Taylor Swift’s new song “Babylon” has prompted fan theories about who inspired its lyrics, with names including Joe Alwyn, Justin Bieber, Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas emerging in online discussions.
Released as part of The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, “Babylon” is one of four new tracks alongside “Patient Zero”, “Cleveland!” and “Pink Clouding”.
Since its release, fans have focused on the song’s themes of leaving home, regret, relationships, and nostalgia while trying to identify its subject.
Some fans have interpreted the lyrics as potentially referencing Swift’s former relationship with Alwyn, with one Reddit user writing, “Man this song seems inspired from Joe. Benjamin Button is the son.”
Swift and Alwyn were together from 2016 until their split in 2023.
Another theory connects the song to Justin Bieber, with a fan pointing to similarities involving fame, money, relationships and family.
A separate theory links the song to Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas, with one Reddit post describing it as “Babylon: The Sophie and Joe Story”.
The song’s title also carries historical symbolism. Babylon was an ancient city on the Euphrates in what is now Iraq, and Swift uses the term as a metaphor for a life that initially appears liberating but eventually becomes restrictive.
For now, the theories remain fan interpretations rather than confirmed explanations from Swift herself.
