Sorry Haylor stans, but this isn’t the song you’ve been waiting for.
When Taylor Swift’s Reputation track list was released just days ago, sleuthing Swifities took to dissecting each song’s name for clues, crafting theories both sensical and non. And, unsurprisingly, one of those theories harkened back to the ye olde days of Swift’s relationship with Harry Styles (known in the fandom as “Haylor”). Fans surmised that “New Year’s Day” may refer to the now-iconic image of Swift sitting alone on a boat following a new year’s breakup with Styles. The coincidence seemed all too perfect, but also, that breakup happened in 2012, so it was nonetheless farfetched. Regardless, fans hoped Taylor would finally spill the tea on why she and Harry did not ring in the new year.
But now, with Swift’s debut of the track “New Year’s Day” Thursday night on ABC, during an episode of Scandal—the irony is not lost that she has been embroiled in several “scandals” over the past year herself—fans have confirmation that the song is not at all about Haylor. Instead it is about, both literally and figuratively, New Year’s Day. In the ballad, which was pre-recorded during a Secret Sessions in her Rhode Island home, Swift details cleaning up after a night of partying. There’s glitter and candle wax and polaroids (of course), but it’s OK because she will gladly partake in the unglamorous activity of tidying up, if her beau is in it for the “long road.”
No mention of boats. No mention of the British Virgin Islands. No mention of paper airplanes. Guess Haylor is finally dead.
But fret not, because another fan theory alive and well, even after her performance. Other fans, albeit without proof, hoped the final track on her album would reveal an engagement to Joe Alwyn. While neither the song (nor performance) revealed any kind marriage news, it was, above all else, a love song—seemingly dedicated to Joe, much like “Gorgeous”—in which she promises to stay with someone through all the ups and downs. “I’ll be there through the toast of the town babe / Or if you strike out and you’re crawling home,” she sings. “But I stay when it’s hard or it’s wrong or we’re making mistakes / I want your midnights / But I’ll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year’s Day.”
It’s no ring, but we’ll take what we can get.
Watch her performance below, and stay tuned for many more fan theories, because her whole album drops at midnight.
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Related: The Problem With ‘New’ Taylor Swift Is That Nothing’s Changed