Ruin the Friendship

Last updated

"Ruin the Friendship"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album The Life of a Showgirl
ReleasedOctober 3, 2025
Studio
  • MXM Studios (Stockholm)
  • Shellback Studios (Stockholm)
Genre
Length3:40
Label Republic
Songwriters
Producers
  • Taylor Swift
  • Max Martin
  • Shellback
Lyric video
"Ruin the Friendship" on YouTube

"Ruin the Friendship" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl (2025). Swift wrote and produced the track with Max Martin and Shellback. It combines teen pop and 1990s country music; the lyrics are about Swift's regret over not pursuing a romantic relationship with a high-school friend, referencing her previous songs like "Fifteen" (2008). Music critics generally praised the emotional songwriting, with some selecting it as one of the album's best tracks.

Contents

Background and composition

On August 13, 2025, Swift announced The Life of a Showgirl as her twelfth studio album during an episode of the podcast New Heights , which was hosted by Kelce. [1] "Ruin the Friendship" was revealed on the same day as the album's sixth track. [2]

"Ruin the Friendship"'s production incorporates teen pop and 1990s country [3] . The song reflects on Swift's teenage romance with a high school classmate who later passed away. [4] [5] [6] [7] The lyrics convey Swift's regret over never pursuing a romantic relationship. [8] The song also references Swift's friend Abigail Anderson, who was previously mentioned in Swift's 2008 song "Fifteen". [9]

Critical reception

The song received mixed reviews from critics. Nick Savage of the BBC selected it as the album's best track. [8] Caryn Ganz of The New York Times said that "Ruin the Friendship" was the track that immediately captured her attention for its "crisp, lush" soundscape. [10] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian praised it as "authentically heart-tugging." [11] Similarly, The Independent 's Roisin O'Connor described it as a "disarming, prettily arranged acoustic throwback." [12] However, The Daily Telegraph 's Poppie Platt described the track as "sweet" but added that it "leads to the feeling that Swift is an artist trapped in space and time: still singing about playground crushes at 35." [3] Wren Graves of Consequence was more critical, calling the song "sad and forgettable." [13]

Personnel

Credits adapted from album liner notes. [14]

Studios

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ Dailey, Hannah (August 13, 2025). "Taylor Swift reveals Life of a Showgirl release date, album cover & track list featuring Sabrina Carpenter". Billboard . Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  2. ↑ Bonner, Mehera (August 13, 2025). "Taylor Swift Reveals Tracklist for The Life of a Showgirl". Cosmopolitan . Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  3. 1 2 Platt, Poppie (October 3, 2025). "Taylor Swift is settling some scores: The Life of a Showgirl decoded" . The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  4. ↑ Rahbar, Sabba (October 4, 2025). "Taylor Swift's "Ruin the Friendship" Lyrics Explained: Why Fans Think She's Honoring Jeff Lang". E News. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  5. ↑ Bailey, Alyssa (October 4, 2025). "Taylor Swift's 'Ruin the Friendship' Lyrics Describe the Romantic Regret That Haunts Her". Elle . Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  6. ↑ Smyth, Tom (October 6, 2025). "'Ruin the Friendship' Should Be Track 5" . Vulture . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  7. ↑ Huff, Lauren (October 3, 2025). "Taylor Swift's 'Ruin the Friendship' is devastating — but it has nothing to do with Blake Lively". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  8. 1 2 Savage, Mark (October 3, 2025). "Taylor Swift: The Life of a Showgirl Is a Triumphant Pop Victory Lap". BBC News . Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  9. ↑ Bonner, Mehera (October 3, 2025). "Taylor Swift's new song 'Ruin the Friendship' lyrics meaning - A secret school crush who has passed away". Cosmopolitan UK . Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Taylor Swift Keeps Getting Bigger. Can the Music Keep Up?" . The New York Times . October 6, 2025. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  11. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (October 3, 2025). "Taylor Swift: The Life of a Showgirl Review – Dull Razzle-Dazzle From a Star Who Seems Frazzled". The Guardian . Retrieved October 3, 2025.
  12. ↑ O'Connor, Roisin (October 3, 2025). "Taylor Swift Review, The Life of a Showgirl: As Compelling as She's Ever Been – the Star, The Ringmaster and the Circus All in One". The Independent . Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  13. ↑ Graves, Wren (October 3, 2025). "Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl Is All Dressed up with Nowhere to Go: Review". Consequence . Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  14. ↑ The Life of a Showgirl (booklet). Taylor Swift. Republic Records. 2025.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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