Cancelled!

For other uses, see Cancelled.

"Cancelled!"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album The Life of a Showgirl
Released	October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03)
Studio	MXM Studios (Stockholm) Shellback Studios (Stockholm) IMRSV Studios (Stockholm) Studio 112 (Jonstorp)
Length	3:31
Label	Republic
Songwriters	Taylor Swift Max Martin Shellback
Producers	Taylor Swift Max Martin Shellback
Lyric video
"Cancelled!" on YouTube

"Cancelled!" (stylized in all caps) is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl . It was written and produced by Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback. The song is said to be about Swift's friendship with American actress Blake Lively, challenging cancel culture and expressing solidarity with Lively amid public adversity.

Background

Swift and Lively have maintained a close friendship for nearly a decade. However, in early 2025, reports emerged of their relationship facing strain when Swift was subpoenaed during Lively's legal battle with actor Justin Baldoni. ^[1] Although the subpoena was later dropped, the incident led to media reports suggesting a rift between the two. ^[2] Following the announcement of The Life of a Showgirl's tracklist, fans speculated that "Cancelled!" might be a diss track aimed at Lively. Upon its release, however, the song's lyrics appeared positive about its subject and their tarnished public image, rather than a critique of Lively. ^{[3] [4] [5]} Additionally, Swift's choice to wear a custom bracelet previously worn by Lively during the song's promotional material was seen by some as a reaffirmation of their bond. ^[6]

Composition

Lyrics like "Did you girl-boss too close to the sun?" implicate high standards set as successful women. ^[7] Swift described the title as referencing her criticisms and "feeling cancelled by any sort of social backlash that you get". ^[8] Several critics thought that "Cancelled!" was similar to Swift's sixth studio album, Reputation (2017), drawing particular comparison to the similarly themed track "Look What You Made Me Do". ^{[9] [10] [11]} John Wohlmacher of Beats Per Minute felt that the production was "oddly derivative" of Lorde's song "Yellow Flicker Beat" (2014). ^[12]

Critical reception

Some critics praised the song's theme and production. Caitlin Robson, writing for Indy100 , believed that the track showcased how Swift "has gotten a lot better at standing up and defending herself". ^[9] Pallabi Bose from Prestige described the song as "crisp, snappy, and very much Reputation coded." ^[10] Collider 's Isabella Soares picked "Cancelled!" as the album's second-best track, deeming it one of Swift's "boldest tracks" with a dark tone and "edgy lyricism", save for the "girlboss too close to the sun" line. ^[13] Screen Rant 's Gina Wurtz wrote that the song highlighted Swift's "wicked sense of humor". ^[14] Matthew Dwyer from PopMatters described "Cancelled!" as "an eerie and arresting takedown of the celebrity industrial complex", ^[15] while Wren Graves of Consequence considered it "foot-stomper with playful lyrics that sound better than they read." ^[16]

Other reviewers took issue with the song's lyrics and narrative, particularly the line "Did you girl-boss too close to the sun?" ^{[15] [12] [17]} India Block of The London Standard deemed the song "very fun musically", but criticized the lyrics as "a car crash of outdated millennial cringe". ^[17] Pitchfork 's Anna Gaca called it "a swagless 'Look What You Made Me Do'", ^[11] while Beats Per Minute's Wohlmacher thought that it lacked the "manic, desperate, drunken energy" of Swift's 2017 song "Don't Blame Me". The latter deemed the lyrics of the refrain "rather descriptive and strange for the biggest and most beloved pop star of our era". ^[12] Exclaim! 's Megan Lapierre argued that Swift exaggerated how she was "cancelled" in the past, trivializing real cases and turning it into a shallow, trendy statement. She also wrote that it "sounds like Disney villain music — the ugly stepsister of 'Vigilante Shit '". ^[18]

Personnel

Credits are adapted from album liner notes. ^[19]

Studios

• Produced at MXM Studios and Shellback Studios, Stockholm
• Recorded at Shellback Studios, Stockholm
• Strings recorded and engineered at IMRSV Studios, Stockholm
• Strings and horns engineered and edited at Studio 112, Jonstorp, Sweden
• Mixed at MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach
• Mastered at Sterling Sound, Edgewater, New Jersey

Personnel

• Taylor Swift – lead vocals, songwriting, production
• Max Martin  – production, songwriting, programming, keyboards, recording
• Shellback  – production, songwriting, programming, bass, guitar, keyboards, recording
• Erik Arvinder  – orchestra conductor, recording, engineering
• Anna Roos Stefansson – violin
• Claudia Bonfiglioli – violin
• Daniela Bonfiglioli – violin
• Fredrik Syberg – violin
• Iskander Komilov – violin
• Janika Gustaffson – violin
• Lola Torrente – violin
• Matthias Johansson – violin
• Oscar Treitler – violin
• Patrik Sedrup – violin
• Sofie Sunnerstam – violin
• Veronika Novotna – violin
• Yongnim Lee – violin
• Christopher Öhman – viola
• Erik Holm – viola
• James Opie – viola
• Vidar Andersson Meilink – viola
• David Bukovinsky – cello
• Antonio David – cello
• Peter Volpert – cello
• Tomas Lundström – cello
• Bård Ericson – double bass
• Tomas Jonsson – flute
• Teresia Alm Bylund – oboe
• Peter Noos Johansson – trombone
• Janne Bjerger – flugelhorn
• Magnus Johansson – flugelhorn, French horn
• Helena Stjernstrom – English horn
• Mattias Bylund – string synthesizer, bassoon, orchestra arrangements, engineering, digital editing
• Bylund Strings – strings
• Stockholm Studio Orchestra – strings
• Henrik Langemyr – strings copyist
• Lasse Mårtén – recording, engineering
• Willem Bleeker – recording, engineering
• Christopher Rowe  – additional recording
• Serban Ghenea  – mixing
• Bryce Bordone – assistant mixing
• Randy Merrill  – mastering

Charts

Chart performance

Chart (2025)	Peak position
Argentina (Argentina Hot 100) [20]	48
Australia (ARIA) [21]	7
Brazil (Brasil Hot 100) [22]	42
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [23]	7
Croatia ( Billboard ) [24]	23
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100) [25]	17
Denmark (Tracklisten) [26]	11
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [27]	24
France (SNEP) [28]	38
Germany (GfK) [29]	7
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [30]	9
Greece International (IFPI) [31]	5
Hong Kong ( Billboard ) [32]	22
Hungary (Single Top 40) [33]	29
Iceland (Tónlistinn) [34]	16
India International (IMI) [35]	7
Italy (FIMI) [36]	63
Latvia Streaming (LaIPA) [37]	7
Lithuania (AGATA) [38]	16
Luxembourg ( Billboard ) [39]	7
Malaysia ( Billboard ) [40]	24
Malaysia International (RIM) [41]	19
Middle East and North Africa (IFPI) [42]	17
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [43]	8
Norway (IFPI Norge) [44]	13
Philippines (IFPI) [45]	18
Philippines (Philippines Hot 100) [46]	15
Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100) [47]	33
Portugal (AFP) [48]	8
Singapore (RIAS) [49]	10
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) [50]	28
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [51]	28
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [52]	8
United Arab Emirates (IFPI) [53]	10
UK Streaming (OCC) [54]	9
UK Video Streaming (OCC) [55]	26
US Billboard Hot 100 [56]	10
US Adult Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [57]	40

References

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