The telling lyrics: "She never saw herself as a west-coaster / Moved all the way 'cause her grandma told her / 'Townes, better swim before you drown.'"
Who it is supposed to be about: A young woman named Townes
Why? There was a rumour being passed around when "Harry Styles" was released in 2017 that "Carolina" was the story of a blind date Styles went on with someone named Townes. He mentions in his Apple Music documentary that he needed some inspiration, so he went out for a spicy night. While the theory is compelling, there seem to be holes in it — the biggest hole being the rumoured timeline of Styles's blind date and when the song was written don't seem to line up. Styles and Townes reportedly went on their blind date a few years before "Harry Styles" came out in 2017, but Styles implied "Carolina" was the last song written on the album, which would mean their blind date happened in 2016. However, this theory is widely accepted by fans, and regardless of the inspiration, the song is a bop.