With the release of Taylor Swift’s latest re-record 1989 (Taylor’s Verson), it’s time to pay homage to the album’s main inspiration: Harry Styles.
Swift, 33, and Styles, 29, had a whirlwind, two-month romance at the end of 2012. The singers reportedly met at an awards show earlier that year. They had a highly-publicized second date at the Central Park Zoo in New York City, but broke up the following month after a supposed fight during a vacation
While the relationship was brief, it was clearly impactful as Swfit’s songs “Out of the Woods” and the appropriately titled “Style” are inspired by their romance. (There’s an argument that “I Wish You Would,” “I Know Places” and “All You Had to Do Was Stay” also had something to do with the former One Direction singer.) But, unlike previous hit albums Red and Speak Now, there was no song on 1989 bashing an ex.
“Different phases of your life have different levels of deep, traumatizing heartbreak,” Swift told Rolling Stone ahead of 1989’s release. “And in this period of my life, my heart was not irreparably broken. So it’s not as boy-centric of an album, because my life hasn’t been boy-centric.”
Still, it must be said that Styles was the perfect subject for Swift’s album that ended up being her splashy transition from country to pop. Take a look back at their relationship.
September 2012
Styles and Swift perform at MTV’s Video Music Awards. Was this the start of their connection?
November 2012
Dating rumors begin as Swift — who recently split from Connor Kennedy — and Styles show PDA during rehearsals for The X Factor. The Dunkirk star made a surprise appearance to watch Swift rehearse “State of Grace,” off Red.
“He was smiling at her while she rehearsed. When she was done he jumped up on stage, picked her up, put her over his shoulder and carried her off stage,” an onlooker tells People. “The whole crew was really surprised.”
Host Mario Lopez gives more scoop on the sighting as he explains he was surprised when Styles slapped him on the back during the rehearsal.
“I said, ‘What are you doing here,'” Lopez recalls. “And he sort of [pointed] toward Taylor.” Lopez adds he later saw the two “hand-in-hand.”
December 2012
Styles and Swift are captured by the paparazzi at New York City’s Central Park Zoo. The former boy bander later reveals this was only their second date. Although they spent the holidays apart, they were together most of the month as they are spotted on dates in England and Park City, Utah. They ring in the New Year with a kiss in New York.
January 2013
It’s over. Swift and Styles are spotted in the British Virgin Islands — but their trip is cut short after a reported blowout fight. The Daily Mail captures pictures of Swift leaving the vacation alone on a boat.
“They were on holiday and had an almighty row. They are two young stars at the top of their game so who knows what will happen in the future,” a source claims. People soon confirms the news.
September 2014
As she gears up for the release of 1989, Swift tells Rolling Stone that she and Styles are friends — but plays coy about the specifics of their romance. As for one of the songs we know he definitely inspired, “Style,” Swift jokes: “We should have just called it ‘I’m Not Even Sorry.'”
Then there’s “Out of the Woods,” which Swift says is about a relationship in which “every day was a struggle. Forget making plans for life — we were just trying to make it to next week.”
As for some of the lyrics (“Remember when you hit the brakes too soon/Twenty stitches in a hospital room”), Swift reveals it was about a snowmobile ride with an ex who lost control and wrecked it so badly that they landed in the ER.
October 2014
Swift releases 1989 — and it’s a smashing success. The album sold 1.287 million copies in its first week — the largest sales week for an album in over a decade — and spent 11 weeks at No. 1. 1989 is still the biggest-ever pure sales week of Swift’s career, per Billboard.
December 2014
Looks like the exes really are friends. The stars hang out together at the 2014 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show afterparty.
October 2015
Two can play the songwriting game. One Direction releases “Perfect,” and fans speculate it might be about Swift as Styles co-wrote the song. (“And if you like cameras flashing every time we go out / And if you’re looking for someone / To write your breakup songs about / Baby, I’m perfect / Baby, we’re perfect.)
November 2015
Styles avoids answering James Corden’s question when asked if “Perfect” is, in fact, about Swift.
April 2017
While promoting his first solo single, Styles talks about his relationship with Swift for the first time. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he reflects on their second date in Central Park as paparazzi photos went around the world.
“When I see photos from that day,” he says, “I think: Relationships are hard, at any age. And adding in that you don’t really understand exactly how it works when you’re 18, trying to navigate all that stuff didn’t make it easier. I mean, you’re a little bit awkward to begin with. You’re on a date with someone you really like. It should be that simple, right? It was a learning experience for sure. But at the heart of it — I just wanted it to be a normal date.”
He’s also asked directly about Swift’s songs “Style” and “Out of the Woods.”
“I mean, I don’t know if they’re about me or not…” he says, “but the issue is, she’s so good, they’re bloody everywhere.” He smiles. “I write from my experiences; everyone does that. I’m lucky if everything [we went through] helped create those songs. That’s what hits your heart. That’s the stuff that’s hardest to say, and it’s the stuff I talk least about. That’s the part that’s about the two people. I’m never going to tell anybody everything.”
Styles is asked if he was ever able to tell her he admired the songs.
“Yes and no,” he replies. “She doesn’t need me to tell her they’re great. They’re great songs … It’s the most amazing unspoken dialogue ever.”
Is there anything he’d want to say to Swift today?
“I don’t know,” he answers. “Certain things don’t work out. There’s a lot of things that can be right, and it’s still wrong. In writing songs about stuff like that, I like tipping a hat to the time together. You’re celebrating the fact it was powerful and made you feel something, rather than ‘this didn’t work out, and that’s bad.’ And if you run into that person, maybe it’s awkward, maybe you have to get drunk … but you shared something. Meeting someone new, sharing those experiences, it’s the best s*** ever. So thank you.”
Styles’s “Two Ghosts” off his self-titled debut album is believed to be about Swift.
May 2020
Styles praises Swift’s songwriting skills again. “I think about what it means to me to write a song about somebody else and for somebody else to do that, it’s like flattering, even if the song isn’t that flattering, you still spent time on it and ultimately, using Taylor as an example, she’s a great songwriter. So at least they’re good songs,” he shares.
March 2021
Fans go wild over Styles and Swift interacting at the Grammys — and they both walk away winners.
May 2022
Not everything comes back to Swift. While promoting his third album Harry’s House, the singer returns to Howard Stern who presses him if “Daylight” is about his ex. (Swift has a song titled “Daylight,” too.)
“You’re reading too much into it,” Styles responds. “You know I’d love to tell you that you’re spot on, but I can’t. No, sorry.”
February 2023
Swift and Styles reunite once again at the Grammy awards and their interaction is nothing but friendly.
