Fans Think “Call Me When You Break Up” Is About Taylor Swift

On first listen, Selena Gomez’s single “Call Me When You Break Up” sounds like a straightforward song about rekindling things with an ex if they ever split from their current partner. But everything is not what it seems. According to Gomez herself and one of the track’s co-writers, the song was actually written about one of her best friends — and fans are convinced the bestie in question is Taylor Swift.

Before the song (a collab with Gracie Abrams) was released, Gomez teased its meaning. “To get an obvious statement out of the way, this song is actually about a best friend that I have in my life, so it’s not about anything that you think it is,” she told fans at a listening event in London in February.

One of the song’s co-writers, Justin Tranter, also made it clear that the song was written about a friendship, not a romance. “Co-writing this song was so healing because we all have the one friend who vanishes when they get a man,” Tranter posted about the track in a March TikTok. (Gomez re-posted the video.)

Although neither Gomez nor Tranter made any direct references to Swift, fans became convinced that the song was written about the Eras Tour performer. “Call me when you break up is about Taylor and you can’t change my mind,” one fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Another fan pointed out that the setup of the song — leaving a voicemail for someone — is reminiscent of Swift’s Reputation album. “The beginning is giving ‘I'm sorry, the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now,’” they wrote on Reddit.

Specifically, Swifties seem to think the song is about Swift’s fling with Matty Healy in June 2023.

“Guys… what if ‘call me when you break up’ was about taylor and the raw chicken eating guy,” one tweeted. (The 1975 frontman has been known to eat raw meat on stage.) Another fan commented on Tranter’s video, “i cant believe this is about taylor and 1975 dude.” Under another video about the theory, a Swiftie wrote, “Imagine this being how they dealt with the Matty Healy period.”

However, others have guessed that the track could be about Swift’s relationship with Joe Alwyn or even Travis Kelce — but others doubted the latter theory. “If it’s about Taylor, it’s about Joe or [Matty] not Travis. Selena would never write about Taylor breaking up with a current bf,” one commented on TikTok after a fellow fan claimed the track was about “Tayvis.”

A little reminder: Upon further analysis, some of the lyrics do sound closer to a conversation between best friends: “I miss the way we'd stay up / We'd talk about forever when I'm takin' off my makeup” and “Call me when you break up / Unless you found the person that you want a new name from / I'd like to be there when that day comes.” (Ahem, who would want to be at their ex’s wedding to someone else?)

Whether the track is or is not about Swift, the whole I Said I Love You First album got her stamp of approval. In February, Gomez shared that Swift “loved” the new music. “For Taylor, I played a few [songs] and she loved it. That always is a win for me because she’s honest, so I’m always like, ‘OK, good,’” Gomez said during a February interview with Stationhead, which was shared on X.

Swift also gushed about the album after its release in March. "I LOVE THIS ALBUM SO MUCH OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDD,” she wrote on her IG stories.