A line from Taylor Swift’s new song “CANCELLED!” — “Did you girl-boss too close to the sun?” — has sparked a mini media mystery after several people pointed out that a nearly identical phrase has circulated online for years. Comedian and TikTok creator Caroline Timoney, who made a viral audio in 2021 that included the wording “I may have girlbossed too close to the sun,” told reporters she was “genuinely so shocked” to hear the lyric and joked that she felt like an accidental co-writer. (People). People.com

Timoney’s reaction quickly joined commentary from other public figures who believe the line echoes earlier uses in political commentary. Conservative pundit Candace Owens told entertainment outlets she thinks Swift is referencing a phrase she used on her podcast earlier this year, when Owens described a legal-media saga as “girlbosses who flew too close to the sun.” Owens said she was amused and pleased to see her words repurposed in the song. (EW; Billboard). EW.com+1

Why fans and reporters care is twofold. First, the phrase itself — a mash-up of the contemporary “girlboss” shorthand and the Icarus myth — has been floating around social feeds for some time, which made Timoney’s 2021 TikTok one of several prior touchpoints. Second, pop songs are often dissected for sources and influences, and when a line sounds familiar the internet quickly begins tracing antecedents. Those sleuthing efforts led to rapid coverage by People, Yahoo/AOL and other outlets that carried Timoney’s bemused take and noted Owens’ claim. (People; AOL). People.com+1

The Swift lyric appears in a song that many critics read as a meditation on cancel culture and public scandal — a theme that naturally invites allusions and cultural shorthand. Music critics and lifestyle outlets have parsed “CANCELLED!” as both an embrace of friendship through shared public scars and a satirical nod to the ways personalities become entangled in headlines. In that context a vivid, meme-ready line like “girl-boss too close to the sun” is the kind of verbal shorthand that can feel both fresh and eerily familiar. (Cosmopolitan; Elle). Cosmopolitan+1

What usually happens when pop lyrics resemble online content or public remarks? The music industry has well-worn routes for resolving questions about resemblance, from preemptive acknowledgements and negotiated songwriting credits to after-the-fact acknowledgements or legal claims. In recent years high-profile examples of interpolations and credit disputes have pushed artists and labels to be cautious: some creators proactively add co-writer credits to avoid litigation, while others reach settlements or issue public acknowledgements. That background helps explain why some listeners immediately urged Timoney to seek recognition or compensation, even though she has not publicly filed any claim. (Rolling Stone; Billboard). Rolling Stone+1

Neither Taylor Swift nor her team have publicly issued a statement identifying the line’s origin or crediting other writers specifically for that phrase, and Swift has not been reported to have commented directly about Timoney’s TikTok or Owens’ podcast. That leaves the situation in the familiar limbo of modern pop culture: a viral lyric, multiple plausible antecedents, and fans/creators debating whether the similarity is intentional homage, unconscious echo, or coincidence. (People; EW). People.com+1

For Caroline Timoney the moment was mostly surreal and amusing: she posted reactions on social media, where supporters celebrated the recognition while some urged legal advice. For commentators such episodes are a reminder of how internet language migrates into mainstream art — and how quickly credit and provenance become contested once something moves from meme to megahit. Whether the phrase ends up generating a formal songwriting credit, a private acknowledgement, or simply a burst of social-media chatter remains to be seen. (AOL; Yahoo). AOL+1

Sources: People (interview/reaction from Caroline Timoney); Entertainment Weekly (Candace Owens’s reaction); Billboard (reporting on the lyric and context); Cosmopolitan/Elle (song analysis); Rolling Stone/Billboard (background on interpolations and credit practices). Rolling Stone+4People.com+4EW.com+4