The phrase "Did you girlboss too close to the sun?" is a lyric from Taylor Swift's song "CANCELLED!" on her 2025 album "The Life of a Showgirl." It refers to the idea of "girlbossing"—a term popularized as celebrating ambitious, empowered women—combined with the metaphor of flying too close to the sun, which implies overambition or risking downfall. The specific phrase "girlbossed too close to the sun" originated from a viral TikTok audio created by comedian Caroline Timoney in 2021, where she joked about having "girlbossed too close to the sun." This TikTok audio gained popularity and was widely referenced before appearing similar to Swift's lyric. Timoney expressed surprise and excitement upon discovering the similarity but did not explicitly accuse Swift of copying her. Some social media discussions link the phrase also to political commentator Candace Owens, who used a similar expression on her podcast earlier in 2025, though Owens did not claim to coin the term. Overall, the lyric reflects the cultural resonance of ambitious women facing societal backlash or consequences, fitting Taylor Swift’s theme of dealing with social outrage and cancel culture in the song.
In summary: "Did you girlboss too close to the sun?" is Taylor Swift’s lyric inspired by the viral "girlboss" phrase popularized on TikTok, blending modern feminist banter with the classical symbolism of hubris and consequences. The line has sparked conversations about originality and cultural influence across social media.
