Taylor's New Song Feels Like A Return To Folklore With An Intricate Story

Swifties are getting all the feels from Taylor Swift’s new track. The singer recently debuted a collaborative song with Big Red Machine — the side project helmed by Aaron Dessner of The National and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. So if you’re wondering what’s in Taylor Swift’s “Renegade” song lyrics, here’s what the song is about.

“Renegade” dropped on Thursday, July 1, and it’s the latest single leading up to Big Red Machine’s new album, How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?, which is set to drop on Aug. 27. Swift collaborated with Dessner and Vernon for her hit album Folklore, so fans already know when the three creators get together, it’s a win. “Renegade” takes on a toxic relationship, lyrically and stylistically sounding like a Swift-owned track.

Fans are also bringing up an interesting comparison to Swift’s song “Mirrorball” from Folklore, and they think it might be a continuation track.

The first verse begins with the lines:

I tapped on your window on your darkest night / The shape of you was jagged and weak / There was nowhere for me to stay, but I stayed anyway / And if I would’ve known how many pieces you had crumbled into / I might have let them lay

From there, the chorus led by Swift and Vernon opens up into an up-tempo beat fueled with sad, hopeful lyrics:

Are you really gonna talk about timing in times like these? / And let all your damage damage me / And carry your baggage up my street / And make me your future history, it’s time / You've come a long way; open the blinds, let me see your face / You wouldn’t be the first renegade to need somebody / Is it insensitive for me to say, “Get your sh*t together so I can love you?” / Is it really your anxiety that stops you from giving me everything? / Or do you just not want to?

The second verse echoes the first verse, repeating the first few lines before adding to the story:

I tapped on your window on your darkest night / The shape of you was jagged and weak / There was nowhere for me to stay, but I stayed anyway / You fire off missiles ’cause you hate yourself / But do you know you’re demolishing me? / And then you squeeze my hand as I’m about to leave

The line “And then you squeeze my hand as I’m about to leave” is very similar to the line in her 2017 track “New Year’s Day” when Swift croons, “You squeeze my hands three times in the back of the taxi.”

After the chorus repeats, Swift sings a bridge that echoes back to the verses:

And if I would’ve known / How sharp the pieces were you’d crumbled into / I might’ve let them lay

Then, the song goes through a circular pattern, repeating the chorus, and shifting to an outro which repeats certain lines as it fades out.

You can listen to the full track below and get the vibes for yourself:

Fans are drawing similarities to “Mirrorball” because of the imagery of broken pieces and the overall vibes of the track:

Whether or not “Renegade” is related to “Mirrorball” is unclear, but Swifties can add yet another track to their playlist that’s full of so many emotions.