Is Gracie Abrams' Song "Death Wish" About Taylor Swift? The Truth
Aaron Dessner, a frequent collaborator with Taylor Swift, has clarified that Gracie Abrams' 2025 song "Death Wish," which he co-wrote, is not about an alleged feud between Abrams and Swift. Dessner stated, "Definitely not."
The songwriter addressed the speculation surrounding the inspiration for "Death Wish," a track from Abrams' recently released album, Daughter From Hell. Fans had theorized the lyrics, "My love, you love your time machine, your power trips and diamond rings," and "The walls you built on teenage dreams, the well you dug for sinking things / Your words to kill are evergreen, so you must not feel anything at all," were directed at Swift. However, Dessner, who has also collaborated with Swift, confirmed that the song is "definitely not" about her.
In a July 22 statement, Dessner, 50, explained that "Death Wish" was "written at a time when [Abrams] was writing about a friend’s ex, being in a bad relationship." He added, "So it was kind of about that person, I think. I wouldn’t even actually know who that person was." Dessner also mentioned that he would never press Abrams or Swift, who toured together in 2023 and 2024, for explanations about their lyrics, stating, "You don’t want to be like, 'Well, you’re talking about this, right?' It’s more mysterious not to."
Abrams, 26, herself has previously discussed the song's inspiration. During a March 2025 show on her The Secret of Us Tour, she told the audience, "This song is about a friend of mine who recently was dating a mega narcissist." She elaborated, "A sincere friend of mine was recently dating someone who kind of sucked. And I was listening to them talk about it a lot, and so this song is about that." Despite Swift, 36, being nearly two years into her relationship with Travis Kelce at that point, fans continued to speculate.
Theories about a potential friendship rift between the singers intensified earlier this month when Abrams shared an Instagram carousel featuring her outfit for Swift and Kelce's wedding, alongside an image of Swift's ex, Joe Alwyn. Comments included, "Not congratulating Taylor - but posting her ex?" and “The screen capture of Joe Alwyn from The Favourite in the same carousel as the outfit you wore to Taylor Swift's wedding is crazyyyyy (I say this with love)."
While Abrams has not publicly commented on a potential friendship fallout, she did share advice Swift gave her regarding music creation. On the July 12 episode of a podcast, Abrams recounted, "The first thing that comes to mind when you ask that is, the encouragement to just never stop writing. For me, any time I had a feeling where I was like, 'I would rather just cry about this for a while,' [instead], just pick it up and write it down. And it serves you every time to do that."
Regarding other artists in Swift's catalog, "So High School" is a track Taylor certainly wrote about Travis Kelce, which the now-engaged couple used for their proposal Instagram post in August 2025. While some fans speculate "The Alchemy" from The Tortured Poets Department is also about Travis due to its football and high school metaphors, "So High School" contains a more direct reference: “Are you going to marry, kiss or kill me? / It’s just a game but really / I’m betting on all three, for us two.” Travis revealed in 2016 that "Taylor Swift, would be the kiss," in a game of "Marry, Kiss, Kill." He joked to a publication in 2024 that "So High School" is his favorite song, admitting, "I might be a little biased."
