It’s Taylor Swift’s world, and we’re just living in it! On Friday, the beloved star surprised her devoted fans with the release of her highly anticipated album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” And if that wasn’t enough, she also dropped an additional 15 tracks, making it a veritable double album filled with emotional revelations and intricate storytelling.
As fans dive into the album, they can’t help but wonder who these songs are about. Swift is known for penning heartfelt lyrics inspired by her personal life, and this latest offering is no exception. Speculation abounds that many of the tracks hint at her recent exes, Matt Healy and Joe Alwyn. Let’s explore these captivating tales.
Joe Alwyn: The enigmatic muse
Joe Alwyn is a 33-year-old British actor who stole Swift’s heart in 2016. Their relationship blossomed, but unfortunately, they parted ways last year during her Eras tour.
Alwyn’s presence is woven into Swift’s previous works. In 2022, she revealed to Entertainment Tonight that “Lavender Haze” from her album “Midnights” reflects her desire to stay enveloped in the “lavender haze” feeling of love, even amidst challenges.
Alwyn is credited on the track “Sweet Nothing” on “Midnights” as well as several songs on “Folklore” and “Evermore,” her 2020 albums. Swift confirmed his contributions in her documentary “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions,” revealing his pivotal role in crafting songs like “Exile,” “Betty,” “Champagne Problems,” “Coney Island,” and “Evermore,” which even earned him a Grammy Award.
Rumors sparked that “So Long To London” in “The Tortured Poets Department” is about their breakup. Swift’s lyrics paint a vivid picture: “I moved to a foreign country/ Didn’t leave a rental house for a year/ Afraid to get on phone calls.” These sentiments echo her Time Magazine interview last year, where she described her struggles to establish a personal space during her public feud with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West in 2016.
Matt Healy: The flirtatious enigma
Matt Healy is the lead singer of the band The 1975. He and Swift have a history of mutual support, with the pop star attending one of his concerts in 2014. Romance rumors have swirled since then, and Healy admitted in a 2016 interview with Q Magazine that he had a “flirtation” with Swift, which garnered media attention. However, he downplayed its significance, stating that she “wasn’t a big impact” on his life.
Healy once wore a t-shirt promoting Swift’s 1989 album during a concert, and Swift reciprocated by sporting a The 1975 shirt. When “Midnights” came out in 2021, Healy revealed that his band had recorded a song with Swift for the album, but it ultimately didn’t make the cut.
About a month after Swift and Alwyn’s breakup, Healy appeared at the Eras tour in May 2023. The paparazzi captured them holding hands, and they were spotted together on several occasions. However, their fling fizzled out in June, according to ET reports.
Fans believe “Fortnight” in the new album is about Healy due to its blatant references to their mutual friends. Swift sings, “Sometimes I wonder if you’re gonna screw this up with me/ But you told Lucy you’d kill yourself if I ever leave,” seemingly referring to Lucy Dacus, a member of the band Boygenius.
Travis Kelce: The football star touchdown
After her brief encounter with Healy, Swift reportedly began dating Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce. Their romance quickly became a spectacle, with fans and media eagerly following their every move.
Swift attended several Chiefs games, often bringing along famous friends. Her presence even boosted Kelce’s jersey sales. Fans speculate that “Alchemy” from the new album is about Kelce, as the love song is filled with subtle football references.
Swift’s lyrics include: “So when I touch down, call the amateurs and cut ’em from the team/ These blokes warm the benches, we’ve been on a winning streak/ Where’s the trophy? He just comes runnin’ over to me.”
Swift and Kelce often travel to spend time together. The lyrics of “touch down” could be a clever play on a football touchdown, suggesting their deep connection.
Kim Kardashian: A subtle but pointed allusion
On “The Tortured Poets Department,” a song entitled “thanK you aIMee” has fueled speculation about its subtext. Fans believe it is a blatant reference to Kim Kardashian, thanks to the capitalized letters spelling KIM.
Besides mentioning a “bronze spray-tanned statue,” which is likely a nod to Kardashian’s affinity for spray tanning, Swift appears to sing about the fallout after her feud with Kardashian and Kanye West.
Swift penned, “All that time you were throwin’ punches, it was all for nothin’/ I built a legacy, which you can’t undo, But when I count the scars, there’s a moment of truth, That there wouldn’t be this if there hadn’t been you.”
The feud between Swift and Kardashian-West has been a rollercoaster of tensions. When Kanye West interrupted Swift’s acceptance speech at the 2009 VMAs, it marked the beginning of their animosity. In 2016, West released a song referencing Swift, sparking a public dispute.
Swift claimed she wasn’t okay with the lyrics, but Kardashian released audio of a phone call between Swift and West in which Swift appeared to give her blessing for the mention. Fans speculate that Swift’s lyrics in “thanK you aIMee” and other songs reflect her complex emotions surrounding the feud.
Data sourced from: cbsnews.com
