Taylor Swift's Emotional Ballad Inspired by High School Friendship

In the days following the release of Taylor Swift's 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, on October 3, 2025, her longtime friend Abigail Anderson Berard expressed her admiration for the new record. Anderson Berard, 35, took to her Instagram Stories to share her glowing review, saying she was "constantly blown away" by Swift's artistry.

One track that has garnered particular attention is "Ruin the Friendship," which Swift revealed was inspired by her high school experiences and the regret of not taking certain chances. The lyrics reference a lost friend, with Swift singing, "When I left school, I lost track of you / Abigail called me with the bad news." During a behind-the-scenes video, the 35-year-old pop star explained that the song explores the idea of not wanting to jeopardize a friendship by confessing one's feelings.

"You don't want to tell this person that you have feelings for them because it might ruin the friendship, and God knows what would happen if that happened," Swift said. "I was sitting there thinking, 'What, it would have been fine to take changes that I didn't take.' I'll never know."