When Taylor Swift drops an album, we all drop what we’re doing. The Life of a Showgirl just landed, and Swifties are deep in decoding mode. Between love songs about Travis Kelce, shade toward Charli XCX, and commentary on fame, one track has fans spiraling hard: Father Figure.
It’s dark. It’s powerful. And it’s definitely about someone. But who? Some fans are convinced it’s about Olivia Rodrigo, while others say it’s aimed at her ex–label boss, Scott Borchetta. Let’s get into the theories.
Are the ‘Father Figure’ Lyrics about Olivia?
Produced by Max Martin and Shellback, Father Figure flips George Michael’s 1987 song into something much colder. Taylor basically reimagines herself as a mob boss of the music industry — mentoring a young artist, offering “protection,” and expecting loyalty in return.
She sings, “I showed you all the tricks of the trade / All I ask for is your loyalty, my dear protégé.” Then later: “You remind me of a younger me / I saw potential.”
Sounds familiar, right? Because when she debuted, fans literally called Olivia Rodrigo “the next Taylor Swift.” Taylor even congratulated Olivia when SOUR blew up, and Olivia fangirled over her constantly.
Then… things got messy.
Olivia Rodrigo Theory: From “Taydaughter” to Frenemies
In mid-2021, Olivia’s deja vu was retroactively credited to Taylor after people noticed it sounded similar to Cruel Summer. Olivia ended up paying huge royalties, and their friendship went quiet overnight.
Taylor sings on Father Figure:
“They don’t make loyalty like they used to / To fulfill your dreams, you had to get rid of me.”
Yeah… that feels personal.
She also drops lines like, “You want a fight, you found it / I got the place surrounded,” and “My love is pure profit.” That’s giving mentor turned mob boss.
The lyrics mirror Olivia’s rumored fallout with Taylor — and it’s not the first time either has hinted at it. Olivia’s the grudge includes the line: “You built me up to watch me fall.” Taylor’s Clara Bow and Nothing New also explore younger stars replacing her.
And just recently? Fans suspected that Olivia’s team allegedly requested a Taylor Swift–free venue before Olivia’s private performance in 2023. The rumors were immediately shut down, but stillll…
Scott Borchetta Theory: The OG ‘Father Figure’
But not everyone thinks Father Figure is about Olivia. Some believe it’s aimed at Scott Borchetta, the founder of Big Machine Records — aka the guy who sold Taylor’s masters to Scooter Braun.
Back in 2019, Taylor told Rolling Stone: “I thought [Scott Borchetta] looked at me as the daughter he never had. What happened felt like a redefinition of betrayal because it felt like family.”
So when Taylor sings, “You made a deal with this devil / Turns out my d*ck’s bigger,” it could easily be a revenge line about reclaiming her masters.
Basically, whether she’s calling out her former mentor or her one-time mentee, Father Figure feels like a power-charged story of loyalty, betrayal, and payback. But who’s really in Taylor’s crosshairs here — Olivia Rodrigo, Scott Borchetta, or maybe someone else entirely?
Swifties and Livies, your move: who do you think Father Figure is really about? Sound off in the comments!
READ NEXT:
Taylor Swift’s Enemies – Her 15 Biggest Feuds
