Known for her love ballads and heartbreak anthems, Pennsylvania-born global popstar Taylor Swift rose to fame through her ability to turn her most heartbroken moments into smash-hit songs adored by audiences worldwide. Whilst the songstress may have made a career out of heartbreak, nowadays fans worldwide couldn’t be happier for Swift after having finally found her happily ever after with her speculated fiancé, Joe Alwyn.
However, what many fans seem to forget from Swift's long and complicated journey to happily ever after is her brief entanglement with past One Direction star and “internet boyfriend” Harry Styles. Way back in 2012, an entire decade ago, the international superstars engaged in a brief romantic fling with each other that went viral back in its day. Whilst the relationship saw many complicated twists and turns, even after the split, the pair now seems to be back on good terms. So much so, that Swift’s latest song “Carolina” even shares the title as one of Styles’ very own songs. So let’s take a look at the events that led to the shared-name song and the truth behind the hits.
8 Harry Styles And Taylor Swift Met Way Back In 2012
The songstress and the popstar first met two decades ago way back in 2012. According to The Listthe pair initially met at the 2012 Kid's Choice Awards in which Swift watched Styles perform his hit song “What Makes You Beautiful” alongside his past band members. As stated in The List article, Swift reportedly gushed from the sidelines alongside her BFF and fellow popstar, Selena Gomez.
7 They Made Headlines When Styles Visited Swift Later That Year
It seems as though it didn’t take long for the pair to become better acquaintanced since their first meeting at the award show as, months later within that same year, Styles and Swift were apparently on a “visiting each other during rehearsals” basis. According to MTV News, during her appearance on the X-Factor, November 2012, Swift had received a very special visit from a certain One Direction alum as she was rehearsing for the show. According to X Factor’s host, Mario Lopez, Styles had randomly made an appearance during the show’s rehearsal specifically to see Swift.
Lopez stated, “Taylor Swift was the special guest performer, and a little inside scoop for you: During rehearsals, Harry from One Direction came and slapped me on the back and said, 'Hey, Mario, how ya doing?' And I said, 'What are you doing here?' And he sort of [pointed] toward Taylor."
6 In Late 2012 The Pair Were Photographed Looking Cozy
Following the news of Styles’ impromptu rehearsal visit, the pair’s relationship began to develop at a seemingly quicker pace. In December 2012, Styles and Swift were finally spotted together in what seemed to be the very first visual confirmation of their relationship. Another 2012 article by MTV News revealed photographs of Styles and Swift on a sweet Central Park stroll. Following the release of the pictures, fans went wild at the prospect of the stroll being a date and the two musical icons being an item. The pair went viral as fans from all over the world labeled them as “Haylor”.
5 Harry Styles And Taylor Swift Called It Quits In Early 2013
Despite the die-hard support and adoration of the pair from fans, it seemed as though Styles and Swift were simply just not meant to be. Only a month into their speculated relationship, in January 2013, the pair called it quits on the romance. According to The Daily Mail, Styles and Swift’s split was prompted by a fight between the pair during a new year’s getaway.
A source close to the site stated, “Yes I can confirm they have split up. They were on holiday and had an almighty row. They are two young stars at the top of their game so who knows what will happen in the future.”
4 Years Later Styles Finally Broke His Silence
The years following the pair’s split saw a tsunami of back and forth from both Swift’s and Styles’ fans. After several songs directed at the One Direction alum on Swift’s behalf and constant avoidance of the topic on Styles’, the dust finally settled on the situation and peace seemed to be restored as the seeming feud was left to lay. In 2017, 4 years after the split, Styles finally spoke up about the relationship, the split, and what it had all meant to him.
The 28-year-old stated, “When I see photos from that day [in Central Park] I think: Relationships are hard, at any age. Adding in that you don't really understand exactly how it works when you're 18, trying to navigate all that stuff didn't make it easier."
3 Harry Styles And Taylor Swift Reunited At The 2021 Grammys
Another 4 years later and the pair finally publicly showed signs of a friendship. During the 2021 Grammys, the pair were spotted engaging in what appeared to be a sweet and friendly chat. In a video posted by Page Six, the pair were seen laughing and smiling during their enthusiastic conversation. Later on, in the award show, Swift was also seen supporting Styles through her standing ovation during the Englishman’s win for Best Pop Solo Performance for his hit song “Watermelon Sugar”. The interaction between the past lovers unsurprisingly sent the internet into a meltdown as they reminisced of a time when their favorites had been entangled.
2 Cut To 2022 When Taylor Swift Announced “Carolina” Which Has The Same Name As Styles’ 2017 Song
With the upcoming release of Olivia Newman’s 2022 drama-mystery Where The Crawdads Sing comes an unexpected full-circle moment for Swift and Styles’ relationship. On March 22, Swift announced her participation in the Sony-led project on her Instagram. The multi-Grammy-winning singer-songwritter highlighted how she had written her very own song for the film, titled “Carolina”. Whilst the song held the exact same title as Styles’ 2017 song from his debut solo album, Swift outlined her inspiration for the “haunting” track to be the very film it was created for.
1 For Harry Styles, The Song Held A Far Different Meaning
However, Styles’ “Carolina” seemed to have a far different meaning behind it than Swift’s. According to Capital FM, Styles had actually written the song based on his experience in dating Townes Adair Jones. A South Carolina native herself, Adair Jones was reportedly set up on a blind date with Styles a few years ago, which prompted the song.
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