Who Is Taylor Swift’s "Cornelia Street" Really About? Let's Figure It Out

Not knowing is the kind of heartbreak time could never mend.

What’s your favourite song off Taylor Swift’s Lover? For many first-time listeners, it’s a toss-up between "The Man" and "Cruel Summer".

But for the galaxy-brained of us, or those who’ve played Lover on enough of a loop to get sick of those early bangers, a more lasting favourite has emerged.

It’s "Cornelia Street" of course.

Strategically positioned at the halfway mark of her 18-track album, "Cornelia Street" follows the saccharine singalong "Paper Rings", a song widely believed to be about her BF Joe Alwyn. In fact, much of the album is believed to be about Joe, including the explicit shout-out "London Boy".

But something about the timeline and the story told on "Cornelia Street", an ode to the NY rental she shared with a special someone, just doesn’t line-up with her three-year romance with Alwyn.

And, as with basically everything even vaguely related to Swift, it has sent the conspiracy theorists into overdrive. (After all, this is the same artist some people believe travels by hiding inside a giant suitcase, is regularly accused of faking relationships for PR, and may be a satanic clone from the ‘80s).

So, who is really the subject of Lover’s emotional centrepiece? Let’s line up the suspects!

But first, the key lyrics:

We were in the backseat
Drunk on something stronger than the drinks in the bar
"I rent a place on Cornelia Street"
I say casually in the car

Joe Alwyn

As a 2016 Curbed article outlines, Taylor started renting out the huge penthouse apartment on Cornelia Street in June of 2016 while waiting for renovations to finish on her Tribeca penthouse. Though initially listed for $USD49,500 a month, Swift managed to get it for a relative steal, paying a measly $USD39,500 per month.

Now, we don’t know exactly when Taylor met Joe Alwyn, but Cosmopolitan suggests it could have been around the time of the Met Gala in May of 2016. That would place their courtship at the time of her renting out the place on Cornelia Street. Reinforcing this is an earlier lyric from Lover’s title track, when she says, "I’ve loved you three summers now," presumably at Joe.

There’s just one problem.

Tom Hiddleston

If "Hiddleswift" was indeed a thing (and it may not have been), it took place between May of 2016 (when Swift and Tom Hiddleston were spotted dancing at that very same Met Gala) to September of 2016. And, rather awkwardly, that period is basically the entirety of the American summer.

Now, it could be that when she’s referring to "three summers" with Joe Alwyn, she means 2017, 2018 and 2019. After all, her relationship with Alwyn only went public in May of 2017, though they were apparently dating "for a while" when the news broke. Regardless, that might rule out Alwyn here, seeing as she moved out of the Cornelia Street place in early 2017. Plus, the tense of Swift’s lyrics (she says "I rent"—as in, currently rents) and her mention of "autumn air" places us between September and November of 2016.

However, we just can’t accept that "Cornelia Street", an ode to a relationship so profoundly powerful she couldn’t bear to walk that very street again if it ever ended, is for maybe-boyfriend-of-four-months Hiddleston.

So, who does that leave?

Karlie Kloss

Though neither has confirmed it, there’s plenty of speculation—and evidence—that Swift and former Squad-mate Karlie Kloss are no longer friends, having fallen out for unknown reasons.

However, during the summer of 2016, they were the best of buds, with Kloss at Swift’s infamous Fourth of July party (though Swift has removed all evidence from Instagram).

There are also snaps of Kloss sneaking in to visit Taylor on Cornelia Street in September 2016 too.

Prior to 2016, Kloss actually had a dedicated room in Swift’s Tribeca home. It’s even rumoured that Kloss’ decision to host a party at the Tribeca place without Swift’s permission is what ultimately splintered them.

Therefore, Kloss seems like a decent guess for the subject of "Cornelia Street". Except, if they’ve been so close for so long, the song’s sensation of "new" love (or the fact that Swift has to explain to this person that she’s got a place on Cornelia Street) doesn’t super suit Kloss either.

It’s about no one specifically?

Okay, now for the boring theory.

Swift told radio host Elvis Duran that "Cornelia Street" is about "the things that took place and the memories that took place on that street… all the nostalgia".

As an artist, she doesn’t necessarily need to remain entirely factually accurate when writing about her feelings. It could simply be that this song is a conflation of different loves, relationships and experiences, which she ties to a summer spent at this particular penthouse.

Or… maybe it’s about someone else entirely.

There’s only one thing we know for certain:

Header Image: Republic