Background

In an album packed with singles, “Honey” was always destined to be an “album track”. But let’s be real, Taylor’s redefined that phrase and ensured that greatness was part of the word’s meaning.

“Honey” is a song by Taylor Swift, released on October 2025, as the 11th track from her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl. Like the rest of the album, it is written and produced by Swift, Max Martin and Shellback.

The Genius of Misdirect

I overlooked “Honey” the first time I gave The Life of a Showgirl a listen. I was doing my morning run and I listened more to the melodies as I could not pay close attention to the lyrics. This track didn’t stand out (in relative terms, of course). But I knew with all of her work, the core is her song writing. So my friend Genius came to the rescue!

I thought the way she gave a thesaurus breakdown of words like “honey” or “sweetheart” was brilliant. Passively, I knew I was listening to a love song. But I failed to grasp until I intently immersed myself just how she used the terms of endearment. They are meant to be loving, but she put them in a sarcastic and derogatory context, and then flipped them around again. She’s taken left turns with the stories she’s told before. But I’m impressed how she’s able to do the same with words.

The Genres of a Showgirl

My other mortal sin was overlooking the production behind the track. Songs like “The Fate of Ophelia” or “Opalite” tend to stand out better on first listen. They are more forceful and in your face. But behind “Honey” is a mixture of different sounds and styles. They tend to fade into the background until you zoom in on the details and appreciate just how versatile and crazy all of them are when taken together.

Stuttering trap beats mixed with hints of piano play as she sings her lines. The way she delivers her bars during the verses make her sound like she’s rapping. The way the story unfolds is classic country. And she makes the band bring out the clarinet and the flute at the climax. I didn’t clock any of these until I did my research, and focused on this art like I was meditating and watching my own breath.

The Wintergreen Kiss

There’s no doubt that Taylor is in love. Travis and her are not shy to show their affection on tour, in the Super Bowl or when fans and the paparazzi snap their photos. They speak about their relationship openly during interviews . But for everything behind the scenes, we can only speculate, and the best insight we can probably get is her writing.

The biggest green flag based on what I hear is her being able to take his word for it. There are no guessing games. No passive aggressive behaviour. No sarcasm. Terms of endearment actually endear. And she can trust again. Love means love and nothing else.

Conclusion

The skirt might not fit Taylor. But being in love suits her well. “Honey” is lovely. And that is not me finding a way not to praise her, but a way to say I’m in awe of the song and her.