Home » Albums » reputation » Songs on reputation » King of My Heart

King of My Heart

reputation (2017)

“King of My Heart” is track ten on Taylor’s sixth studio album, reputation (2017). She uses both the lyrics and the tempo of the song to create a piece of art that mimics the different stages of a relationship.

Background

Taylor released her fifth studio album, 1989, in October 2014. Its synth-pop production transformed her sound and image from country-oriented to mainstream pop. The album was a massive commercial success, selling over five million copies in the U.S. within one year, and spawning three Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles. The BBC asserted that the success of 1989 solidified Taylor’s status as a global pop star.

In 2016, when Taylor was at the peak of overexposure, some of her rivals in the industry (including Scooter Braun, Kanye West and Justin Bieber) succeded in launching a worldwide hate campaign against her. As a result, Taylor disappeared from public view for an entire year and thought about quitting music for good. She became increasingly reticent on social media, having previously maintained an active presence with a large following, and avoided interactions with the press. She conceived her sixth studio album, reputation, as an answer to the media commotion surrounding her celebrity.

Lyrical Theme

References to losing various kingdom related things are seen all throughout reputation. Here, Taylor chronicles her story of finding her true love after many failed relationships. She starts off as unlucky in love, feeling better off on her own, until the “king of my heart, body and soul,” appears out of nowhere. She said the following at a “reputation Secret Session“:

«I think it’s really interesting when people talk about their love stories. There seems to be these definitive phases, and it doesn’t matter how long that phase lasts, there seems to be a moment when you knew it transitioned into the next phase. People will be like, ‘Oh my God, we were friends for six years, and there was this moment, and we knew, and then it changed. Then there was a moment and it got deeper, and then there was a moment and we knew. Everybody has a different story with how they connect with someone else. And what I find interesting are the moments where it switches, because you always hope that that switch is going to move you forward and not backward. Because, it can happen both ways. It can happen either way.»

Taylor Swift

Production

Taylor structured the song so that each segment is its own phase of a relationship, with the sections getting deeper and more fast-paced as the tune proceeded. She explained:

«I’ve always wanted to structure a song where each individual section of the song sounded like a move forward in the relationship, but still be listenable. So, I wanted the verse to seem like its own phase of a relationship, the pre-chorus to sound like its own phase of a relationship, and the chorus to sound like its own phase of a relationship. And I wanted them to have their own identity, but seem like they were getting deeper and more fast-paced as the song went on. So finally, I was able to achieve that in a song.»

Taylor Swift

Live Performances

Taylor performed “King of My Heart” each night on her “reputation Stadium Tour” (2018). It was a big scale production, which featured multiple drums. She also performed an acoustic version of the song at a couple’s private engagement party on February 23, 2019. On August 8, 2023, she chose “King of My Heart” as the second surprise song for one of her “The Eras Tour” (2023-2024) shows in Los Angeles. She sang the song acoustically on piano. Taylor performed the song again on May 30, 2024, in Madrid. On August 15, 2024, she paired it with “The Alchemy” (2024) in London.

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I’m perfectly fine
I live on my own
I made up my mind
I’m better off bein alone
We met a few weeks ago
Now you try on calling me ‘baby’
Like trying on clothes

[Pre-Chorus]
Salute to me, I’m your American Queen
And you move to me like I’m a Motown beat
And we rule the kingdom inside my room
Cause all the boys and their expensive cars with
Their Range Rovers and their Jaguars
Never took me quite where you do

[Chorus]
And all at once
You are the one I have been waiting for
King of my heart, body, and soul
And all at once you’re all I want
I’ll never let you go
King of my heart, body, and soul
And all at once…
I’ve been waiting, waiting
And all at once you are the one
I’ve been waiting, waiting
Body and soul
And all at once

[Verse 2]
Late in the night
The city’s asleep
Your love is a secret
I’m hoping, dreaming, dying to keep
Change my priorities
The taste of your lips is my idea of luxury

[Bridge]
Is this the end of all the endings?
My broken bones are mending
With all these nights we’re spending
Up on the roof with a school girl crush
Drinking beer out of plastic cups
Say you fancy me, not fancy stuff
Baby all at once, this is enough.