Taylor Swift Addresses Engagement Rumors Head-On Through "Lavender Haze"

As any Taylor Swift fan knows, the artist never shies away from addressing poignant topics of her personal life through her music — and her most recent album, October 2022's "Midnights," is no exception.

On its introductory song, "Lavender Haze," Taylor tackles some rumors that have been burning in fans' minds for some time now. With that being said, what is the meaning of "Lavender Haze"? Keep reading to find out — and stick around as we take a look at the song's music video.

The award-winning singer wasted no time when it came to discussing her relationship with Joe Alwyn on "Midnights." Some of the album's earliest moments see Taylor singing "I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say / the 1950s s--t they want from me / I just wanna stay in that lavender haze."

She continues with "All they keep asking me is if I'm gonna be your bride / the only kinda girl they see is a one-night or a wife."

Taylor has made the song's meaning known outside of its recording as well. Per Today, Taylor explained in October 2022 that "I think a lot of people have to deal with this now, not just like ‘public figures,’ because we live in the era of social media."

She added, "My relationship for six years, we’ve had to dodge weird rumors, tabloid stuff — and we just ignore it,” she said. “This song is sort of about the act of ignoring that stuff to protect the real stuff."

That same month, Taylor explained on Instagram that "Lavender haze means the 'all-encompassing love glow.'"

The singer revealed to fans that she came to learn of the term through the television show Mad Men: "It turns out that it’s a common phrase used in the ‘50s, where they would just describe being in love."

All in all, the song describes two different sides of Taylor's life. One is the will to stay private with Joe and avoid the outside world, while the other gripes with that very same outside world creating rumors and sharing their opinions about her life.

"I just wanna stay / I just wanna stay in that lavender haze," she sings on the track, a clear message on how she wants to be able to continue to perceive her relationship, outside influences not included.

The themes of the song are echoed in her long-awaited music video for "Lavender Haze," which stars Taylor alongside Laith Ashley De La Cruz, who plays her love interest. The video dropped at midnight on Jan. 27, 2023.

On Twitter, Taylor compared the whimsical video to "a sultry sleepless '70s fever dream."

The video takes fans through Taylor's bedroom at night, which becomes a hazy, smoke-filled house party. However, it's clear Taylor only has eyes for her partner regardless of what happens around them, and the pair dance around the room throughout the video.

Many fans are hypothesizing that the "Lavender Haze" video also has one more hidden meaning — that "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" is coming!