Updated: Oct 3, 2025, 11:22 a.m. ET (8:22 a.m. PT)
What happened — why “ruin the friendship taylor swift lyrics” blew up
Searches for “ruin the friendship taylor swift lyrics” are exploding across America after social posts claimed Taylor has a secret track aimed at a friend — and that a mysterious song called “Cancelled” ties in too. We checked the receipts: “Ruin the Friendship” is not a Taylor Swift song. It’s a 2017 Demi Lovato track. And there’s no official Taylor song titled “Cancelled.” [[source:Billboard — Demi Lovato’s ‘Ruin the Friendship’ background https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/demi-lovato-ruin-the-friendship-lyrics-meaning-nick-jonas-7972057/]] [[source:People — Demi Lovato song context https://people.com/music/demi-lovato-ruin-the-friendship-nick-jonas/]] [[source:Taylor Swift official discography https://www.taylorswift.com/music/]]
Why fans are losing it
Two things collided: viral lyric cards on TikTok/X and old pop gossip. The phrase “ruin the friendship” sounds Swiftian — confessional, a little dangerous — so the internet ran with it. But catalog checks and music-rights databases show zero Taylor authorship here. As of today, her official releases and credited works don’t include a track called “Ruin the Friendship” or “Cancelled.” [[source:Spotify — Taylor Swift discography https://open.spotify.com/artist/06HL4z0CvFAxyc27GXpf02]] [[source:BMI Repertoire — Taylor Swift writer credits search https://repertoire.bmi.com/]]
Meanwhile, the rumor mill tried to drag in a “Jeff Lang” and even suggest “Cancelled” targets a celeb friend. There’s no credible reporting linking a person named Jeff Lang to Swift’s songwriting, and no reputable outlet has confirmed a Taylor track called “Cancelled.” If it doesn’t show on official albums, streaming, or performance-rights databases, it isn’t out — and likely isn’t real. [[source:BMI Repertoire — search verification https://repertoire.bmi.com/]] [[source:Taylor Swift official discography https://www.taylorswift.com/music/]]
Why it matters to you
In the U.S. today, fandom moves at meme speed. A single out-of-context lyric screenshot can morph into a full-blown narrative in hours. That can smear reputations, fuel stan wars, and waste your time. If you care about facts — or just don’t want to get duped by AI-styled lyric cards — verifying before sharing is the move. It keeps your feed clean and your group chats drama-proof. [[source:NPR — Misinformation and music fandom trends https://www.npr.org/]]
It’s also a wallet issue: fake “leaks” push people toward shady links and scammy merch drops. If you wouldn’t enter your credit card on a random site, don’t trust a random lyric JPG either. Stick to official artist pages, label announcements, and respected music media. [[source:Rolling Stone — Guide to TTPD and verified releases https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-guide-1234987263/]]
Context and background: what’s real in the Taylor canon
Here’s the grounded stuff. Taylor’s most recent studio era is The Tortured Poets Department (and The Anthology), which arrived with a confirmed track list — no “Cancelled,” no “Ruin the Friendship.” The albums addressed reported real-life chapters via songs like So Long, London, But Daddy I Love Him, loml, and thanK you aIMee, among others. Those are verifiable on streaming and in liner notes. [[source:AP — Swift’s TTPD release and themes https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-album-2024-04-19]] [[source:NYT — Review and track context https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/19/arts/music/taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-review.html]] [[source:Spotify — TTPD track list https://open.spotify.com/album/1Mo4aZ8pdj6L1jx8zSwJnt]]
As for “Ruin the Friendship,” that’s Demi Lovato’s song off 2017’s Tell Me You Love Me. Fans once speculated it referenced Nick Jonas, but Taylor isn’t involved. Mixing up pop divas happens when lyric cards lose their captions — but here the paper trail is clean. [[source:Billboard — Demi Lovato track coverage https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/demi-lovato-ruin-the-friendship-lyrics-meaning-nick-jonas-7972057/]] [[source:People — Demi Lovato’s song background https://people.com/music/demi-lovato-ruin-the-friendship-nick-jonas/]]
And the Blake Lively angle? Taylor and Blake have a long, very public friendship — red carpets, NYC dinners, and NFL box seats with Ryan Reynolds. No reputable outlet has reported a Taylor diss track aimed at Blake. If you’ve seen claims that “Cancelled” is about Lively, that’s a fan theory without receipts. [[source:People — Taylor Swift & Blake Lively friendship timeline https://people.com/music/taylor-swift-blake-lively-friendship-timeline/]]
H2: Yes, the primary keyword — ruin the friendship taylor swift lyrics
If you landed here searching “ruin the friendship taylor swift lyrics,” here’s your TL;DR: those lyrics belong to Demi Lovato. Taylor has never released a song by that name, and major music-rights databases don’t list it under her authorship. Save yourself the scroll-trap and go straight to official sources before sharing. [[source:Taylor Swift official discography https://www.taylorswift.com/music/]] [[source:BMI Repertoire — Taylor Swift search https://repertoire.bmi.com/]]
The bigger picture: how fake lyric cards go viral
Today’s rumor formula is basic but potent: screenshot a “lyric,” slap it on a moody background, crop out the context, and add a juicy caption. Toss in a name — any name — and boom: trending. The problem? Lyrics stripped from source look legitimate, especially when AI fonts and album aesthetics are mimicked. That’s how we end up with a Demi Lovato line tagged as Taylor Swift. [[source:NPR — Social platforms and misinformation dynamics https://www.npr.org/]]
Quick ways to self-check:
- Search the phrase in quotes on trusted lyrics sites and compare credits.
- Cross-check the alleged song on Spotify/Apple Music and the artist’s official site.
- Look for listings in BMI/ASCAP databases for writer credits.
- See if a reputable outlet (AP, Billboard, Variety, Rolling Stone) reported it.
Want a deeper dive on spotting fakes? We made a starter guide here: best-online-certifications and a quick checklist here: ai-detect-guide.
Key takeaways
- “Ruin the Friendship” isn’t a Taylor Swift song — it’s Demi Lovato’s. [[source:Billboard https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/demi-lovato-ruin-the-friendship-lyrics-meaning-nick-jonas-7972057/]]
- No official Taylor track titled “Cancelled” exists on her discography. [[source:TaylorSwift.com https://www.taylorswift.com/music/]]
- Rights databases show no Taylor authorship for those titles. [[source:BMI Repertoire https://repertoire.bmi.com/]]
- Rumors linking “Jeff Lang” or Blake Lively lack credible reporting. [[source:People https://people.com/music/taylor-swift-blake-lively-friendship-timeline/]]
- Verify lyric claims via official pages and top-tier outlets before sharing.
Pros and cons of chasing “leaked” lyrics
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Fun speculation, community buzz | High risk of misinformation and reputational harm |
Discover new fan theories | Scams, phishing, or piracy links |
Encourages lyric analysis | Wastes time on fake content; fuels stan wars |
What to watch next
- Oct 2025: Monitor Taylor Nation channels and official site for any surprise drops or soundtrack features. No announcements include a song called “Cancelled.” [[source:TaylorSwift.com https://www.taylorswift.com/]]
- Ongoing: Rights databases (BMI) update regularly; if a new Taylor work is registered, it will appear there with proper credits. [[source:BMI Repertoire https://repertoire.bmi.com/]]
- Upcoming awards cycle (late 2025): If Taylor performs or teases unreleased lyrics at major shows, reputable outlets will report it fast. Stick to AP, Billboard, Variety, or Rolling Stone. [[source:AP https://apnews.com/]] [[source:Variety https://variety.com/t/music/]]
How we verified this (and why 6–12 hour sources)
We scanned major U.S. outlets for fresh pieces within the last 4 hours and found no new reporting on “Ruin the Friendship” tied to Swift. Because this is a real-time rumor, we expanded to authoritative discographies and previously established reporting (Billboard, People, AP, NYT) to verify what’s actually in Taylor’s catalog. That’s the gold standard when rumors fly faster than newsroom updates. [[source:Billboard https://www.billboard.com/]] [[source:AP https://apnews.com/]] [[source:NYT https://www.nytimes.com/]]
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