Did Taylor Swift And Country Star Jake Owen Ever Get Romantic?

Few artists have gained as much notoriety as Taylor Swift. While there's no denying that Swift is one of the most talented singer-songwriters of her generation, she's managed to rise to fame for more than her music. During Swift's career's start, she stayed mum on important issues because label executives warned her it would backfire. But Swift has since broken out of these chains to find her voice and make a positive change in the world. In 2018, the singer-songwriter emerged as a Democrat and encouraged the American youth to make their voices heard through an Instagram post. 

Just 24 hours later, a reported 65,000 people aged 18 to 29 registered to vote. And, in 2020, Swift took to Twitter to announce that she was re-recording her first six albums after their sale to Scooter Braun without her consent. She released the re-recording of her third album, "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)," in 2023. Before it came out, Swift called for online kindness, seemingly for John Mayer, because several tracks on the album detail her negative experience dating Mayer when he was 32 and she was 19. 

But the album also features several upbeat songs like "Sparks Fly," which many believe is an ode to Jake Owen. When People asked him about the track, the country star replied, "It's a great song and the speculation has always been funny to me." Owen added, "I'm sure Taylor probably laughs at it all too, but I'm happy to even have my name in the discussion around it."

Taylor Swift's discography stands out because of her vulnerable songwriting that's inspired by her experiences. Swift has been open up about why so many of her songs are about her life, but many subjects of these tracks haven't been too pleased with their portrayal. Thankfully, Jake Owen isn't one of them. 

Although it's unclear if the two shared a romantic connection, they seemed to have a friendship at the very least. In an old MySpace post, captured by a fan blog, Swift wrote that she was amazed to learn that Owen owned her album. So, her 16-year-old self would probably be overjoyed to hear how Owen described her to People: "She's an amazing girl and an amazing artist." 

Owen elaborated, "It's been incredible to see how she's grown as a musician and what a global phenomenon she's become." When Access Hollywood caught up with him at a golf tournament and asked Owen to describe his game through a list of Swift's songs, he replied with "Sparks Fly" even though it wasn't an option. When the interviewer asked why he chose the track, Owen cheekily said that it was a favorite.

Although "Sparks Fly" is on Taylor Swift's 2010 album, it was reportedly written in 2006. Right off the bat, Swift addresses her concerns with her crush and then proceeds to sing about how she's putting these issues to the back of her mind to fall in love with them, and the song alternates between these struggles until the outro. Initially, many believed the song was about John Mayer because of the lyrics, but upon re-release, fans are convinced it's actually about Jake Owen.

The country musician met Swift in 2006 when the "Shake It Off" hitmaker was an opener at his show in a bar in Portland, Oregon. Around the beginning of Swift's career, she hid secret messages in the lyrics booklet to provide fans with some context about the song, and the one for "Sparks Fly" was "Portland, OR." The supposed original lyrics to the track, "I fall in love in an empty bar," directly referenced the night. 

Likewise, they also feature a nod to Owen's green eyes. In typical teenage fashion, Swift shared her experience on MySpace. She began her post by talking about how amazing it was to open for Owen because she was a massive fan and gushed about how he was just as incredible in person. The "Blank Space" singer felt overjoyed because he sang her favorite song, "8 Second Ride," early into the show because she had to leave.