What Exactly is Taylor Swift Shaking Off?

As a longtime fan, I wasn't sure, at first listen, how I felt about "Shake It Off," Taylor Swift's new single off 1989 that premiered on Monday. Make no mistake — I definitely liked the song. It's catchy and fun and the music video features an extensive amount of awkward arm-dancing. But did I love it, in the why-can't-I-stop-playing-it-someone-please-help way of Swift singles past? I wasn't sure (although I would be by Tuesday morning, when I woke up singing "the haters gonna hate hate hate"). What I did know, though, is like every other fan of the singer out there, I was very curious what "Shake It Off" was about. Was it bad press? An old boyfriend? A rough night with her kittens, Meredith and Olivia? Whatever it was, I needed to know.

Unfortunately, despite my wishes, Swift is probably not going to decide to explain the inspiration for her song anytime soon. There may be a couple of hints in the liner notes, or tiny reveals shared in pre-relesse interviews, but for now, all fans can do is make some educated guesses on what, exactly, the singer is so set on shaking off. A few possibilities:

Harry Styles

Swift dated the One Direction singer for several months during the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013. They were very cute together, even sharing an out of character (for Swift) public kiss on New Year's Eve. Yet they ended badly, a fact gleamed by Swift's mouthing "shut the fuck up" during Styles' band's performance at the VMAs and taking on a British accent during a Grammy performance of "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." It's over a year later, but as we all know, Swift holds grudges. She very well could still be shaking off their relationship, especially if, as hinted at in "Together," it didn't end in one clean stroke.

The Wrath of the Kennedys

She was obsessed with their history, dated one of them (Conor), wrote a song about another one of them (Ethel) , and then, after a break-up, stopped associating with any of them. Awkward.

Tina Fey & Amy Poehler

The comedians, who mocked Swift at the 2013 Golden Globes for her dating habits, may have revived the "feud" in January, but "Shake It Off" could be the singer's way of getting the last word. Try responding to that from your special place in hell, Tina and Amy!

Not Knowing How Much a Burrito Costs

I mean, seriously, who thinks $90 is a reasonable estimate for how much a burrito at Chipotle costs?! I know Swift probably hasn't ordered her own guac in years, but come on. That's just embarrassing.

This Shirt

Shake it off, Swift. Shake it off.

The Kanye VMA Thing

Yes, it was five years ago, but she still has a framed photo of the incident, along with a quote that says, "life is full of little interruptions," hanging in her house, not to mention that jar of jam she gave Ed Sheeran decorated with an "I'm really happy for you but..." message. Apparently, time does not heal all wounds.

Those Ed Sheeran Dating Rumors

Both Swift and Sheeran have said numerous times that they're just friends, but every other week, a new rumor seems to pop up saying that they're secretly a couple. Nothing ruins a purely platonic friendship like constantly being asked if you're dating, right? It'd be totally understandable if Swift was frustrated.

Getting Upstaged by Reese Witherspoon

Earlier this week, a video of Witherspoon dancing, hilariously awkward and alone, surfaced on the Internet. Before this, Swift had been the queen of hilariously awkward solo dancing. Now, her thunder has been stolen, and it's only natural to assume that she'd be retaliating in the form of a dance-heavy pop song.

The Giver

If Swift has seen even one minute of this movie, she probably knows that agreeing to appear in it was a very bad idea. I want my 90 minutes back, Taylor.

Image: Getty Images (3); Imgur; The Weinstein Company