Country star Jake Owen has addressed longstanding rumors that he's the inspiration behind Taylor Swift's "Sparks Fly," a song from 2010 that's back in the spotlight thanks to the July 7 release of Speak Now (Taylor's Version).
"It's a great song and the speculation has always been funny to me," Owen told People on Wednesday (July 12). "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 continued by praising Swift, whom he's known since she was 16.
"She's an amazing girl and an amazing artist," he added. "It's been incredible to see how she's grown as a musician and what a global phenomenon she's become."
The speculation stems from Swiftie sleuthing. In the liner notes for the song, Swift mentions Portland, Ore., a city where she played with Owen 17 years ago. Plus, a MySpace post by Swift from 2006 references the night she met Owen at a Portland, Ore. bar named Duke's.
Swift has long admitted that true stories did inspire the album.
"I first made Speak Now, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20," Swift wrote on Instagram. "The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their brutal honesty, unfiltered diaristic confessions and wild wistfulness. I love this album because it tells a tale of growing up, flailing, flying and crashing... and living to speak about it."
Owen has new music of his own. His album Loose Cannon was released on June 23. He talked to People from a golf course in Lake Tahoe, Nev., where he was competing in the American Century Championship. In addition, he grabbed positive headlines last year with updates on his sobriety journey.
