Is Taylor Swift’s Betty from new album Folklore a future LGBT anthem? And how do Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s kids fit into all this?

Jul 30 , 2020

Taylor Swift is reflecting all the colours of the rainbow in her latest oeuvre, Folklore – but did she author a queer anthem in disguise? Photo: Reuters

The internet is abuzz with speculation about the cryptic, all-girl love triangle at the heart of Folklore’s romantic musical trilogy – from Katy Perry to Lesley Gore, let’s look back at some other unlikely queer anthems from the 60s to today

Society has long obsessed over the love lives of young female celebrities. Case in point? Taylor Swift. Through everything from call-outs of unscrupulous exes to witty skewering of paparazzi intrusion, Swift has become pop’s confessional queen.

Her latest surprise-release album “Folklore” raised eyebrows in addition to garnering critical acclaim. Previously wary of addressing LGBTQ+ issues, Swift released a trio of songs – Betty, Cardigan and August – that appear to depict a love triangle between three young women.

Two corners, James and Inez, are apparently named after the daughters of Swift’s friends Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. The last, Betty, is allegedly named for their youngest daughter, who was born late last year and whose name had been withheld from the public until now.

Swift has remained tight-lipped on whether the songs were inspired by personal experience (if so, the internet has pegged Karlie Kloss as a likely suspect for Betty), or are purely an exercise in creative writing.

Swift isn’t the first pop star to queer code in her music. Where same-sex romances between women were once used to titillate, several key artists paved the way for increased and nuanced representation.

Lesley Gore

In 1963, 17 year-old Lesley Gore scored a trifecta of hits. It’s My Party saw Gore in post-rejection tears at her own party, while its sequel Judy’s Turn to Cry had her gloating over the girl who had stolen her man. So far, so teen idol.

You Don’t Own Me, however, has had the most enduring legacy … and the strangest parallels with Gore’s personal life. Memorably covered in 1996’s The First Wives Club and used to highlight Harley Quinn’s co-dependency in 2016’s Suicide Squad, the song is considered a feminist pop anthem.

It was also Gore’s last top 10 single, seeming to represent her disillusionment with stardom. After coming out as lesbian in her early twenties, Gore would later recall the music industry’s pervasive homophobia.

Katy Perry