“Renegade” describes being with someone who deals with mental health issues, while expressing both sympathy and frustration for how it affects the relationship. Fans believe it may take inspiration from Swift’s relationship with Joe Alwyn, who stayed by her side through the mental health battles she describes on songs like “The Archer.”
“Renegade” is one of two Taylor Swift collaborations on How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?, along with “Birch,” both of which she helped co-write. As reported by Secretly Store, Swift recorded her vocals while quarantining with Aaron Dessner ahead of the 2021 Grammys, where Swift and Dessner won the Album of the Year accolade for folklore.
This isn’t the first time Taylor and Justin Vernon have vocals on the same track, with them both also featuring on four of Swift’s 2020 Dessner produced tracks (They duetted on exile and evermore, whilst Vernon also provided backing vocals for her tracks ivy and marjorie).