Country Star Jake Owen Addresses Rumor Taylor Swift Song ‘Sparks Fly’ Is About Him

It’s no secret that Taylor Swift draws on her own personal experiences and relationships when she puts pen to paper, and it’s long been tradition for Swifites to spend endless hours deciphering each of the singer’s tracks. Following the Friday, July 7 release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), rumors once again swirled regarding the subject of some of the most popular songs, prompting country music star Jake Owen to speak out about those long-standing rumors that “Sparks Fly” is about him.

“It’s a great song and the speculation has always been funny to me. I’m sure Taylor probably laughs at it all too, but I’m happy to even have my name in the discussion around it,” Owen told PEOPLE, adding that he has “known Taylor since she was 16,” and has always been a fan of her work. “She’s an amazing girl and an amazing artist It’s been incredible to see how she’s grown as a musician and what a global phenomenon she’s become.”

One of the 14 original songs from Swift’s 2010 album, “Sparks Fly” is about “falling for someone that you maybe shouldn’t fall for, but you can’t stop yourself because there’s such a connection, there’s such chemistry,” Swift previously shared. Although the singer, who was 19 when Speak Now was released, hasn’t revealed who the song is about, fans have remained convinced it’s about Owen.

In her earlier albums, the singer commonly left fans codes within her lyric booklet, with the code for “Sparks Fly” spelling out “Portland, OR.” Fans quickly made the connection to Owen, as Portland is the very city where she and Owen played together 17 years ago. Fans also turned to a 2006 MySpace blog post from Swift, who was just 16 at the time and who began performing “Sparks Fly” in 2007, in which she recalled an “amazing” night playing in a Portland bar called Duke’s when she opened Owen’s show.

Of course, Swift has never revealed who “Sparks Fly” is about, Swift notoriously remaining tight-lipped about the subjects of her songs. The tracks on Speak Now are well-known for being surrounded by rumors regarding who they are about, with many believing “Dear John” is about John Mayer. Meanwhile, the all-new vault track “When Emma Falls in Love” is largely believed to be about Emma Stone’s past relationship with Andrew Garfield.