Taylor Swift Holds Many Grudges in New Song “Cleveland!”

Taylor Swift’s Encore Edition of 2025’s The Life Of A Showgirl features four new tracks. In the second of the new set, “Cleveland!”, Swift’s husband, Travis Kelce, shows her where he grew up. It’s a tender glimpse of Kelce’s childhood. But Swift carries many grudges as the newlyweds visit Ohio.

Behind the Lyrics

Swift opens “Cleveland!” by quoting her haters.

She’s not as hot as she was, but she was only a four,
She was never a girl’s girl; she was just a—.
And with all of that money, why’s she dressed like trash?
When she smiles, it’s annoying, and have you seen her…

They attack her in personal terms, and the fact that Swift is keeping a list shows us that even the world’s biggest pop star isn’t immune to the sting of insults.

Stumbling clumsily,
Would you even call that dancing?
I can see what you mean,
And now I guess there’s…

But it’s okay; Kelce likes what he likes, and that’s all that matters. He takes her to his hometown, and “Cleveland!” morphs from a spiteful song into a love song.

Something we all can agree on,
But my baby likes what he likes.
He already took me to Cleveland,
And showed me The Heights, so hate all you like,
This is the love of my life, hey, hey, hey.

An Acquired Taste

Not so fast. While poor Kelce is showing Swift his childhood home, she’s busy keeping one eye on the internet trolls. Her tone here is bitter and seems at odds with the message of fulfillment.

The taste of me is acquired, but it’s his favorite dish,
He says I look like an angel; they say, “I hate that—” (Bi—).
There, that house with the porch is where he lived as a kid,
He’s been saying forever; must not have read that.

Perhaps Swift is still trying to figure out how to navigate romantic bliss. Her hits often document failed relationships. In a previous era, she directed her ire toward bad exes. Now, it appears, she’s aiming at strangers on the internet.

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