Who Is Taylor Swift's 'Babylon' About? Breaking Down the Fan Theories

Taylor Swift has long drawn from personal experiences in her music, but is her new song "Babylon" inspired by anyone in particular?

The singer-songwriter released The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, an expanded version of her 2025 album, on September 25, nearly a year after the original record made history with the biggest opening week for an album in the U.S.

"I took a trip to Sweden to celebrate with Max [Martin] and Shellback, my two collaborators on this album," Swift shared in an Instagram post. "Really we just wanted to reflect and take in how grateful we were for the moment we were in, but there was a studio there and we did what we do when we feel anything at all: We wrote more songs. I hope you love them, because they were born out of pure gratitude for your exuberance for and celebration of the album we made.‍🔥"

The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore features four new tracks: "Patient Zero," "Cleveland!," "Pink Clouding" and "Babylon" — all of which have fueled fan theories about their possible inspirations.

Here's a closer look at the latter's lyrics and the speculation surrounding who — or what — Swift's "Babylon" may be about.

Historically, Babylon was a major ancient city in Mesopotamia located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and it was traditionally associated with the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

In an interview with Today, Amanda Podany, a professor emeritus of history at California State Polytechnic University, said Babylon is associated with ruins.

"There's plenty of evidence for Babylon continuing to be an important place for hundreds of years after that. But again, that sort of went into the popular consciousness as a metaphor for ruin, as a metaphor for something glorious that that fell," she explained.

Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, a professor at the University of Cardiff, similarly noted that Babylon receives "really bad press" in the Bible, adding, "It is the ultimate City of Sin; Babylon is the Mother of Harlots; it is home to the W---- of Babylon, whose reign will usher in Armageddon and bring about the Apocalypse. It was the first ever metropolis, with an enormous multi-cultural population. It was the centre of arts, literature, culture, and industry. It was New York, Paris, Bangkok, Los Angeles and London rolled into one. There was no city on earth to rival it. Babylon was the Mother of All Cities."

Podany, however, suggested Swift may be drawing on a different side of Babylon's meaning since the song appears to treat Babylon as a place "that you didn't realize was the best until you left it or lost it."

Swift's "Babylon" appears to follow a person who keeps chasing something better, only to realize what they already had was the best thing all along. After describing someone who feels boxed in by their surroundings, the first pre-chorus hints at the life they left behind.

"'Cause it's where you're from / Aunt Virginia with a church dress on / No elbows on the table / And the neighbor's lawn always looked better / Your hand-me-down sweater should've been from the mall," Swift sings.

She then sings how the person "never knew it was Babylon / 'Til it was gone."

By the bridge, Swift calls out "the self-harm of never being where you are" as she notes the person is always longing for something else. The chorus eventually changes from "you hate this song" to "you love this song," suggesting the person finally understands what they are losing.

"You wake up on the train and you're all alone / Then that memory is all you want / You never knew that it was Babylon / 'Til it was gone," the track ends.

Swift has not confirmed whether "Babylon" is about a specific person, although several fan theories have suggested possible inspirations behind the song.

Some Swifties have fueled the Joe Alwyn theory, interpreting "Babylon" as a reflection on a relationship that offered stability and intimacy, only for one person to continue searching for something beyond it. Swift and Alwyn dated for six years, from 2016 to 2023, which has led fans to connect the song's themes of longing and regret to their relationship.

Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner have also been linked to the song, largely because of Swift's history with both of them. The "Afterglow" songstress dated the Jonas Brothers member in 2008 and later developed a friendship with Turner.

Meanwhile, Justin Bieber has been mentioned by fans in connection with the song, Fans believe "Babylon" portrays a man who found fame and wealth at a very young age, became consumed by success and later built a family while still seeming emotionally tied to his past.

Despite the fan theories, there is no direct evidence linking any of the celebrities to Swift's "Babylon."