Aaron Dessner Sets the Record Straight on Gracie Abrams’ ‘Death Wish’: It’s ‘Definitely Not’ About Taylor Swift
Categoria: Musica
The producer also shared how he ended up performing with Noah Kahan over the weekend.
Por Billboard | 22/07/2026
Aaron Dessner and Gracie Abrams have now made three albums together, with the pop star’s third studio effort, Daughter From Hell , arriving July 17. But one song in particular has stirred up a few misconceptions, and in a recent conversation with Billboard , the producer cleared them up. Hopping on a Zoom call on Tuesday (July 21) — just days after joining Noah Kahan on stage in New York to perform one of The Great Divide songs he produced, a cameo that severe weather almost ruined — Dessner addressed confusion over the production and subject of “Death Wish,” one of the most talked-about tracks on Daughter From Hell . Some listeners have expressed surprise that the spritely album version sounds so different from the somber live piano version Abrams initially recorded and released amid her Secret of Us Tour, questioning why the duo would “change” the “original.” (Spoiler alert: They didn’t.) Meanwhile, others have speculated that Abrams’ former Eras tourmate Taylor Swift inspired eviscerating lyrics such as “And I used to pretend that it didn’t feel evil/ Your light of a million suns burns through people,” even though the Gen-Z star has only ever praised the 14-time Grammy winner and even attended her wedding to Travis Kelce earlier in July. (Abrams has also said herself that “Death Wish” is about “a friend of mine who recently was dating, like, a mega narcissist,” something doubters have either forgotten or ignored.) But if the commenters won’t listen to Abrams, maybe they will listen to Dessner. He sets the record straight in the condensed conversation below, while also telling Billboard about his ever-evolving dynamic with Abrams, whether she fills him in on the drama that may or may not inspire her songs, his cameo at Kahan’s show and more. What’s the story with “Death Wish”? The studio version predates [the live recording] by several months. We wrote it, actually, the week that we recorded “That’s So True,” “I Told You Things” and [other] songs that were on The Secret of Us deluxe. In the wake of [ Daughter From Hell ] coming out, people were like, “Wait, what about the original version?” This is the original version. There’s been speculation online that it’s about Taylor Swift. Yeah, definitely not. It was written at a time when [Gracie] was writing about a friend’s ex, being in a bad relationship. So it was kind of about that person, I think. I wouldn’t even actually know who that person was. How much do you and Gracie — or any of the artists you work with — talk about the real-life subjects of songs while you’re working on them? Ultimately, you just become friends. Like, Gracie and I have worked together for more than six years now, and you kind of grow together, and there’s a lot of experience that has nothing to d