Fans Furious As Taylor Swift’s Alcohol Problem Takes Dark Turn

Country-turned-pop icon Taylor Swift, usually lauded for her heartfelt lyrics and relatable themes, is facing a different kind of music from her fans. Swift, who has increasingly woven narratives of late-night parties and drinks into her songs, has caused some concern and even criticism following recent candidness about her struggles with alcohol.

In her latest gut-punch of a single, “Fortnight,” Swift delivered a raw confession set to melody: “I was supposed to be sent away, but they forgot to get me/ I was a functioning alcoholic.” It’s not just her words that have fans reeling; recent images of the singer, glass in hand at various high-profile events and private moments alike, underline a narrative far removed from the Swift once known for her squeaky-clean image.

[Verse 1: Taylor Swift]

I was supposed to be sent away
But they forgot to come and get me
I was a functioning alcoholic
‘Til nobody noticed my new aesthetic
All of this to say I hope you’re okay
But you’re the reason
And no one here’s to blame
But what about your quiet treason?

From casual outings in New York with friends to sun-soaked beaches and star-studded events, the singer has been consistently pictured with a drink in hand. At a glamorous Grammy after-party, she was seen savoring every drop of her beverage. Similarly, during a lively NFL game, Swift cheered from the stands, beer in tow, as boyfriend Travis Kelce played on the field.

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Swift’s lyrics across her last seven albums mentioning alcohol suggests a deeper relationship with drinking than previously understood. The connection has only been magnified by her recent, more public acknowledgments of her drinking habits, leaving fans and critics wrestling with the implications. Swift has referenced alcohol in various ways across her discography:

• “Blank Space” – From her 2014 album 1989, she sings, “I can make the bad guys good for a weekend,” implying a short-lived, intoxicating romance, often under the influence of drinks.
• “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” – In this track from Reputation (2017), Swift refers to a party scene, singing about “jumping to the pool from the balcony” and everyone swimming in a champagne sea.
• “Death By A Thousand Cuts” – From her 2019 album Lover, this song features the line, “I get drunk, but it’s not enough ’cause the morning comes and you’re not my baby.”

The DailyMail wrote:

Meanwhile last month she and Kelce were pictured enjoying a romantic getaway in the Bahamas. They were photographed cooling down in the sea, plastic cups in hand and lounging on the beach with each moving occasionally to fix cocktails from a makeshift bar that boasted bottles of liquor set up for them in the sand alongside a cooler full of sodas, mixers and beers.

By her own admission, Swift is a girl heavily under the influence right now, at least when it comes to Kelce. In The Alchemy, the song on TTPD dedicated to him, Swift writes, ‘This happens once every few lifetimes/These chemicals hit me like white wine.’

So perhaps if this relaxed, fun version of Swift is drunk on anything right now it’s love.

Her journey, marked by an undercurrent of her battles with alcohol, took a notable turn as Swift prepared for her Eras Tour. She admitted to halting her drinking to maintain peak physical and vocal condition—a move paralleled by an intense training regimen that her trainer likened to that of a “frat guy.”

With the exception of Grammy night—which she described as “hilarious”—she had also stopped drinking. “Doing that show with a hangover,” she told TIME in December, “I didn’t want to know that world.”