Although fans have long speculated that at least two songs from Taylor Swift’s 1989 album — “Style” and “Out of the Woods” — are about her relationship with Harry Styles, the former One Direction member has remained mostly silent on the topic. But in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, he discussed how it feels to be considered one of Swift’s inspirations.
I mean, I don’t know if [the songs are] about me or not, but the issue is, she’s so good, they’re bloody everywhere. 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 went on to finally give Haylor devotees the closure many of them have probably been waiting for since the 2012 romance ended — although he neglected to directly comment on the couple’s matching necklaces, widely publicized date in Central Park or alleged snowmobile incident.
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.”
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Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com