Jake Owen claims he’s not “the man” behind Taylor Swift’s hit song “Sparks Fly.”
Following the release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” the country singer admitted he’s aware that Swifties have theories about him being the inspiration for the 2010 track.
“It’s a great song and the speculation has always been funny to me,” Owen, 41, told People Wednesday at the American Century Championship in Nevada.
“I’m sure Taylor probably laughs at it all too, but I’m happy to even have my name in the discussion around it.”
The “Made for You” artist added that he has known Swift, 33, since she was a newcomer on the music scene at 16 years old.
“She’s an amazing girl and an amazing artist,” he said. “It’s been incredible to see how she’s grown as a musician and what a global phenomenon she’s become.”
According to People, Swifties speculated that “Sparks Fly” was about Owen after she wrote “Portland, OR” in the song’s liner notes — allegedly hinting at their performance in the city 17 years ago.
Fans also tracked down an old post from Swift’s MySpace page, in which she recalled opening for Owen at a Portland bar in 2006.
In the post, Swift wrote that the “Anywhere With You” singer told her that he was a fan of her music.
Of course, the truth about the man behind the lyrics may never come out since the pop star often remains tight-lipped about her inspirations.
Last week, Swift sent fans into a frenzy after she released the song “When Emma Falls in Love” from her latest re-recorded album, “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).”
Several Swifties suggested the song was about Emma Stone’s past relationship with Andrew Garfield. The two were together for four years after meeting on the set of “The Amazing Spider-Man” in 2012.
