Gwen Stefani’s Hollaback Girl is about Courtney Love
Gwen Stefani’s 2005 single Hollaback Girl, from her debut album after the No Doubt years, was composed in response to a diss from alt-rock star and Hole lead Courtney Love, who in an interview called the former No Doubt singer a “cheerleader.”
Annoyed by this, Stefani chose to fully embrace a goofy, mainstream-friendly persona for the track, and – directly acknowledging Love’s remark – she dresses as a cheerleader in the video and leads cheerleader-esque chants in the song. It was a huge hit.
Lauryn Hill’s Ex-Factor is about Wyclef Jean
Lauryn Hill found fame alongside Wyclef Jean in acclaimed hip hop act The Fugees, and the two were also a couple for a time. Hill’s 1998 single Ex-Factor, taken from her first and to date only solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, tells the story of a painful relationship split.
Though neither party has confirmed it, it’s widely believed the song is about Jean and the acrimonious end to their creative and romantic partnership. Sadly we'll never know for sure, with Hill declaring in 2005 that future music is contingent on "[providing] information to my own children" and nothing else.
Foo Fighters’ I’ll Stick Around is about Courtney Love
Dave Grohl formed Foo Fighters and released their first album within a year of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s death. For years, Grohl denied that the song I’ll Stick Around (whose chorus angrily declares “I don’t owe you anything”) was about Cobain’s widow Courtney Love.
However, in his 2011 biography This is a Call, Grohl finally admitted it was indeed a rebuke of Love. While their feuding has calmed in recent years, it seems unlikely that either music legend will fully get past the tragedy of Cobain's passing.
Aerosmith’s Dude (Looks Like a Lady) is about Vince Neil
Aerosmith had one of their biggest hits with 1987’s Dude (Looks Like a Lady). The song originated from an encounter with Mötley Crüe, as Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler initially mistook Crüe’s singer Vince Neil for a woman. It was the style at the time!
The song was a thinly veiled satire on the androgyny of 80s rockers, although some would say it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black, with Tyler known to perform in truly outlandish costuming and makeup himself.
Mariah Carey’s Obsessed is about Eminem
According to rapper Eminem, no stranger to including his romantic encounters in his mile-a-minute beats, he and pop diva Mariah Carey were once briefly an item. When Carey denied this, Eminem proceeded to diss her in a number of raps.
It’s widely believed that Carey’s 2009 song Obsessed was in direct response to this, although Carey herself has never confirmed this, and her then-husband Nick Cannon said it’s inspired by the film Mean Girls. You couldn't get two more different sources of inspiration!
Alanis Morissette’s You Oughta Know is about Dave Coulier
Alanis Morissette’s 1995 breakthrough hit You Oughta Know is one of the angriest break-up songs ever, and is often first up in the playlist on those dark, newly-lonely nights. However, fans might be a bit taken aback to learn who is alleged to have inspired it.
Dave Coulier, the American actor and comedian famed for sitcom Full House, dated Morrissette between 1992 and 1994, when he was in his early 30s and she was in her late teens. Coulier has alternately admitted and denied his being Morissette's source of inspiration. Morissette herself refuses to say for sure!
Lenny Kravitz’s It Ain’t Over til It’s Over is about Lisa Bonet
While he’s best known for his rock, Lenny Kravitz’ 1991 breakthrough single It Ain’t Over til It’s Over was a Motown-esque soul ballad. Given what Kravitz is otherwise most famous for, it may not come as a great surprise that it was written about Lisa Bonet.
Kravitz and the Cosby Show actress were a couple at the time of the song's release. The track discusses their troubled marriage, which would end in divorce in 1993, though their daughter together, Zoë, would take up Lenny's name and Bonet's profession.
Oasis’ Cast No Shadow is about Richard Ashcroft
Britpop stars Oasis were best known for their indie rock anthems, but their hit album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? features one uncharacteristically contemplative track, Cast No Shadow, which deals with a man who feels completely unable to achieve his dreams.
Songwriter Noel Gallagher dedicated it to Richard Ashcroft of The Verve, a then-struggling British band who later enjoyed massive success with their 1997 album Urban Hymns, featuring the enormously popular lament Bitter Sweet Symphony. Sometimes, all it takes is kindness from Noel Gallagher.
Lush’s Ladykillers is about Anthony Kiedis
British indie band Lush had their biggest hit with 1996’s Ladykillers, a feminist punk song attacking male pick-up artists. The song’s second verse refers to one such man with “the muscles and the long hair," which immediately sparked speculation about a real-life inspiration.
Singer-songwriter Miki Berenyi later identified this mysterious figure as Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who has long been linked to exceedingly young women. Another part of the song makes reference to former Weezer bass player Matt Sharp.
Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain is about Warren Beatty
Singer-songwriter Carly Simon enjoyed her first major hit song in 1972 with You’re So Vain, a disgruntled diss of a self-obsessed ex. Naturally, given the song's intense, accusatory style, speculation raged for years as to who the song was really about.
Some believed it was Mick Jagger (who performs backing vocals on the track). Simon herself was content to ride the wave of mystery for a time, but eventually admitted that the song is about actor Warren Beatty, a well-known Hollywood lothario, plus another two as-yet unidentified men.
Taylor Swift’s Style is about Harry Styles
It seems that breaking up with a songwriter will always result in the demise of your relationship being documented in chords and a melody, especially if the songwriter in question is as prolific a storyteller of intimacy as Taylor Swift.
Harry Styles found this out the hard way, being the subject of both Style and the mega-hit I Knew You Were Trouble. Styles, for his part, has taken up the gauntlet and released a number of songs of his own about his prosmiscuous lifestyle.
Amy Winehouse’s Me & Mr. Jones is about Nas
Amy Winehouse and Nas were longtime friends, with Winehouse supposedly having a crush on the New York rapper. She immortalized their friendship in 2006’s Me & Mr. Jones, which does come across as more of a romantic number than a platonic one.
One of the most obvious references to Nas is the lyric about the birthday the two musicians shared, as well as namechecking a specific Slick Rick concert that Winehouse missed. According to Nas, "I heard a lot about [my part in the song] before I even heard the song."
Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide is about Lindsey Buckingham.
Fleetwood Mac’s band dynamic was always tense during their golden era of the mid-to-late 1970s, as there were two romantic relationships between four members. These relationships were falling apart, mainly due to the stresses caused by the band’s success and fame.
Stevie Nicks was writing about Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham on Landslide, which likely would have made the recording session a little awkward. Buckingham would later leave the band, return, and ultimately be fired from it, providing a definitive end to his rocky relationship with Nicks.
P. Diddy’s I Need A Girl (Part 1) is about Jennifer Lopez
It’s not often that rappers show their tender side, but that’s exactly what P. Diddy did when he wrote the lyrics to I Need A Girl (Part 1). The song centers around how much Diddy missed Jennifer Lopez after the pair broke up in 2001.
With references to J-Lo’s smile, and regrets that the pair didn’t have a child together, it seems that even the most stern-faced rappers feel emotional sometimes. I Need A Girl (Part 2) was also a hit for P. Diddy, though Lopez would end up wedding actor Ben Affleck.
Lil Kim’s Black Friday is about Nicki Minaj
In a more recent example of potent hip-hop beef, Lil Kim’s 2011 song Black Friday is a direct response to Nicki Minaj’s rage-fuelling track Roman’s Revenge, which appeared on her debut album Pink Friday. Kim suggested that Minaj gained fame by plagiarizing her image.
The cover art for Black Friday even includes a pink wig surrounded by what appears to be blood in a direct play on the rose-wigged cover of Minaj's single. However, while Roman's Revenge put Minaj on the map, Black Friday was received poorly by critics.
Little Mix’s Shout Out To My Ex is about Zayn Malik
When Zayn Malik and Perrie Edwards revealed they were dating, the universe seemed to align: clearly they thought each other had the X Factor. However, Malik would later reveal that he considered the relationship more of a publicity stunt than a genuine connection.
This cutting demolition of their relationship inspired Little Mix's huge hit Shout Out To My Ex. The end of the pair’s four-years of dating and two-year engagement sent Edwards into a meltdown, but spawned one of the biggest songs that Little Mix ever released.
Diana Ross’ Missing You is about Marvin Gaye
Legendary singers Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye were close friends, and it's arguable that it was Ross who revived Gaye's flagging career in the mid-70s. Tragically, Gaye was murdered in 1984. Gaye was killed after intervening in a fight between his parents, and was shot twice.
The song was written by Ross and Gaye’s mutual friend Lionel Richie and was based on conversations that he had had with Ross about Gaye. Missing You went on to become Diana Ross’ last major US hit, a fitting valediction to a stunning career.
Carole King’s You’ve Got A Friend is about James Taylor
Despite being recognized as the most successful singer-songwriter of the late 20th century, Carole King isn't quite the household name she deserves to be. In fact, one of Carole King’s most successful hits was written about the person who ended up recording it.
You’ve Got A Friend is a tribute to her dear friend James Taylor. The song was written by King after hearing his song Fire and Rain, which details his struggles with grief after the death of his own friend. While King recorded her own take on the song, it would be Taylor's version (not like that) that would reach the top of the Billboard charts.
OMD’s Joan of Arc is about Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc was, put quickly, a young French girl who felt called by God to war and was burned alive for that sentiment. Packing, as she did, quite a bit into her few years on this Earth, Joan of Arc has become the inspiration behind many pieces of art.
Her tales of her heroism and subsequent execution at a young age providing the perfect metaphor for defiance in the face of adversity. One such example is Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark’s 1981 hit Joan of Arc - one of the less subtle tributes to Joan of Arc, but a great tune nonetheless.
Eric Clapton’s Layla is about Pattie Boyd
In a stunning example of guitar-based wooing Eric Clapton wrote Layla for Pattie Boyd, who, at the time, was the wife of Clapton’s best friend, George Harrison. But then came what many would consider to be the ultimate act of betrayal...
Clapton played the song to Boyd, and her marriage eventually broke apart. Eric Clapton and Pattie Boyd eventually got married in 1979, before divorcing in 1989. It just goes to show that a man should never be trusted with a stringed instrument.
Outkast’s Ms. Jackson is about Erykah Badu
Outkast, the duo best known for the funky and subversive single Hey Ya!, cemented their place in pop culture with the songt Ms. Jackson. Unsubtle, it was effectively a letter from Andre 3000 to his former girlfriend Erykah Badu and her mother, detailing his regret over the way the couple’s relationship had ended.
Originally, Badu didn’t take the song well, as her relationship with Andre 3000 still had a grip on her, but came around to it. Of her mother, Badu said "Baby, she bought herself a 'Ms. Jackson' license plate. She had the mug, she had the ink pen, she had the headband, everything."
Paul McCartney’s Here Today is about John Lennon
Despite the Beatles' acrimonious split after conquering the world in the 60s, there were some signs of rapprochement. In fact, Paul McCartney had made plans to meet up with John Lennon in early 1981, but his erstwhile songwriting partner was cruelly assassinated in December 1980.
A few months after Lennon’s death, McCartney released Here Today, a touching tribute to his longtime friend and musical collaborator, reflecting on their incredible achievements together as well as the potential future friendship that had been so suddenly taken away.
John Lennon’s How Do You Sleep? is about Paul McCartney
Things weren’t always so sweet between John Lennon and Paul McCartney, with the two often taking musical digs at each other after The Beatles had split. Lennon’s How Do You Sleep? was a particularly harsh dig, far from the lyrical beauty of Lennon's earlier work.
The lyric “Those freaks was right when they said you was dead”, was a particularly cutting line. Perhaps the most awkward part about the song is the fact that George Harrison is playing the lead guitar on it, displaying a real rift in the band.
Katy Perry’s I Kissed a Girl is about Scarlett Johansson
Katy Perry’s breakthrough hit I Kissed A Girl was something of a tipping point for discussing LGBTQ issues in global pop music, even if it's taken some flak for its glib presentation. According to Perry, it was inspired by Hollywood actor Scarlett Johansson, though it isn’t based on a true meeting between the two.
Perry has revealed in an interview that the song came about from a conversation she was having with her then-boyfriend, about being willing to kiss Johansson should the opportunity arise. Fellow pop star Miley Cyrus has also claimed the song is about her.
Don McLean’s American Pie is about an entire generation of artists
Don McLean’s showpiece song American Pie references a whole generation of artists that came through following the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and Big Bopper in a plane crash. Elvis and Bob Dylan make repeated appearances, referred to as the King and the Jester respectively.
The Beatles also get a mention, and are referred to as sergeants who played a marching tune. McLean himself has remained coy about the track's 'true' meaning, quipping of the song's success that "it means I'll never have to write another song again."
Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly is about Don McLean
Don McLean wasn’t the only artist writing about other artists. The original idea for Killing Me Softly, undoubtedly an all-time classic song, was conceived by Lori Lieberman, who scribbled down some notes on the closest thing to hand: a restaurant napkin.
The moment of inspiration came while watching Don McLean perform his song Empty Chairs. That song is about the intense grief of losing a long-time partner, and is about as tender as you could get. Lieberman's notes would later be elaborated on, and Roberta Flack would make the song a hit.
The Smiths’ Frankly Mr. Shankly is about Geoff Travis
The relationship between an artist and a business is always testy. That's true enough of The Smiths’ Frankly Mr. Shankly, which amounts to an upbeat character assassination of the head of Rough Trade Records, Geoff Travis.
Morrissey mentions his displeasure with the record deal that The Smiths had signed with Rough Trade. It was also inspired by his personal dislike for Travis, as stated multiple times in his autobiography. The song ended up having the opposite effect than intended, with Travis being delighted that he had a song written about him.
Jonas Brothers’ Lovebug is about Miley Cyrus
Nick Jonas wrote the Jonas Brothers’ Lovebug about the relationship he had with fellow singer Miley Cyrus, which blossomed during the years that the two were first making their way into the industry as part of the infamous Disney pop star pipeline.
Bandmate and brother Kevin Jonas confirmed the popular rumor in the Jonas Brothers’ 2019 documentary, Chasing Happiness. As it happens, a TV spot featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the song's music video was played just after an episode of Hannah Montana.
Elton John’s Candle In The Wind is about Marilyn Monroe
Though it was later famously used in tribute to the departed Princess Diana, Elton John’s song Candle In The Wind is a not-so-subtle tribute to the beloved actress Marilyn Monroe. Bernie Taupin’s lyrics talk of how Monroe was oversexualized and not appreciated for her ability to perform.
It also touches on the loneliness she felt, despite being one of the most famous people in the world. Candle in the Wind is a a touching reflection on how one of the biggest movie stars ever succumbed to her vices, alone in a bedroom.
Bob Dylan’s The Hurricane was about Rubin Carter
Bob Dylan, now a Nobel Laureate for his lyrical abilities, has long been recognized for his storytelling prowess. Just to pick one example, Hurricane is based on the true story of how professional boxer Rubin ‘The Hurricane’ Carter was wrongfully incarcerated for murder.
It is widely believed that Carter was convicted simply for the color of his skin. Carter was eventually released from prison after spending 20 years inside. Carter's story was also adapted into a movie of the same name, with Denzel Washington in the lead.
John Mayer’s Still Feel Like Your Man is about Katy Perry
John Mayer was clearly struggling to process his 2014 split with fellow singer Katy Perry when he wrote Still Feel Like Your Man. It’s a lamenting song, documenting a man who doesn’t feel like he can move on from somebody now they’re no longer there.
Mayer has been on the other side of the fence too, with Taylor Swift’s track Dear John being about him. At least he and Perry were separated by only seven years, as opposed to his and swift's 14-year age gap.
Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here is about Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett’s struggles with substance abuse and schizophrenia led to him drifting away from his Pink Floyd bandmates and living in isolation for a large part of his life. This took its toll on the band, leaving them to write multiple songs about him.
Wish You Were Here, one of Pink Floyd's most iconic tracks, is one of those songs. Roger Waters, however, also considers the song to be about himself and the difficulties of being present in your own life as time rushes by.
Babyshambles’ Gang of Gin is about Carl Barât
Pete Doherty, for a long time, struggled to get over being fired from The Libertines because of his substance abuse. This caused him to write the song Gang of Gin about his former bandmates. It's most notably about Carl Barât.
The lyrics are far from subtle, with Doherty even going as far as to namecheck the Libertines' co-frontman. "Carl and McGee both promised me / It would not happen this way" he laments, with "McGee doing all he can to ruin my band / And keep me out the way."
John Legend’s All Of Me is about Chrissy Teigen
It may often seem as though singers only ever seem to sing about having their heartbroken, rather than actually being in love. This isn’t the case with John Legend’s All Of Me, which is an ode to his wife Chrissy Teigen. The two have been married since 2013 and have four children together.
Not only was the song an instant hit at weddings, but it even snatched the top spot on the Billboard charts from Pharrell's Happy, before ultimately being dethroned by Iggy Azalea's Fancy. Truly, 2013 was a wild time for music.
Britney Spears’ Everytime is about Justin Timberlake
Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake’s split spawned two successful songs, Spears’ Everytime and Timberlake’s Cry Me A River. Neither artist has fully confirmed the subject of either song, but the timing of the releases and references in the lyrics heavily suggest that they were about one another.
This is where music videos, long the keeper of a song's true secrets, are indispensable. Timberlake's Cry Me a River sees the singer hiding in a closet while peering out at a conspicuously blonde woman. It doesn't take a genius to realize she's a stand-in for Spears.
Ed Sheeran’s Don’t is about Ellie Goulding
Don’t by Ed Sheeran is a song that also hasn’t explicitly been revealed to be about Ellie Goulding, but the reported fling and subsequent breakup between the pair along with the timing of the song’s release leaves little evidence to suggest otherwise.
The song is about two musicians who have a romance whenever their tour schedules align, so it surely has to be about someone in the industry. Still, Sheeran is now (as of 2019) happily married to Cherry Seaborn, leaving such dalliances in the past.
Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl is about Elle Macpherson
Uptown Girl is one of Billy Joel’s classics, and it refers to Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson, whom Joel once briefly dated. The song is about a wealthy girl who falls for a working-class boy who may not be able to buy her everything she wants, but is respectable and noble because of the hard work he has put in throughout his life.
After splitting with Joel, Macpherson dated a range of fashion industry insiders and finance bigwigs. Most notably, Macpherson embarked upon a two-year relationship with discredited anti-vaccine activist Andrew Wakefield, showcasing a stunning fall from grace since her glory days of starring in 1997's Batman and Robin.
The Rolling Stones’ Brown Sugar is about Marsha Hunt
Mick Jagger was known to have dated around a lot during his earlier years as a global rockstar. One of these romances was with the singer Marsha Hunt, the subject of Brown Sugar. The term Brown Sugar does have a couple of meanings, being a slang term for a particularly strong substance.
In recent years, the Stones have elected to no longer perform Brown Sugar in live shows, owing to backlash against its obvious objectification of black women. Even as early as 1995, Jagger noted to magazine Rolling Stone: "God knows what I'm on about on that song. It's such a mishmash. All the nasty subjects in one go... I never would write that song now."
David Bowie’s The Jean Genie is about Iggy Pop
David Bowie’s The Jean Genie is a reference to the wild lifestyle led by his friend and fellow rockstar Iggy Pop. The song also touches on the recklessly crazy lifestyle led by many high-profile stars in 1970s New York City, a scene in which Bowie became intensely involved.
According to Bowie's 2005 book Moonage Daydream, the song "ultimately turned into a bit of a smorgasbord of imagined Americana ... based on an Iggy-type persona," while also describing it as his "first New York song," exemplified in lyrics such as "New York's a go-go and everything tastes right."
Selena Gomez’s The Heart Wants What It Wants is about Justin Bieber
For a short while in 2014, young fans of Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber had their hearts broken when the pair announced their separation from each other. The breakup prompted Selena Gomez to write The Heart Wants What It Wants, a pained ballad about the downfall of a very public relationship.
While the song, which features a minimal electropop beat, was relatively well received, its wears its relationship drama on its sleeve. For one thing, the title is not just a reference to American poet Emily Dickinson: it was also the sentiment uttered by Soon-Yi Previn in defence of her relationship with embattled director Woody Allen.
Justin Bieber’s Nothing Like Us is about Selena Gomez
It turns out that Selena Gomez wasn’t the only heartbroken member of her and Justin Bieber’s wilted relationship. The Canadian singer also released a song called Nothing Like Us around the same time as Gomez’s The Heart Wants What It Wants. Bieber’s song was equally as mournful.
Bieber mournfully wails that "nothing can ever, ever replace you / Nothing can make me feel like you do, yeah" and "There's nothing like us / There's nothing like you and me / Together through the storm." Bieber wed model Hailey Baldwin in 2018.
Ellie Goulding’s On My Mind is about Ed Sheeran
While it has never officially been confirmed that Ed Sheeran’s Don’t is about Ellie Goulding, the media and fan-led storm that followed Goulding after the song was released was hectic. This led Goulding to write an equally bitter retaliation song called On My Mind.
The song effectively claims that Sheeran had got the wrong end of the stick about the pair’s relationship, crooning that "I don't even really know what you intended" and "You were talkin' deep like it was mad love to you / You wanted my heart, but I just liked your tattoos." Ouch.
Beyoncé’s Blue is about Blue Ivy
Both Beyoncé and Jay-Z released songs dedicated to the birth of their first child together, Blue Ivy. Indeed, Jay-Z’s Glory demonstrated the rapper’s often-hidden sentimental side. Beyoncé’s Blue, however, even features a very young Blue Ivy on the track. She is credited as B.I.C., which stands for, you guessed it, Blue Ivy Carter.
The song even concludes with a seemingly personal exchange between mother and daughter: "Mommy, mommy, mommy / Can we see daddy? / Can we see daddy? / B, can we see daddy?" Beyoncé has also launched a successful fashion range under her daughter's name, creating quite the nest egg.
Kings of Leon’s Sex on Fire is about Lily Aldridge
The subject of Kings of Leon’s inescapable 2008 hit Sex on Fire is supposedly meant to be Lily Aldridge, the Victoria’s Secret model. Kings of Leon’s frontman and lyricist Caleb Followill had med Aldridge at Coachella festival in 2007, a year before the song was released. Shortly after the festival, the pair started dating, before getting married in 2011.
Aldridge also previously starred in the music video for another 2008 Kings of Leon hit, Use Somebody and would go on to star in the music video for 2013's temple. The pair have now been married for 12 years - pretty good going in showbiz!
Kanye West’s Bound 2 is about Kim Kardashian
Kanye West’s Bound 2 off his 2013 album Yeezus has a few references to his then, relatively new, relationship with Kim Kardashian. Lines about not remembering when they first met were the original clues, and the video that features Kardashian was the confirmation.
Ye and Kardashian's relationship would of course end in disaster, exacerbated by the rapper and producer's uncomfortably public battle with his demons. Ye has accused Kardashian of, in effect, "kidnapping" his children, and launched an abortive run for US President in 2024.
Jonas Brothers’ Wedding Bells is about Miley Cyrus
Jonas Brothers member Nick Jonas was clearly still having a hard time getting over his past relationship with singer and fellow child star Miley Cyrus, even after a few years had passed since their separation. Nick penned the song Wedding Bells in response to Cyrus’ announcement of her engagement to Hollywood actor Liam Hemsworth.
Nick Jonas would famously find love with Indian actor Priyanka Chopra, ten years his senior. For what it's worth, Jonas' songs about his relationship with Chopra have been significantly more upbeat, including Sucker ("I'm a sucker for you / Say the word and I'll go anywhere blindly") and What a Man Gotta Do.
One Direction’s Perfect is about Taylor Swift
References to midnight drives, writing breakup songs, and cameras following a certain individual, point heavily towards One Direction’s Perfect being about 1D member Harry Styles and his erstwhile paramour Taylor Swift. The timing of the song’s release and the couples’ breakup is also a major giveaway.
Perfect was released on One Direction's fifth album Made in the A.M., their last before going on hiatus (which, in practice, appears to have meant breaking up for good). Just like ABBA, songs about relationship break-ups portended a break-up in the band.
John Mayer’s Paper Doll is about Taylor Swift
John Mayer is another soldier in the army of songwriters fighting back against Taylor Swift’s breakup songs, retaliating to Dear John by writing Paper Doll. The song does contain a decent amount of bitterness, accusing Swift of having multiple personalities who keep running away from their responsibilities.
As if that wasn't enough to identify Mayer's former lover, also included are sly references to Swift's discography that notoriously diligent Swiftie sleuths are sure to have figured out. "You're like twenty-two girls in one / And none of them know what they're runnin' from" is an obvious reference to Swift's hit single (and then-age).
Timbaland’s Give It To Me is about multiple other artists
Timbaland’s track Give It To Me features vocal assistance from Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado, who both want to air their grievances about other artists. Timbaland is going for producer Scott Storch, Timberlake is jibing at either Prince or Janet Jackson, following their uncomfortable Superbowl moment.
For her part, Furtado is getting angsty about her sour relationship with Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie. The pair accused each other of ripping off the other's style, which led to an acrimonious confrontation in a nightclub. Apparently the feud is still on.
Coldplay’s Fix You is about Gwyneth Paltrow
Fix You is one of Coldplay’s most beloved songs in the eyes of their fans, mainly because of the song’s supportive sentiment and approach to someone’s grief. The subject of the song is actually frontman Chris Martin’s then-wife and Hollywood actor Gwyneth Paltrow, who was trying to cope with the death of her father.
The Martin-Paltrow partnership would become even more famous for the manner in which it ended - a "conscious uncoupling" - though the pair appear to remain on relatively good terms. For her part, Paltrow has reinvented herself as a wellness impresario.
Taylor Swift’s Delicate is about Joe Alwyn
British actor Joe Alwyn is the subject of more Taylor Swift songs than anyone else, which is no surprise considering the pair were together for around six years. One of these songs is Delicate, with fans citing the song’s music video as proof that it is indeed about Alwyn.
He appears in the music video, handing a note to Swift, which is rumored to be what he did the night they first met. The pair ultimately broke up in 2022, with Alwyn citing Swift's uncompromising touring schedule for the degradation of their relationship.
Taylor Swift’s Back to December is about Taylor Lautner
Another of Taylor Swift’s breakup songs is about Hollywood actor and professional werewolf Taylor Lautner. The two stars briefly aligned in 2009, before going their separate ways soon after. The relationship clearly hit Swift hard, as the song laments the fact they could have gone on to experience so much more together.
Looking back now, Swift must be truly brokenhearted that she and former Sharkboy Lautner weren't together when he was filming Grown Ups 2 in 2013 and, more recently, the 2022 Kevin James-fronted football comedy Home Team. She would have been too busy becoming a billionaire, anyway.
Katy Perry’s Swish Swish is about Taylor Swift
With Katy Perry’s song Swish Swish, Taylor Swift finds herself, once again, on the opposite side of a bitterly written song. Katy Perry wrote the song from an angle where she claims to be too important to be bothered by Swift’s public distaste for her personality.
It’s a very insecure song, especially for someone who is now the face of a food delivery brand. Then again, it is the song that gave us the following poignant binary: "don't lose no sleep / don't need opinions / from a shellfish or a sheep."
Rihanna’s Cold Case Love is about Chris Brown
Rihanna and Chris Brown’s relationship was heavily publicized, especially after the Barbadian singer revealed the extent of the physical abuse she suffered while the couple were together. The song focuses on the pair’s complications; themes that are expanded upon throughout the rest of her album, Rated R.
The song's lyrics are especially one the nose, with Rihanna singing "what you did to me was a crime" and "your love was breaking the law, but I needed a witness." Perhaps indicative of the severity of the allegations, Brown has not made a 'diss' track in response.
Miley Cyrus’ 7 Things is about Nick Jonas
The Miley Cyrus/Nick Jonas relationship once again spilled out into the studio when Miley Cyrus wrote and recorded her song 7 Things. The song highlights Cyrus’ frustrations with the relationship, forged in the Disney star pipeline, and how it could have gone differently.
On the whole, the album, 2008's Breakout, focussed more on Cyrus escaping the confines of her Disney record label, rather than addressing the then-16-year-old's romantic ventures. Ironically, the title track was a discarded Katy Perry tune, so not much of a breakout at all.
Harry Styles’ Kiwi is about Georgia Fowler
The most obvious hint that Harry Styles’ song Kiwi is about his brief relationship with the model Georgia Fowler is in the song title itself. The nickname Kiwi is given to New Zealanders, with the Oceanic country being the birthplace of Fowler.
With the song’s release coming not too long after their break up, it's not asking much to put two and two together. While the song's lyrics more generally discuss an ill-advised romance, some subtle digs are still present, such as the woman being described as possessing "a bit of" intellect.
Miley Cyrus’ Malibu is about Liam Hemsworth
Miley Cyrus’ on/off relationship with Hollywood actor Liam Hemsworth was first written about in Cyrus’ 2013 album Bangerz, which is essentially an album full of breakup songs. However, when the pair rekindled their relationship, Cyrus released Malibu, a song that talks of her relief and joy that the two were back together again.
In the aftermath of a 2018 California wildfire that burned down their home, Cyrus and Hemsworth wed. However, it wasn't to last: the pair would divorce only two years later, citing irreconcilable differences. After a slew of further relationships, it's believed Cyrus is currently single.
The Weeknd’s Call Out My Name is about Bella Hadid
The Weeknd wrote about his former girlfriend, supermodel Bella Hadid in his song Call Out My Name. There were also rumors that the song could have been about another former flame, Selena Gomez. Some rumors even had it down that the song was about both relationships.
Why spread the words out when you can condense them into one song? That fact might also help, legally speaking, given The Weeknd's famously explicit lyrics, including the self-harm referencing "I almost cut a piece of myself for your life" and the self-explanatory "You're on top, I put you on top."
Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next is about Pete Davidson
Ariana Grande didn’t hold back on announcing to the world that she was over her relationship with comedian and professional dater Pete Davidson. Thank U, Next is a very dismissive song, showing that Grande was clearly never under the impression that the relationship would last forever.
The song as a whole is a rebuke of Grande's prior relationships and celebrating the single life: "I know they say I move on too fast / But this one gon' last / 'Cause her name is Ari." Grande would go on to wed real estate agent Dalton Gomez, but they divorced in 2023.
Kanye West’s Famous is about Taylor Swift
Kanye West is not one to hold back when it comes to publically denouncing somebody. His song Famous, off of his 2016 Life of Pablo album is a pretty grim misogynistic attack on Taylor Swift, claiming that he made her famous when he infamously interrupted her acceptance speech at the 2009 VMAs.
The artist now known as Ye raps that "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex" as some kind of transactional recompense for her success. Ironically, Kanye’s career has spiraled downwards since 2016, while Taylor’s goes from strength to strength.
Bob Dylan’s Like a Rolling Stone is about Andy Warhol
Nobel Laureat Bob Dylan has always had a way with words, which makes for excellent poetic takedowns of those he feels have done wrong. While his hit single Like A Rolling Stone is primarily about the 60s artist, model, and general character Edie Sedgwick, there are also some digs at the way Andy Warhol mistreated her and led her down a dark path.
"You used to be so amused / At Napoleon in rags," he writes, presumably referring to the eccentrically-styled Warhol, "and the language that he used / Go to him he calls you, you can't refuse." Sedgwick died of a drug overdose at only 28 years of age.
John Mayer’s Your Body is a Wonderland is about Jennifer Love Hewitt
John Mayer loves to sing about women. His song Your Body is a Wonderland is about actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, whom he clearly had quite the crush on. Hewitt has acknowledged that she knows the song is about her, but has also denied that her body is, in fact, a wonderland.
Said Hewitt: "My body is far from a wonderland. My body is more like a pawnshop. There's a lot of interesting things put together, and if you look closely you'd probably be excited, but at first glance, not so much."
Kanye West’s Blame Game is about Amber Rose
Kanye West is back, and this time turning his poisonous attention toward his ex-girlfriend Amber Rose. His song Blame Game takes digs at Rose, while also going in on her then-boyfriend Wiz Khalifa, in a manner that one could only describe as bitter jealousy.
"You weren't perfect but you made life worth it," raps West. "Stick around, some real feelings might surface / Been a long time since I spoke to you in a bathroom / Gripping you up..." and the lyrics only get more explicit from there.
N.W.A.’s Message to B.A. is about Ice Cube
Ice Cube’s departure from N.W.A., the rap group that first made him famous, didn’t go down well with the other members of the group. This prompted them to write the song Message to B.A., short for Ice Cube’s real name, Benedict Arnold.
The song features a whole load of digs at poor Benedict, including that his exit from the band over division of royalties was selfish, and that he was nothing more than an Ice T wannabe. However, Cube would soon reply with his own vitriol.
Ice Cube’s No Vaseline is about N.W.A.
Following N.W.A.’s harsh digs at Ice Cube, formerly known as Benedict Arnold, in the song Message to B.A., the rapper felt he had to respond and respond he did, releasing the provocatively titled No Vaseline. No prizes for guessing the implications there.
No Vaseline attacks the remaining N.W.A. members, claiming they used to be hard and now they are just soft. The entire song denounces the group’s abilities, letting them know that Ice Cube is the most successful member. Also - this is true - he accuses them of being gay with the band's manager, Jerry Heller.
Green Day’s Holiday is about George W. Bush
In the aftermath of the September 11th attacks and the Iraq War, neo-punks Green Day didn’t pull any punches when expressing their disdain for the government on their 2004 album American Idiot. There's a reason why one of the most popular songs on the record is Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
Lead singer and songwriter Billie Joe Armstrong has admitted the uproarious track is about George W. Bush, the then-president of the United States, whom the band viewed as callous and inept. It's no coincidence that the album's cover depicts a bleeding grenade.
Leonard Cohen’s Chelsea Hotel is about Janis Joplin
Leonard Cohen’s song Chelsea Hotel touches on his brief yet powerful relationship with his fellow legendary singer Janis Joplin. Joplin at the time was staying at the Chelsea Hotel in New York, a place that had hosted legends of the music, literary and poetic world, including Bob Dylan, Jack Kerouac, and Charles Bukowski, among many others.
Cohen croons his typically sensitive lyrics - "And clenching your fist for the ones like us / Who are oppressed by the figures of beauty" - but also includes a slightly alarming description of Joplin performing illicit acts on his crown jewels.
Korn’s Mr. Rogers is about Fred Rogers
Korn’s song Mr. Rogers is a rather cynical view of the children’s TV show presented by the much-loved Fred Rogers between 1968 and 2001. The song slams Rogers for giving children the impression that the world is a great place, and not preparing them for the responsibilities of adulthood.
A rather strange take considering the man was just trying to entertain kids, but they aren't exactly wrong. "And now I realize (old man)," Korn screams in typical Korn fashion, "This child's mind you terrorized (old man) ... My childhood is gone because I loved you."
Kendrick Lamar’s Wesley’s Theory is about Wesley Snipes
Wesley’s Theory by Kendrick Lamar focuses on the actor Wesley Snipes’ imprisonment for failing to pay taxes. The song discusses the difficulty that young black men face when they become successful but have never been taught how to handle their money or their fame.
Snipes was convicted of income tax fraud in 2008 and ultimately served 28 months in federal prison. As recently as 2018, Snipes was still litigating (unsuccessfully) against the Internal Revenue Service, claiming that he had been unfairly persecuted even after offering a legal compromise.
Eagles’ James Dean is about James Dean
James Dean’s iconic status has been written about by many an artist, with his intrigue and persona vastly outliving the actor’s short life. The Eagles’ track James Dean is about the ‘live fast, die young’ mantra that Dean seemingly lived by, discussing its benefits and negatives.
"Little James Dean up on the screen / Wonderin' who he might be / Along came a Spyder and picked up a rider / Took him down the road to eternity." And then: "You were too fast to live / Too young to die, bye bye."