Taylor Swift names 'Swifties' trait she finds "a little bit weird" - including claims lyrics contain hidden messages

Pop icon Taylor Swift - famed for being loyal to her fans - has caused a stir after naming one trait of 'Swifties' she finds "a little bit weird". The star has told the New York Times she feels fans going to "extreme" lengths to analyse her songs can get “a little bit weird” - including claiming her ditties contain hidden messages or meanings.

She said she has to “hold tight” to her perception of her music, as her fanbase often overanalyses aspects of her songs and turns them into a “paternity test”. The 36-year-old said: “There’s corners of my fan base who are going to take things to a really extreme place. There’s nothing I can do about that. There’s people who are gonna try to do detective work, figure out the details – who is that about? What is this?”

The Cruel Summer songstress added: “When it gets a little bit weird, for me, is when people act like it’s sort of like a paternity test – like this song’s about that person, because I’m like, ‘that dude didn’t write the song, I did’.

“But that’s part of it. You have to hold tight to your perception of your art, your art, and your relationship with it. Then you just kind of have to be like, there it goes, I hope you like it. If you don’t now I hope you do in five years and, if you never do, then I was doing it for me anyway.”

Swift also reflected on how criticism has been a “huge fuel” during her career, and said: “It’s been a huge jumping off point, like a creative writing prompt or something.”

The star has endured criticism throughout her decades-long career for having several high-profile ex-boyfriends, including Matty Healy, Harry Styles, Tom Hiddleston, Calvin Harris and Jake Gyllenhaal. She has also faced accusations that she only writes songs about her previous romantic partners, a notion which she has previously challenged by pointing out the double standard with male artists who do the same.

Swift said: “There are so many songs in my career that would not exist, like Blank Space would not exist if I hadn’t had people being like, ‘here’s a slideshow of all her boyfriends’. Then Anti Hero is a song that I’m so proud of still – that song doesn’t exist if I don’t get criticised for every aspect of my personality that people have a problem with or whatever.”

The pop star added: “When I sit down with new artists or songwriters I’m like, ‘why are you reading your comments?’ Like, that’s too much of it, you’re inundating yourself with too much criticism that doesn’t really have a focus.

“But, I think a little bit of it, you’ve got to just be like ‘this is part of it’. Don’t make this make you stop writing, or make you edit yourself, or whatever. If it’s an interesting point for you to kind of respond to, then that’s a gift for you to be able to write something. Don’t respond to like trolls in your comments. That’s not what we want from you. We want your art.”