Anyone who follows celebrities and pop culture will know that Taylor Swift has been in her fair share of public relationships over the years. Several of them have even been the inspiration for some really catchy songs, either about their relationship or about their breakup.
Some of these relationships have lasted longer (and been way more public) than others, but whenever she starts up a new relationship or her current one ends, it’s hard to avoid hearing about it in the news. Each time she releases a new song, her fans scramble to dissect the lyrics and try to figure out exactly who the pop princess is singing about.
Even though these relationships have spawned songs that we just can’t help but sing along to, we have to admit that some of them have been a lot cuter and more memorable than others. We totally miss Taylor with some of her exes, but there are others that we’ve basically forgotten she ever dated.
12Zac Efron: February 2012 – March 2012 (Supposedly)
Whether or not these two really dated while promoting The Lorax back in 2012 is up for debate. Many sources close to this famous pair report that the two of them fell for each other while working to promote the animated film, going on to have a short-lived relationship.
The two of them denied being more than friends. They even performed a parody of “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People on Ellen, in reference to these rumors. If they did date, it definitely didn’t leave a mark on Taylor’s music or in our memories.
11Lucas Till: March 2009 – April 2009
Back when Taylor Swift was still a country star with curly hair, she had us all singing along to the super catchy song “You Belong With Me.” Anyone who jammed to this song in the car or sang along in the shower will likely remember that her love interest in the music video was played by Lucas Till!
Apparently, the two of them fell for each other on set, but their relationship only lasted about a month before they decided they were better off as friends.
10Cory Monteith: April 2010 – May 2010
Not every relationship that Taylor has been in has been a huge deal or lasted a particularly long time. Her rumored relationship with former Glee star Cory Monteith is only said to have lasted about a month back in 2010.
Yes, this relationship barely had a chance to get started before it ended, but that doesn’t change the fact that she supposedly wrote a song about it. Many people claim her song Mine was her way of imagining their future together.
9Cory Kennedy: July 2012 – October 2012
Even though 2012 was less than 10 years ago, it seems like it was decades ago now. Long enough that many of us have totally forgotten about some of the relationships that inspired songs on Swift’s album Red.
One of her songs, “Begin Again,” is said to be about Cory Kennedy, grandson of a famous politician. The song details how different he is from her exes, but the two still split after only a summer. This relationship was cute while it was happening but just not that memorable.
8Taylor Lautner: August 2009 – December 2009
Taylor began dating the Twilight star (her Valentine’s Day co-star) in August of 2009. Even though their relationship didn’t last very long, many fans believe that it was the inspiration for her song “Back to December.”
Although many songs focus on what her other half did to lead to their split, this song is an apology from Taylor for breaking up with him one December night. This relationship wasn’t particularly long-lasting or high-profile, but their movie together and this song definitely bumped its rank up.
7John Mayer: December 2009 – February 2010
At nineteen, Taylor dated John Mayer, who was over a dozen years her senior! This relationship only lasted a few months before things clearly went sour. Considering the fact that both halves of this infamous relationship are in the music industry, it wasn’t a shock when they each released songs that detailed their feelings on the breakup.
For Taylor, it was “Dear John,” a song about Mayer playing with her heart. For John, the song was “Paper Doll,” which supposedly criticized Taylor for being too sensitive. Harsh!
6Jake Gyllenhaal: October 2010 – January 2011
On Taylor’s album Red, there are quite a few songs that are easy to relate to for anyone who is going through, or has been through, a tough breakup. This is probably a result of their real-life inspirations.
Taylor dated actor Jake Gyllenhaal for the fall and winter of 2010 and 2011, a relationship said to have inspired some songs. Fans believe that “The Last Time,” “All Too Well” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” are about him. This relationship may not have ended well, but it gave us some unforgettable songs.
5Tom Hiddleston: June 2016 – September 2016
Of all of Taylor’s relationships, her summer fling with Tom Hiddleston was probably the strangest. The two of them were seen together shortly after her breakup with Calvin Harris, which started a hugely public relationship between the two of them.
They spent a super romantic weekend with other coupled up friends. Tom was even spotted on the beach wearing a shirt that proclaimed his love for the singer, something that Taylor parodied in her video for “Look What You Made Me Do.” Although this relationship was unusual, it got too much attention not to be high on this list.
4Harry Styles: December 2012 – January 2013
Unlike some of Taylor’s other relationships, former One Direction member Harry Styles got songs written about him that actually weren’t all that mean. Even though their relationship only lasted a couple months –something one of her songs references– they’re really not as scathing as the songs other exes got.
“Style” is one song said to be about Harry, because his last name appearS in the title. This song is all about how classic their relationship is, even if things don’t always go right. Meanwhile, “Out of the Woods” details the fact their relationship was under too much pressure and Taylor felt that it wouldn’t last, but that she enjoyed their time together anyway.
3Calvin Harris: February 2015 – June 2016
Lasting about a year and a half, Taylor’s relationship with fellow musician Calvin Harris was among her longest-lasting. The two of them were all over social media and seemed totally adorable, baking together and spending holidays together. How could it go wrong?
The two of them split and things got messy after Taylor moved on to actor Tom Hiddleston. Calvin confirmed she secretly helped him write a song under the pseudonym Nils Sjoberg. When the video for “Look What You Made Me Do” was released, it showed Taylor climbing out of Nils Sjoberg’s grave.
2Joe Jonas: July 2008 – October 2008
Even though Taylor Swift and Joe Jonas broke up over 10 years ago, it’s hard to forget about this relationship! Their breakup was a cold phone call that Taylor claims only lasted 27 seconds, but their relationship and breakup still spawned several songs.
Among them are “Forever and Always,” “Last Kiss,” “Holy Ground” and “Better Than Revenge,” the latter being written about Camilla Belle, the actress Joe dated after his split from Taylor. Despite being over for a decade, Taylor’s relationship with Joe is still one that’s hard to move past.
1Joe Alwyn: Late 2016 – Present
Nobody’s entirely sure when Taylor started dating her current beau, Joe Alwyn. What we do know is that the two of them were reported to be official in May 2017, but had are said to have been dating for a while before that.
Unlike Taylor’s previous relationships, her romance with Joe is really private. Fans are anxiously awaiting Taylor’s new music, which many of them believe will be all about how strong the couple are. Even though this relationship is quiet, not at all what we’re used to from Taylor, this definitely seems like a good thing.
