends?/If you kiss me, will it be just like I dreamed it?"
So is Swift singing about kissing girls? Cue the gay screams.
"Taylor, you tryna tell us something?" asked one fan on Twitter. "Whomst is Betty?" yelled prolific queer writer Jill Gutowitz. Autostraddle even called it "an aching, lonely, pining, sorrowful, huge queer mess of emotions that sounds gay and feels gay."
So what is the truth?
None— Anubhab/Cyain (They/Them) (@Anubhab/Cyain (They/Them)) 1595567033
\u201ci\u2019m sorry but betty, that\u2019s it, thats the tweet\u201d— tahlia (@tahlia) 1595601959
None— nien (@nien) 1596072131
\u201ctaylor swift after she finished writing betty\u201d— stella \u30df\u2606 (@stella \u30df\u2606) 1595606536
\u201cJust finished listening to betty\u201d— Andrew? (@Andrew?) 1595601958
\u201cWHOMST IS BETTY\nBRING ME BETTY\nEXPLAIN TO ME BETTY\u201d— Jill Gutowitz (@Jill Gutowitz) 1595567241
\u201cdoes she...... yknow..... listen to betty?\u201d— nezzie \u2728 #TSmidnights (@nezzie \u2728 #TSmidnights) 1595607063
\u201cBETTY?? TAYLOR WHAT IS THIS?? #folklore\u201d— \ud83d\udc8b (@\ud83d\udc8b) 1595566976
\u201cme and the rest of the tl after listening to betty- taylor swift\u201d— jorah (@jorah) 1595568236
\u201chttps://t.co/nfYqtE0eGn\u201d— Jill Gutowitz (@Jill Gutowitz) 1595606242
\u201chey guys! taylor\u2019s management here. the song \u201cbetty\u201d is not about a girl. it is about a boy named bettenson, \u201cbetty\u201d for short. sorry for the confusion! XO\u201d— Ms. Grace Kuhlenschmidt (@Ms. Grace Kuhlenschmidt) 1595610132
\u201ctaylor swift writing betty\u201d— Laura Peterson hourly updates (@Laura Peterson hourly updates) 1595565687
\u201cif taylor says betty is from a man\u2019s perspective mass report her\u201d— nis (@nis) 1595567493
\u201cthe B in LGBT stands for Betty by Taylor Swift (2020)\u201d— ashley (@ashley) 1595571048
\u201cthe B in LGBT stands for Betty by Taylor Swift (2020)\u201d— ashley (@ashley) 1595571048
\u201cbetty threw the first brick at stonewall\u201d— T. Kyle \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@T. Kyle \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1595567553
So is it gay or nah? It's hard to say.
On her VEVO channel, Swift says "betty" is a part of a three-song series she refers to as the "Teenage Love Triangle" that "explore a love triangle from all 3 people's perspectives at different times in their lives."
Fans believe "betty" is a part of that triangle and the track is from the point of view of someone named James. Since that's a typically male name, many Swifties believe it's from a boy's perspective.
But according to People, the three names mentioned in the track are all names of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynold's daughters. If the three involved are all fictional versions of the Reynolds girls, one Swifite points out that this could still be a "sapphic lovestory."
\u201cpovs:\ncardigan - betty\naugust - the other girl\nbetty - james \n\nfyi james & inez are the names of blake lively & ryan reynolds\u2019 DAUGHTERS... \n\nTO CONCLUDE THE TEENAGE LOVE TRIANGLE IS A SAPPHIC LOVESTORY EXACTLY\ud83d\ude0c\ud83d\ude0c\ud83d\ude0c #folklore\u201d— jada (@jada) 1595573101
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
