Taylor Swift is the type of person who texts in impeccably-written paragraphs, at least with her friends. Lorde shared a rare look at a text she received from Swift back when her album Melodrama came out in 2017. Swift offered Lorde some comforting words about how initial chart performance of an album doesn’t necessarily indicate its overall success.
The beginning of Swift’s text was cut off, but Swift wrote to Lorde then, “You will always be imagined in my mind in a rowboat with Annie Lennox floating down a river of cool cerebral ethereal dreams but don’t-fuck-with-me vibes all around you. And I don’t think first week record sales singularly define a legacy.”
Lorde responded, “I love you so much for this.”
Swift appeared to be typing more in the screenshot.
Lorde added a caption to the shot on her Instagram Story, writing, “Taylor was very kind and not wrong @taylorswift.”
Lorde last spoke in depth about Swift in July 2017 when an interview of hers was misconstrued as her indicating she wasn’t in Swift’s friend group anymore.
John Shearer//Getty Images
Lorde explained on Twitter then that she and Swift remained very close:
Wow—something of a frustrating thing to have to address online but here we go. Taylor is a dear friend. I love her very much. In the interview in question, I had just been talking about Bowie and Patti Smith—those were the “idols” I was referring to that I was saying I’m not friends with, not Taylor!
I’ve always found people’s perception of this “squad” idea frustrating in the past; it was never some exclusive club or secret society, but a wide circle of people, some of whom I know, and some I’ve never met, like the most wide group of friends. Forgive me for the mild eyeroll I popped when it was brought up as if we’re all blood members of a secret cult.
Really shitty to wake up to headlines about whether or not you’ve jumped ship on someone you deeply respect and ride for. I want to say one more time that Taylor has been there for me in all my dark and light moments these past 5 years. All of them. I feel truly terrible that it would ever seem like I wasn’t faithfully her person.
I fucked up an interview question. Now go sip a beverage and head out on a walk.
Senior News and Strategy Editor
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.
:quality(85):upscale()/2026/06/12/673/n/1922564/007836996a2c211b8b6222.27413131_.png "10 Fathers Day Gifts at Tecovas, From Bestselling Boots to Elevated Basics")
:quality(85):upscale()/2026/06/09/732/n/49352476/33700b5b6a28408346cd80.35100877_.png "Timothée and Kylie Are the Best Dressed Courtside Couple – Shop Their Looks From")
