Taylor Swift is no stranger to online song theories, but one recent theory did not involve her own music. Producer Aaron Dessner has now addressed speculation surrounding Gracie Abrams’ “Death Wish” and clarified its inspiration.
Aaron Dessner says Gracie wrote ‘Death Wish’ about a friend’s toxic relationship
Aaron Dessner shut down the theory in an interview with Billboard. Asked if “Death Wish” was about Swift, he answered, “Yeah, definitely not.” He said Abrams wrote it while focusing on a friend’s ex and “a bad relationship,” though he did not know the person involved. Billboard noted that Abrams had previously described the subject as a friend’s former partner whom she called “a mega narcissist.”
Dessner also corrected confusion surrounding the song’s production. Some listeners believed the upbeat studio cut had replaced the slower piano version Abrams performed during the Secret of Us Tour. However, he said the studio recording came first by several months and was created during the same week as “That’s So True” and “I Told You Things.”
The Taylor Swift theory likely took hold because the singers share a visible creative history. Abrams opened for the Eras Tour and worked with Swift on “Us.” She later said she felt “lucky to learn” from Swift and thanked her for the “gift of her pen.” Those comments never suggested a feud, but listeners still searched the song for clues.
Online scrutiny around the pair has remained intense. Fans recently dissected Abrams’ wedding photos after Joe Alwyn appeared in one image, showing how quickly an unexpected detail can become a larger Swift theory. Swift has faced similar speculation about her professional relationships, including rumors of tension with Jack Antonoff that she later dismissed.
Dessner’s explanation leaves little room for that reading of “Death Wish.” He has worked with both singers and said he generally understands parts of Abrams’ personal life, but the collaborators do not routinely identify every real person behind a lyric.
For now, the song remains what Abrams said it was: a portrait of someone watching a friend endure an unhealthy relationship. Swift entered the conversation, but according to the producer who helped make the track, she was never its target.
TELL US – DID YOU THINK GRACIE ABRAMS’ “DEATH WISH” WAS CONNECTED TO TAYLOR SWIFT?
