Taylor Swift: Relationships ‘Need to Be Equal’

Taylor Swift has had plenty publicized about her boyfriends, including her recent summer romance with 18-year-old Connor Kennedy. But while the songstress has dated everyone from American political royalty to movie stars, there is one thing that she's convinced will always lead to the ultimate demise of any love affair.

"It needs to be equal. If I feel too much like I'm wearing the pants, I start to feel uncomfortable and then we break up," Taylor tells Harper's Bazaar magazine. Calling relationships the "the ultimate collaboration," she adds that "it's wonderful to hand over the reins to your boyfriend when you control so much of these big, high-pressure decisions. That is a huge defining factor in who you choose to be with."

The 22-year-old music superstar, who is known for sharing details of her former flames in her songs, says she understands why so many of her relationships have ended, but she still believes in true love. "Some combinations of people are toxic. You have to find the right one that isn't just going to explode into fiery ash and destruction."

The "Begin Again" singer admits there is a silver lining to all of her breakup clouds. "Despite all of that and how unpleasant it is, as a writer you get a lot from it," Taylor notes. "It's a crazy justification system. You know that guy you really wish you could erase from your memory? But then the answer is track six, eight, 12, and 13."

Taylor knows the tabloids are filled with guesses about who she is dating and who her songs are about, but she refuses to read any of it. "You can live in a normal world where a breakup is just a breakup if you don't expose yourself to what's being speculated about yourself," she maintains. "That's where I live now."