Does Taylor Swift's New Album Take Shots At Joe Alwyn & Paul Mescal? The Evidence Is Hot
Taylor Swift loves keeping her fans on their toes with references. For instance, her Eras Tour is rife with Easter eggs. However, the clues aren't always what they seem. Leading up to the 2024 Grammys, fans assumed Swift would announce "Reputation (Taylor's Version)" when many of her friends changed their Instagram profile pictures to black-and-white. Swift did this herself the day of the Grammys, and her website went down, leaving an "Error 321" message. According to an HP help page, that message appeared on fax machines if there were "poor telephone line conditions" (seemingly hinting at the "Look What You Made Me Do" lyric, "The Old Taylor can't come to the phone right now").
That faux error message also included a word jumble that spelled "red herring" when solved. All the "Reputation" clues were a red herring (a misleading hint) because, during her acceptance speech for the Best Pop Vocal Album Grammy, Swift announced her new album — "The Tortured Poets Department" — releasing April 2024.
Needless to say, fans went wild for the news — and its connection to Swift's ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn. In a Variety "Actors on Actors" interview from 2022, Alwyn and Paul Mescal spoke about the group chat they're in with Andrew Scott: "The Tortured Man Club" (via X). The replies to that video are flooded with Swifties. One said, "Look what you made her do." Another referenced Mescal's ex-girlfriend (and one of Swift's friends and collaborators) and hypothesized, "the tortured poet department will have phoebe bridgers."
Will Joe Alwyn be a subject in 'The Tortured Poets Department'?
Some Swifties are already connecting potential tracks on "The Tortured Poets Department" with speculation surrounding Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn's relationship. On TikTok, @theabbymurphy shared a video positing the new album will showcase Taylor's "jilted bride era." Swift's white dress for the Grammys was reminiscent of a wedding dress, and the lyrics to Swift's "You're Losing Me" include the gutting line, "I wouldn't marry me either." Murphy continued that the "All's fair in love and poetry" quote from the album announcement on Instagram could be "a warning" of sorts to Joe Alwyn (whom it's believed "You're Losing Me" is about). Many commenters agreed with Murphy's assessment, because of the "Tortured Man" group chat anecdote.
Swift's social media album announcement includes an excerpt of potential lyrics: "And so I enter into evidence / My tarnished coat of arms / My muses, acquired like bruises / My talismans and charms / The tick, tick, tick of love bombs / My veins of pitch black ink." Swifties are certain the songs on the upcoming album will elaborate on Swift and Alwyn's relationship — and its eventual breakdown. A Swiftie on X quipped, "Joe Alwyn entering witness protection on April 19th" with a reaction image of Sarah Paulson hiding under a table.
Are 'Midnights' and 'The Tortured Poets Department' a duology?
Since Taylor Swift's career has spanned many eras and genres, there's no telling what "The Tortured Poets Department" will sound like until it's released on April 19, 2024. However, there are hints it could be connected to Taylor Swift's latest album that wasn't a rerecording, "Midnights," in the way "Folklore" and "Evermore" are connected. The cover art for "The Tortured Poets Department" shows Swift lying in a bed while the sun shines in through a window. On X, one Swiftie wrote, "the morning after a sleepless night ... " and called Swift "A MASTERMIND," referencing Track 13 on "Midnights."
Some believe "Midnights" is a breakup album, and it's possible that "The Tortured Poets Department" will be similar. The aesthetic of the new album seems to be dark academia, and fans are preparing accordingly. One Swiftie on X shared a photo of a dictionary and said, "I can already tell that we will need it."
Swift's album announcement wasn't the only exciting thing from her time at the Grammys, however — the "Lavender Haze" singer went home with her fourth Album of the Year Grammy, breaking a record after she broke the internet with "The Tortured Poets Department."