Call It What You Want: The T Chain, Taylor’s Castle, and the Art of Hiding in Plain Sight
A necklace is just a necklace… unless you're Taylor Swift.
When Taylor stepped out at the Grammys, the internet zeroed in on her "T" initial leg chain, instantly taking it as a sweet, romantic nod to Travis Kelce. Then, seven days later, she wore it again—this time at the Super Bowl, the single most-watched event in the world. Same chain, different body placement, different setting, even more eyes on her.
For many, this was confirmation: The T is for Travis. Case closed. But for those who have followed Taylor’s patterns—her Easter eggs, her use of symbols, and her tendency to weave multiple truths into a single image—this was an invitation to look deeper.
And that’s exactly what I'm going to do.
Jewelry as Symbolism in Taylor’s Work
Taylor has consistently used jewelry as a storytelling device, embedding meaning into her accessories. A few of many examples: the locket in Begin Again, Paper Rings, and the evolution of friendship bracelets on the Eras Tour. In Taylor’s world, jewelry is rarely just decoration—it’s a symbol, a message, a clue. And now, with the "T" necklace, one song in particular stands out:
"I want to wear his initial on a chain 'round my neck… Not because he owns me, but 'cause he really knows me."
— Call It What You Want (2017)
This lyric, taken from Reputation, was written during Taylor’s most private, hidden relationship—one she spent years shielding from public view. A relationship that was misunderstood by outsiders. A relationship she had to protect.
At face value, Call It What You Want was widely assumed to be about Joe Alwyn. But does that assumption actually hold up? Because Joe wasn’t someone Taylor needed to hide—if anything, he was an active participant in maintaining her privacy. More than that, the song itself plays like a closeting anthem—someone deeply in love but forced to frame it differently for the public.
And then there’s the phrasing:
"Not because he owns me, but 'cause he really knows me."
This line implies a kind of understanding that goes beyond conventional romance. To "know" someone in this context suggests trust, protection, and shared secrecy rather than possession. It aligns with the idea of someone who understands the truth of her identity, the reality of her situation, and supports her in keeping it guarded—which would fit a long-term bearding arrangement far more than a standard love song about a boyfriend.
That distinction makes more sense when we look at this through the lens of secrecy and protection. In a public-facing relationship where one person’s identity (or truth) needs shielding, "knowing" is the ultimate form of trust. He doesn’t claim her, he guards her secret. He’s not a romantic "owner," but rather a protector of her true self.
And because I can’t keep my mouth shut about it—the song basically says Karlie like a hundred times. Karlie What You Want To... The double entendre queen just let that one totally slip by on accident with no meaning at all? (Okay, moving on. Haha.)
Any who, now, in 2025, she’s suddenly bringing this lyric back into the conversation.
A Castle of Secrets: What’s Taylor Protecting?
Taylor’s use of castle imagery has been a long-standing metaphor for power, isolation, and protection.
“I could build a castle out of all the bricks they threw at me.” (New Romantics, 2014)
"The castle crumbled overnight." (Call It What You Want, 2017)
"Castles crumbling down." (Castles Crumbling, 2023)
The Bejeweled music video: Leaving the prince, keeping the castle.
If Taylor's castle is her empire, the thing she has worked tirelessly to construct, then what is she protecting? Her privacy? Her secrets? Her true self?
By wearing the T necklace at the most public event of the year, she’s putting the symbol front and center, just like she did in Reputation—an era built on hiding, reinvention, and carefully controlling what the world sees.
She isn’t just wearing a chain, especially to two subsequent events. She’s challenging us to question what the chain actually means.
The Castle Motif & The Public vs. Private Struggle
If we accept that she’s been building a castle out of the bricks thrown at her, does wearing the “T” necklace in public symbolize that she’s still guarding something behind castle walls?
She’s alluded to it in New Romantics ("we built a castle out of all the bricks they threw at me")—a song with explicit queer-coded themes.
She visualized it in Bejeweled, where she ghosts the prince but keeps the castle (and now, two of her Bejeweled costars were with her at the Super Bowl).
And let’s not forget Castles Crumbling, released in 2023, which is explicitly about watching an empire she built slowly fall apart.
Now, with Call It What You Want re-entering the conversation, we’re once again seeing Taylor reference the struggle of maintaining privacy, perception, and protection.
The Super Bowl: The Biggest Stage, The Loudest Message
The Super Bowl was not just a moment. It was the moment. A place where she knew every move, every detail, would be dissected under the world's microscope.
So why wear the necklace here?
If she truly wanted to keep things private, she could have left it at home. But instead, she chose to re-wear it in a setting where it would be analyzed and assigned meaning.
She is telling the world exactly what she wants them to see.
To Hetlors, it’s a clear confirmation of her love for Travis.
To Gaylors, it’s a calculated nod to a song about secrecy and protection.
To both, it’s an invitation: Call it what you want. ;)
Is Taylor Still Telling the Same Story?
Here’s where things get interesting.
If Call It What You Want was originally about hiding a relationship, and she’s now bringing that lyric back into the public eye, does that mean she’s still navigating secrecy in her love life?
And if Travis is her endgame, why would she need to lean into lyrics about secrecy, protection, and misunderstood love?
Could it be that the real love story—the one that truly "knows" her—is still hidden behind castle walls?
Final Thoughts: Call It What You Want, But Don’t Call It Coincidence
Taylor does not do things by accident.
She knew exactly what she was doing by wearing that necklace again at the Super Bowl—just like she knew exactly what she was doing when she wrote Call It What You Want in 2017.
A necklace is never just a necklace.
An initial is never just an initial.
And a Taylor Swift lyric is never just about one thing.
So, go ahead. Call it what you want.
But don’t say she didn’t tell us.
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