Lady Gaga Fans Think Taylor Swift Wrote a Track on Her Album—Here’s What We Know

The Taylor Swift conspiracy theorists are at it again! Following the release of Lady Gaga’s new pop album Mayhem, many of her fans pulled out their proverbial magnifying glasses after listening to track nine.

According to multiple listeners across social media platforms, there’s a certain Taylor Swift je ne sais quois to “How Bad Do U Want Me.” As one X.com user wrote, “’How Bad Do U Want Me’ is literally 1989 Taylor speaking from Lady Gaga’s mouth 😭 [What do you mean] ‘You like my hair and my ripped-up jeans—you like the bad girl I got in me. She’s on your mind, like, all the time, but I got a tattoo for us last week’ is not from a Taylor song?”

But instead of accusing Mother Monster of copying Swift’s production, writing style, or concepts—like many did to Olivia Rodrigo following the release of Sour in 2021—fans of the artists have theorized that Swift provided Gaga with the lyrics, even though she is not listed as a producer or writer on the track.

“My theory is that Taylor secretly wrote ‘How Bad Do You Want Me’ for Gaga,” one fan wrote on X.com on March 6. “The production? The vocal style? The lyrics?? It’s screaming 2014—2019 Taylor so bad.”

Another wrote, “The thing is, ‘How Bad Do U Want Me’ IS Taylor Swift nachos but they’re not stale…Gaga had Taylor cook a fresh batch for her, took them home, crisped them up in an air fryer, and made her homemade guac and salso to go with them.”

(For those who are not chronically online, the term “reheated nachos” refers to something—typically a pop song—that feels boring, recycled, and lacking in innovation.)

It’s even rumored that Swift provided backing vocals on the track, though, once again, she is not credited on the Mayhem album at all.

So, is there any validity to these claims—and how do fans feel about the unconfirmed (and likely nonexistent) collab? Here’s what we know.

Swift has secretly produced and written songs before.

The most referenced example would be Calvin Harris’ 2016 track “This Is What You Came For,” which she wrote with the DJ back when they were dating. At the time, she assumed the name Nils Sjöberg—a move Swift’s ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn would later mimic with the pseudonym William Bowery for multiple Folklore and Evermore tracks.

However, that doesn’t appear to be the case here. Watt and Cirkut, the two other producers listed on “How Bad Do U Want Me,” are both real people with extensive credentials.

Gaga and Swift have a history supporting one another.

Back in 2014, Gaga shared an anecdote about Taylor Swift on The Howard Stern Show, revealing her initial impression of Swift changed after a call from her stylist, who was working with Swift on a photoshoot.

“We’ve met a few times, and I can’t say anything bad about her,” Gaga said at the time, per Us Weekly. “What she doesn’t know [is] I was at the AMAs or something. Her and I were sitting next to each other and she goes, ‘Oh my God! I love ARTPOP. I love ‘Applause,’ and ‘Applause’ is my favorite song.’ I was thinking, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah. This chick is full of shit.’”

However, a call from her stylist revealed her misconception. “He goes, ‘Taylor Swift is in here blasting ARTPOP so loud, and she is dancing and she’s posing,'” Gaga recalled. “I thought to myself, ‘I like this girl.’ You know why? Because she said the same thing to my face that she said behind my back. Yeah, I like her.”

In June 2024, Gaga used the lyrics of Swift’s Tortured Poets track “Down Bad” to shut down pregnancy rumors. In a show of support on Gaga’s TikTok post, Swift commented, “Can we all agree that its invasive & irresponsible to comment on a woman’s body. Gaga doesn’t owe anyone an explanation & neither does any woman.”

In September 2024, Gaga got emotional talking about her love of Swift and other women in pop during an interview with Vogue. “I mean, I really love them. I go on the internet and, like, cry,” she said of Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, and Billie Eilish. “And I love Taylor Swift too. And Kesha. I watch it all, and I’m like: Yup. Go! Just Go.”

According to Vogue, she started to tear up while talking about them. “I’m not only cheering them on, I want them to know that my heart is in it with them,” she said. “And I want them all to feel really happy.”

Fans are divided over Swift’s alleged influence on Gaga’s latest album.

Though many fans of both artists made the connection between Swift’s repertoire and Gaga’s new track, “How Bad Do U Want Me,” the response has been mixed. Some love the pop song’s sound while others have asked, “Why is there a Taylor Swift song on this Lady Gaga album?”

Okay… So, did they collab on Mayhem?

Once again, Swift is not listed as a producer or writer on “How Bad Do U Want Me.” On March 7, a source told Page Six that any “false” rumors about Swift’s involvement are “not true.” A source also denied the so-called collab to Us Weekly.