Background

“Ruin the Friendship” is a song by Taylor Swift, featured on her 12th studio effort, “The Life of a Showgirl”. The track is produced by herself, Max Martin, and Shellback, credits she has consistently blasted on all her social media platforms. With its country-pop sound, I could almost place the tune alongside her earlier eras of “Taylor Swift”, “Fearless”, and “Speak Now”. These periods predated her work with Max and Shellback.

As of writing, the song has not been released as a single and remains an album track. But as Swifties would know, music videos, radio push, or vinyl releases have no correlation to brilliance or impact. That is part of the appeal of exploring Taylor’s discography – even deep cuts are worth immersing oneself in. Who could forget that back in 2012, “All Too Well” was simply a fan favourite?

The Fountain Pen at Play

During her acceptance speech at the Nashville Songwriter Awards in September 2022, she categorized her lyrics into three types. One of them was “Fountain Pen”, everyday phrases that she turns around to convey a different message. Does “Ruin the Friendship” fit the bill?

If I had to guess what “Ruin the Friendship” was about without listening to the song, I would’ve gone for what “Actually Romantic” ended up tackling. Instead, I was blindsided by a high school fairytale that ended in tragedy.

The Brilliance of Her Storytelling

Taylor paints a vivid picture of the situation, using specific details to bring the story to life. What was once a vague imagination instantly became a shared reality. I’m at her prom. I flew home. I’m involved in a love triangle. Setting the scene has always been her strength. The imagery is clear, with colours, characters and timed references that took me to a parallel universe. I felt her hesitation and longing, emotions she ended up burying and not acting on. This regret is a sentiment our generation knows all too well.

The melody is nostalgic, dreamy, and innocent, with subtle instrumentation letting the lyrics shine. On my first listen, the bridge caught me off guard, and I felt like I witnessed an entire short film from rising action, to climax, and a heartbreaking resolution. I recently watched “The End of an Era” docuseries and concur with Taylor’s choreographer, Mandy Moore: her songs are mini movies! This one is no exception.

With So Much Left to Say

As someone in my mid-30s, I’ve had friends pass away. Time will only increase that number.

So, I agree with the belief of always answering the question. Go ahead and ruin the friendship! Here, the context is romantic, but the application is universal.

The Queen of Easter Eggs Strikes Again

The lyrics are full of throwbacks and Easter eggs. We have Abigail, one of her closest friends, getting another name drop after her own setback was laid out for us in “Fifteen.” And even though I know neither of them personally, I am relieved that this shoutout might indicate they are still on good terms.

The subject matter is widely accepted to be about Jeff Lang, a friend she’s also written about in “Forever Winter,” a vault track from “Red (Taylor’s Version).” Years have passed, but his memory lingers. And I hope her pen has done justice to honour him and pay tribute.

Conclusion

There’s a case to be made that “Ruin the Friendship” should have been Taylor’s track 5. If track 5s are about her most vulnerable and personal, I can understand the argument. And that’s not a diss on “Eldest Daughter” but a testament to how brilliant and heartbreaking “Ruin the Friendship” is.

I’ve decided to let the world know how I feel about “Ruin the Friendship”. Better that than regret it for all time!