Taylor Swift has been subject to misogynistic scrutiny all throughout her career, with the media criticizing everything from her number of boyfriends to how her personal romances fuel her music. In response to this, Swift made the decision to focus on herself and female friendships throughout her "1989" era, giving rise to her iconic girl squad.
"It became clear to me that for me, there was no such thing as casual dating, or even having a male friend who you platonically hang out with," the singer explained in the prologue of "1989 (Taylor's Version)." "If I was seen with him, it was assumed I was sleeping with him, and so I swore off hanging out with guys."
The "Style" singer went on to add that she hoped a change in her behavior could alter the media's negative perception of her, deciding to forgo dating to focus on herself. "If I only hung out with my female friends, people couldn't sensationalize or sexualize that—right?" the singer added. "I would learn later on that people could and people would."
