Taylor Swift reveals how Arya Stark from Game of Thrones inspired her Reputation album

10 May 2019, 15:20

Emma Clarke

By Emma Clarke

In an interview with EW, Taylor revealed several tracks from Reputation were inspired by the women of Game of Thrones.

We may have all been searching for easter eggs in Taylor Swift's music video for 'ME!' with Panic! At the Disco's Brendon Urie, but it appears we weren't quite done with the hidden elements in her last studio album, Reputation.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the American superstar not only revealed she's a huge Game of Thrones stan (like the rest of us, tbf), but that some of the tracks from the album were inspired by storylines and characters from the show itself - namely Arya Stark and her kill list.

Before predicting that either "Daenerys, Arya or Sansa" will sit on the Iron Throne, Swift said: “So much of my imagination was spent on Game of Thrones.

“At the time, I was making 'Reputation' and I didn’t talk about it in interviews, so I didn’t reveal that a lot of the songs were influenced by the show.”

OMG. Taylor Swift just revealed Reputation was inspired by Arya Stark from Game of Thrones
OMG. Taylor Swift just revealed Reputation was inspired by Arya Stark from Game of Thrones. Picture: Getty / HBO

Developing on this idea, Swift went on to say that while half of the album was influenced by the bloodshed she witnessed in the HBO series, the other half was inspired by the more reflective, touching moments viewers were granted in season 7 (we're racking our brains and nope, we can't think of any).

That's not to say the songs on Reputation weren't also based on experiences in her own life. Taylor explained: “These songs were half based on what I was going through, but seeing them through a Game of Thrones filter.”

Her debut hit from the album, 'Look What You Made Me Do', is “literally Arya Stark’s kill list."

Taylor Swift is expected to drop a new album this year - but we still don't have a date
Taylor Swift is expected to drop a new album this year - but we still don't have a date. Picture: Getty

Taylor denied that the 'King of My Heart' was a reference to the Night King, but elements of the song paid homage to Queen Daenerys and her Dothraki theme tune. “It’s even got this post-hook of drums — I wanted them to sound like Dothraki drums," she explained. 

Lastly, Taylor confirmed that 'I Did Something Bad' was written straight after Sansa and Arya conspired to kill Littlefinger in season 7.

We already know that Taylor Swift is inspired by powerful, strong-willed women, so we can't say it's a complete shock that these female protagonists impacted her creative work. But we are miffed we never made the connection before.