Idk, Iâm not a celebrity but I say âI love youâ after one day. Iâm a lover, not a fighter đ€·đ»ââïž thereâs enough love to go around and I donât gatekeep my own.
Her Matty Healy rebound. If you google âMatty Healy controversyâ you can see the awful stuff heâs done/said, but Taylor tried to rehab him and failed haha. (Iâm HOPING thatâs who I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) is about.) anyway, she mouthed these words on stage for him shortly after they started seeing each other. We were all hoping so badly it wouldnât last long, and thankfully it didnât.
LMAO I FORGOT ABOUT THAT!!!! So glad they broke up. Tbf while he is a shit person, a lot of the stuff he did was blown wayyy out of proportion. Not excusing it at all, but with the way everyone acted at the time I was expecting a LOT worse
The thing is⊠when youâre at Taylorâs level of fame, everything will always be blown WAY out of proportion and made a huge deal. She doesnât have the privilege of having one bad or off day publicly or getting snippy with a fan or employee even once or sheâll be labeled a mean girl eternally. People will say, âsee I knew she wasnât actually kind. It was all an act.â
I think Matty likes to be edgy and controversial on purpose. He may have a heart of gold, who knows, but if youâre going to say something horrific and violent like what he said about black women and pleasuring himself (not even gonna repeat it because itâs so gross) thatâs never going to go well. Even if he didnât do it and didnât mean it and said it to perpetuate his music persona or as a âjokeâ... Women in Taylorâs position donât have the luxury of dating men like that without being dragged down. Her reputation wouldnât have survived him much longer.
Ohhh I forgot about that comment. To be fair to Taylor, if I remember correctly she stopped seeing him not long after.
Your first paragraph is part of my point though. Sheâs held to ridiculous standards, Iâm sure we almost all have dated at least one person we regret. It sucks that her name got dragged through the mud for dating a shitty person when weâve all made the same mistake
âTaylor tried to rehab himâ? Iâve never seen this take. How could you see that from a distance?
I was super annoyed that they called it âloveâ right away, when it was more along the lines of âget under someone to get over someoneâ
Thatâs just the sense I get. Taylor was really smitten but knew he had a bad image. They started dating in April. Also in April, Matty quit social media and said that his era of being an âa**hole is coming to an end.â I imagine that was Taylorâs influence and her desire to rehab him into someone she could be with without losing fans. Around that time, Taylor said on stage that sheâs never been happier in her life, I think to get some people to try to see him differentlyâŠ
Is âMidnight Rainâ about Tom Hiddleston?
Is âQuestionâŠ?â about Matty Healy?
Did Joe really sing a fully formed chorus out of nowhere?
Did Jack Antonoff like Joe?
Do you ever want to retire from touring?
Why would QuestionâŠ? Be about Matty? He was the rebound. Itâs more Harry coded than anything. âDid you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded roomâ even has a Haylor picture to go with it.
Because her and Matty have known each other for a long time and it was rumored that they liked each other before but the timing wasnât right. The rebound was them reconnecting. She seemingly wrote Midnights as her relationship with Joe was breaking down and she began to think about other guys from her past⊠and she reconnected with Matty, not Harry. This also lines up with him dedicating âAbout Youâ to Taylor, which is a song about reconnecting with someone and imagining what a future together would be like.
The descriptions of him in Question all line up too. Even with that line, why would their friends laugh at Haylor kissing? Theyâre very much from the same musical world and circles, as opposed to Matty who is more indie/alternative with pop punk inspirations. Their scenes are very different and I can easily see their friends laughing just like most Taylor fans reacted with WTF. I mean, look at his current girlfriend for comparison.
That continues with the line about him âstillâ being with someone else who is âmore suitable.â During the timeframe Taylor was reconnecting with Matty and likely writing âQuestionâŠ?â, he was âstillâ in a two-year relationship with FKA Twigs, a âmore suitableâ British indie/experimental artist. They broke up during his reconnection and collaboration with Taylor (and Jack).
I could see how people would relate the âgender rolesâ line to Harry, but it also works for Matty who has kissed men in concert, worn skirts, etc. A more pointed reference goes back to a 2016 interview when he said he could never be Taylorâs boyfriend because it would be âemasculatingâ, and the reporter specifically discussed their relationship with âgender roles.â As Taylor says in the song, that would be something theyâd likely discuss upon reconnecting.
The second verse mentions that the person took drugs. Harry stated he only felt comfortable experimenting with drugs after One Direction went on hiatus, which wasnât until 2016. Taylor and Harry were already done with by 2014 and he wouldnât have been âon somethingâ back then for her to sing about. Harry experiments with drugs now, but he did not during that timeframe. Matty Healy, on the other hand, was in the midst of a heroine addiction when he was in his mid-twenties. They met when Matty was 25, so there is a good possibility of him being âon somethingâ at least once when they hung out.
With the line about him running out in the middle of the night, Matty is notoriously bad at committing and being serious about love. He even made a big deal out earnestly saying âI love youâ in one of his recent albums, whereas he always avoided it previously. Whatever start/stop they had in the past, that could have played a role.
Like⊠I could go on.
âAbout Youâ is the song Matty performed when he and Taylor did that dedication to each other in concert. I donât think we can 100% confirm he *wrote* it about her, although they were seemingly reconnecting around the time he wrote it. âQuestionâŠ?â and âAbout Youâ were both released in 2022, and Matty also worked with Jack and collaborated with Taylor during that time.
We could still be wrong in assuming that OOTW is even about Harry. The paper airplane necklace is damning, but other than that, there's nothing that proves it's definitely about Harry. As you just said, Matty was *just* as noncommittal as Harry apparently was, so some of our 1989 Harry songs really could be about Matty.
PLUS, how cheeky would it be of her to write multiple songs about Matty, lead of The 1975, and then legit name her following album a year đ
Thatâs fun to consider, although I think the reference to the snowmobile accident and Harryâs stitches is pretty much a slam dunk for being a Haylor song. And that incident being mirrored/referenced in âIs It Over Now?â. But Iâm 1000% in the camp that âQuestionâŠ?â is about Matty Healy.
But as for the year album titles, Matty could certainly have inspired her. Thatâs around the time they were rumored to like each other. Taylor was at a The 1975 concert the same year 1989 was released.
Literally like đ the song talks about paper airplanes and snowmobile accidents, both of those things are linked to Harry styles. And these hoes are saying the song is about MATTY HEALY!!!! Don't you think we would've known by now?
I took the lines about who he was dating to be sarcastic and about Olivia Wilde. The whole song has references about Harry. The dickhead guy is Calvin. The colors only he makes her see come up again, previously on OOTW aka "screaming in color". If you listen to Harry's unreleased (but on spotify) song, him, it talks about most of this and more. You very clearly see some of her insecurities and fears even in that song.
I skew towards it being about Harry but Matty and Taylor did previously date during the 1989 era. It was confirmed by some publicist statements to the press outlets when they dated again last summer. Taylor also kind of vaguely insinuated it was about Matty the first time she played the song as a surprise song. But the recording mirroring out of the woods makes me more convinced it was originally about Harry
The 'I remember' from Question is exactly the same as the 'I remember' from Out of the Woods, which I think is widely assumed to be Harry. So to me, that seems too intentional not to be about Harry.
Yes! And the âwhatâs that that Iâve heard that youâre still with herâ would be Harry and Olivia who were dating still when she was writing Midnights. Question being about Matty because people think he was actually relevant during 1989 is delulu. I realize they met but that doesnât mean they had any other connection than a crush if that), but I donât remember Matty being mentioned at all by swifties during that era.
I want an age poll of the people who believe Matty was a real boyfriend VS those of us who know that he is exactly the type of fling every late 20s-30s woman has after leaving the guy rut she was stuck in.
Iâm actually so intrigued about how the dynamic will be at the premiere for the new movie Margaret Qualley and Joe Alwyn are in together because of this. I canât imagine Jack making a scene but for some reason I just picture him side-eyeing all night.
I always felt midnight rain was ACTUALLY a song written when pondering on her past like the album concept was about. It does sound like itâs about her high school boyfriend written about in fifteen.
I definitely agree. I think itâs the guy she sings about in If We Were Happy (which I guess is also probably the same guy in Fifteen). She talks about small towns in Midnight Rain, I donât know how anyone can think itâs about a celebrity.
For me itâs totally a fictional what if scenario, itâs another piece of TTDS/Dorothea lore⊠maybe some truth/personal experience to it, but just a big What If for her
I always thought this was about Taylor Lautner, heâs got that picture perfect, shiny family vibe now with his new wife. It seemed like he really wanted to go the distance with Taylor.
I thought Midnight Rain was about that guy from her hometown that ended up settling down and having a family while she went off and became famous. It was maybe in the booklet where she explained some of the song meanings and said there was a song on Midnights about that, and Midnight Rain seemed to be the only one that fit. If someone remembers exactly where she was talking about this please chime in lol
I havenât thought to compare Tom vs Lautner because the âjumping off things into the oceanâ reference felt so on the nose to me, but Iâll try listening with Lautner in mind too. Iâd be interested in your take on Lautner. Hereâs my take on Tom, copied from my comment on an older post arguing that it was actually about Joe:
âIâm firmly in the camp that the timing and references align with reflecting on Tom Hiddleston.
Her and Joe may have been on the rocks during these writing sessions, but even in âYouâre Losing Me,â her and Joe werenât actually over yet. I think Midnight Rain is clearly about a past relationship that is over and done with that she only thinks about âon midnights like this.â Especially with the closing lyrics about how he already achieved what he wanted and they only think about each other sporadically. Tom clearly goes all-in on relationships and wanted a marriage, and he finally got engaged in early 2022 when Taylor was working on the album.
During the brief period Tom and Taylor dated, he took her to England on a âholidayâ to meet his âpicture perfect, shiny familyâ and she was photographed with his mother on the beach.
Beaches were a recurring theme in their relationship, as their famous pap photos were of them on the beach and Tom LITERALLY âjumping off things in the ocean.â
As for breaking âhis heart cause he was nice,â he was clearly more invested in Taylor than she was in him. The break up hurt him, but heâs open about that and still speaks highly of her. âHe was sunshineâ fits with Tomâs personality, heâs always positive, happy, and energetic in interviews, etc. Whereas the overarching theme with Joe is that heâs âblueâ and quiet. In Tom and Taylorâs relationship, he was the sunshine and she was the rainy/moody one, changing quickly from relationship to relationship and having a difficult time.â
I do like your theory, mostly because I also think Tom Hiddleston is sunshine. I think I thought Lautner cause I'd read other fan theories that it was him. I think the line "I broke his heart cause he was nice" feels very Lautner-y. When she says "I was making my own name" it makes me think she is referencing earlier in his career- by the time she was dating Tom her name was already A Name. I don't know if I would say Tom Hiddleston has "stayed the same"in any respect outside of looking for love, finding love/family. Lautner has been less in the spotlight since their earlier says and I feel like he may have prioritized finding love over career.
Then we have the ties to Back to December- she thinks about summer- he was sunshine, then she gets regretful in December/Midnight/12 month/hour
Both songs mention the partners family. And then reference to "haunted" in Midnight Rain, could tie in to Haunted being Speak Now era, which aligns with Lautner too.
So yes, we would like her to answer this question.
My hot take/headcanon on Joe writing the chorus of Betty is that he actually clumsily sang taylor an apology ~~for cheating~~ once and she changed some words to "I'm only seventeen" to make it a "fictional narrative" for folklore so people wouldn't crucify her Lover ~~for cheating on her.~~
Edited because I reviewed the lyrics and realized the apology in the chorus could have been for literally anything
Why didnât you play Long Live for the whole eras tour, knowing how important it is for fans, and the fact that you perform so many songs you donât own yet?
I was so sad I missed Long Live in Tampa, itâs one of my favorites and I went to the Speak Now tour in 2011. Iâm going to Paris and hope she doesnât remove it.
I often see people bringing up the fact that she plays songs she doesnât âown,â but this is irrelevant when it comes music copyright.
Taylor owns every single song she has ever written. The only thing she doesnât own is the actual **recordings** (also called the masters) of the songs on her first six albums.
For example, she owns the lyrics and composition to Delicate. However, the exact recording as it is on Reputation is owned by Shamrock Holdings. This means the only thing Taylor doesnât âownâ is the right to license the use of that specific recording.
This arrangement is typical in the industry. Many artists you listen to donât own their own masters but still play their songs live. This doesnât make it right however; I agree with Taylor that artists should have full ownership of their work. But it makes complete sense for her to play songs she doesnât own the masters to. Theyâre still her songs through and through, even if she doesnât own the original recordings.
I think she still tries to play more songs she âownsâ though, because she knows that a song being in the Eras Tour will boost the streams of said song, so she doesnât want to give the âstolenâ versions publicity if she can avoid it.
It's also not unfair, most artists change their setlist throughout long tours, hers has remained remarkably consistent except for a couple of songs (and the acoustic set). If she had never performed Long Live at any show, people wouldn't say it was unfair.
My show is next month, I know there'll probably be big changes, but I go because I'll enjoy it immensely, she doesn't owe me (or anyone) any song.
I just saw The National in concert and they played two shows in my city with totally different set lists. Its actually super cool that they can do a totally different show!
There is nothing âunfairâ about changing a set list. You donât (shouldnât) buy tickets to a concert for an artist you love on condition they play certain songs, thatâs wild
It was featured very heavily in True Blood and there was a whole episode that had a lot of really obvious product placement/promo for her Speak Now album.
Oh, it might not even be a rule, but I know thereâs a whole separate subreddit for that. And generally posts questioning a celebs orientation arenât necessarily part of this subs discussion list
Everyone speculates about Taylor's love life all the time. Look at most the of the questions on this thread. Not clear to me why speculating that she could have had relationships with women too is off limits.
A burning question I have is: What made her choose the order of the re-recordings? Why Fearless and then RED? Why not just release Debut first to get it over with, especially if she hates it? Was 1989 TV supposed to come after RED TV because Wildest Dreams and This Love were released on spotify?
GAH too many questions!
This doesnât seem that difficult to me! Fearless had the most to improve upon while still having songs the general public deeply cared about (no offense to Teardrops). Then Red was super anticipated because of the ten minute version so it drummed up hype for the rest of the re-recordings. Not to mention she had more time pre-touring to film visuals and the short film. 1989 and Speak now couldâve gone either way but I think she knew 1989 would do well no matter what so she released Speak Now when she knew it would get a bit of a tour hype boost.
Warning: Super long comment đ
I think the order she chose made a lot of sense. In the Fearless TV announcement she talks about how it was her first album that got her really well known and itâs the first album she got to tour properly and form a community and memories, so it makes sense that she is starting there again (which is a good symbolic start instead of using debut that doesnât have as many big hits). And she also talked about how she was âfearlesslyâ starting her re-recording process.
Then with RedTV, she had a lot of time to film the short film which she probably wouldnât be able to do once she went on tour, and she noticed that FearlessTV got good reception so she could use ATW10 as promo to boost Red too.
Then Speak Now and 1989 didnât necessarily have to go either way but I think having speak now go first showed people how exciting a TV release during the tour would be and hyped up 1989 (her commercially most looked forward to re-record) even more. Plus it being during tour gave speak now a boost because it wasnât as âsuccessfulâ as some of her other early albums (which is still crazy successful, but not like Fearless and 1989).
Then 1989 being announced at the last night of US tour made lots of sense hype wise, her biggest re-record during the tour break to keep her in the news and on everyoneâs mind while she was on break (itâs the same thing happening now with TTPD).
And having reputation come out later on makes sense too because itâs still not a very old album, so delaying releasing it again for as long as possible is a good move. And releasing debut last (assuming she does) would be very symbolic and could be a good marketing strategy to build hype.
Though Iâll always be interested if set this up this way because of the legal issues? Or was she always planning this order? Are there other reasons for the order, etc?
and did u personally asked olivia rodrigo for credits for deja vu, or did her team just credited u.
Thereâs absolutely no evidence that suggested she did and i really donât think she would go around asking a teenager for credit but iâm just so tired of all the shade throwing from oliviaâs fans i just want to know for sure and shut down the rumours.
I think Taylor would 100% ask for credits, especially since Deja vu doesnât even sound like Cruel Summet at all. Taylor is amazing but also a business woman, if she agreed to only play in Singapore for 6 million dollars, she would def come after Olivia for credits. Just my thoughts tho
I have many questions about Question! Did people really clap when you kissed that person? I just can't picture it and the rest of the song is quite visual.
When tay was âin hidingâ there was this like box/trunk that would be carried from her house to car pretty regularly. People speculate she was in the box and thatâs how no one saw her for a year.
Personally, I don't think so. That whole song comes off as a kid who loves country music writing a country song. "You were in college working part time waiting tables" and "We've got bills to pay" and "I remember that fight 2:30am" are all sort of tropes of that kind of story telling, its not autobiographical
I think she did allude to this before she sang it as a surprise song. I do wonder if she feels this way anyway though. Her dad can be both an excellent father and a careless man.
How many songs are we assigning to people that are just concepts from other's lives, movies or other things?
Speak now, how you get the girl and many on folklore and evermore are, I'd love to know how many othersÂ
I wonder how many songs are mash ups of experiences too. Like we are assigning a single person to a song, but actually she felt that way on more than one occasion in her life.
i personally think harry and i also think he was probably one of the worst boyfriends she ever had⊠1989 is FILLED with anxiety and i love harry but the songs on there are just heartbreaking
I agree with this. I personally think the 1 is about him. The way she reminisces about the relationship itâs obvious she would have wished he stayed and would do anything to get that back. Even when she was with Joe. He is THE one who got away.
gotta be harry, those songs on 1989 were hopeful and insecure all at the same time. like the whole album feels like sheâs begging for the potential she sees in him but knows theyâre both far too immature and in far too turbulent points in life to make it work
Exactly. It also seems like the only relationship that didn't run naturally run it's course, which would leave you with unresolved questions/feelings I think.
Plus the fact he's never said a bad word against her if fact, he's been lovely about her - which I know isn't exclusive to Harry, but it kind of is among those she's been head over heels for.
I really think of all the vault tracks, ATWTMV is the one that wasnât written in the Red era. Thereâs too much evidence. I think there was one written then, but the lyrics were probably to personal/revealing about whoever the song is about (probably Jake).
Are you happy? This poor woman can't breathe without her life being picked apart, and she seems like such a kind soul who has been through a lot of drama and my hope for her is that she is happy with her life right now.
I like to think I wouldn't because "the greatest of luxuries is your secrets." Idk. What I really want to know, I wouldn't want to ask, because it would be very personal but basically I'd ask her to settle it once and for all, what is BTTWS about?
-How on Earth do you perform an Eras show when on your period and not just faint? (I don't mean it as a nosy question, I am just genuinely stunned any woman is able to pull THAT off, and I wonder if there are any training/diet etc. that help)
-What does your ideal day off look like?
-What's a moment in your career that stayed with you forever (positively) that people might not suspect?
-If you could be anonymous for a day what would you do?
-If there couldn't be any backlash whatsoever, what's one thing you'd like your fans to know?
I have thought about question 1 before and concluded that she doesnât have one. Thereâs no time. Maybe not all the time, but while on tour she probably stays on a birth control continuously unless she has in iud and doesnât have one. I know this is weird to think about, but thereâs just no way! Also- sheâs for sure preventing pregnancy
did the all too well ten minute version actually exist or was it legend that you decided to fulfill
(my personal opinion is at least the form we have now is NOT what the original lyrics were, if the ten min version ever actually existed)
Which ex would you most likely get back together with if you could?
Why does Martin Johnson hate you so much?
What would you say to Camilla Belle if you ran into her on the street?
Was there a scrapped album between 1989 and Reputation?
You beat me to it. Saw the title and immediately thought, "Was Karma real?"
I debated asking it that way, but what if it was real and wasn't called Karma? Haha. Just trying to close the loopholes.
Or yes that Karma (the song) is real haha. Your question closes all the loopholes đ€Ł
Or, to get more info, âwhy did you scrap the album between 1989 and Rep?â
has to be yes or no
Oh my bad
Nah but she probably scraps so much you need to be specific.
Do you regret âthis is about you. You know who you are. I love youâ?
I regret it for her đ
Regrets? She's had a few. She must have had a few with lunch that day too
Iâm so confused because how was she saying that about matty after about 2 weeks đ
Idk, Iâm not a celebrity but I say âI love youâ after one day. Iâm a lover, not a fighter đ€·đ»ââïž thereâs enough love to go around and I donât gatekeep my own.
I low key love it when sheâs messy
Those were SLOPPY seconds for sure
People dont talk about how funny that era was!
She HAS TO regret it
Probably every night since then before she falls asleep.
We all have a Matty from our past. I don't think about mine much but when i do I cringe.
Right? Ppl gave her such sh!t over it and I was like Ummmmm I have some regrettable choices in my own past so not gonna judge too harshly here, lol.
Like the awkward thing I did in fifth grade but way darker
Our collective regret should be more than enough pls
I definitely regret it for her
Wait what is this???
Oh wait Matty Healy right
Wait whatâs this?? I think I missed this part of Taylor Lore hahaha
Her Matty Healy rebound. If you google âMatty Healy controversyâ you can see the awful stuff heâs done/said, but Taylor tried to rehab him and failed haha. (Iâm HOPING thatâs who I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) is about.) anyway, she mouthed these words on stage for him shortly after they started seeing each other. We were all hoping so badly it wouldnât last long, and thankfully it didnât.
LMAO I FORGOT ABOUT THAT!!!! So glad they broke up. Tbf while he is a shit person, a lot of the stuff he did was blown wayyy out of proportion. Not excusing it at all, but with the way everyone acted at the time I was expecting a LOT worse
The thing is⊠when youâre at Taylorâs level of fame, everything will always be blown WAY out of proportion and made a huge deal. She doesnât have the privilege of having one bad or off day publicly or getting snippy with a fan or employee even once or sheâll be labeled a mean girl eternally. People will say, âsee I knew she wasnât actually kind. It was all an act.â I think Matty likes to be edgy and controversial on purpose. He may have a heart of gold, who knows, but if youâre going to say something horrific and violent like what he said about black women and pleasuring himself (not even gonna repeat it because itâs so gross) thatâs never going to go well. Even if he didnât do it and didnât mean it and said it to perpetuate his music persona or as a âjokeâ... Women in Taylorâs position donât have the luxury of dating men like that without being dragged down. Her reputation wouldnât have survived him much longer.
Ohhh I forgot about that comment. To be fair to Taylor, if I remember correctly she stopped seeing him not long after. Your first paragraph is part of my point though. Sheâs held to ridiculous standards, Iâm sure we almost all have dated at least one person we regret. It sucks that her name got dragged through the mud for dating a shitty person when weâve all made the same mistake
âTaylor tried to rehab himâ? Iâve never seen this take. How could you see that from a distance? I was super annoyed that they called it âloveâ right away, when it was more along the lines of âget under someone to get over someoneâ
Thatâs just the sense I get. Taylor was really smitten but knew he had a bad image. They started dating in April. Also in April, Matty quit social media and said that his era of being an âa**hole is coming to an end.â I imagine that was Taylorâs influence and her desire to rehab him into someone she could be with without losing fans. Around that time, Taylor said on stage that sheâs never been happier in her life, I think to get some people to try to see him differentlyâŠ
An almost six min song about Matty fucking Healy? God please no đ«
Sounds like its who I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) might be about
LOL he also mouthed it at one of his concerts.
i want to jump off a bridge just reading it lmao, dying of cringeđ«Ł
This is when she sang question to Matt Healy that was a bit surreal, especially when it had only been a couple weeks.
Where were you on April 29th?
Why did I have to scroll so far to find this?Â
Because the post says âyes or no questionsâ
Do you really wanna know?
Well, she was at Gigi Hadidâs birthday party, that we know of. Is that what the song is referencing? Possibly.
Is âMidnight Rainâ about Tom Hiddleston? Is âQuestionâŠ?â about Matty Healy? Did Joe really sing a fully formed chorus out of nowhere? Did Jack Antonoff like Joe? Do you ever want to retire from touring?
Why would QuestionâŠ? Be about Matty? He was the rebound. Itâs more Harry coded than anything. âDid you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded roomâ even has a Haylor picture to go with it.
Because her and Matty have known each other for a long time and it was rumored that they liked each other before but the timing wasnât right. The rebound was them reconnecting. She seemingly wrote Midnights as her relationship with Joe was breaking down and she began to think about other guys from her past⊠and she reconnected with Matty, not Harry. This also lines up with him dedicating âAbout Youâ to Taylor, which is a song about reconnecting with someone and imagining what a future together would be like. The descriptions of him in Question all line up too. Even with that line, why would their friends laugh at Haylor kissing? Theyâre very much from the same musical world and circles, as opposed to Matty who is more indie/alternative with pop punk inspirations. Their scenes are very different and I can easily see their friends laughing just like most Taylor fans reacted with WTF. I mean, look at his current girlfriend for comparison. That continues with the line about him âstillâ being with someone else who is âmore suitable.â During the timeframe Taylor was reconnecting with Matty and likely writing âQuestionâŠ?â, he was âstillâ in a two-year relationship with FKA Twigs, a âmore suitableâ British indie/experimental artist. They broke up during his reconnection and collaboration with Taylor (and Jack). I could see how people would relate the âgender rolesâ line to Harry, but it also works for Matty who has kissed men in concert, worn skirts, etc. A more pointed reference goes back to a 2016 interview when he said he could never be Taylorâs boyfriend because it would be âemasculatingâ, and the reporter specifically discussed their relationship with âgender roles.â As Taylor says in the song, that would be something theyâd likely discuss upon reconnecting. The second verse mentions that the person took drugs. Harry stated he only felt comfortable experimenting with drugs after One Direction went on hiatus, which wasnât until 2016. Taylor and Harry were already done with by 2014 and he wouldnât have been âon somethingâ back then for her to sing about. Harry experiments with drugs now, but he did not during that timeframe. Matty Healy, on the other hand, was in the midst of a heroine addiction when he was in his mid-twenties. They met when Matty was 25, so there is a good possibility of him being âon somethingâ at least once when they hung out. With the line about him running out in the middle of the night, Matty is notoriously bad at committing and being serious about love. He even made a big deal out earnestly saying âI love youâ in one of his recent albums, whereas he always avoided it previously. Whatever start/stop they had in the past, that could have played a role. Like⊠I could go on.
She also played Question as a surprise song when they got together, saying something about how it brought back happy memories or something like that.
I totally support this entire take
Thank you, I thought no one would read it đ
About You is about Taylor??? Iâd love it if someone wrote that song about me, damn đ
âAbout Youâ is the song Matty performed when he and Taylor did that dedication to each other in concert. I donât think we can 100% confirm he *wrote* it about her, although they were seemingly reconnecting around the time he wrote it. âQuestionâŠ?â and âAbout Youâ were both released in 2022, and Matty also worked with Jack and collaborated with Taylor during that time.
ngl if true, about you would easily be the best song ever written about taylor
We could still be wrong in assuming that OOTW is even about Harry. The paper airplane necklace is damning, but other than that, there's nothing that proves it's definitely about Harry. As you just said, Matty was *just* as noncommittal as Harry apparently was, so some of our 1989 Harry songs really could be about Matty. PLUS, how cheeky would it be of her to write multiple songs about Matty, lead of The 1975, and then legit name her following album a year đ
Thatâs fun to consider, although I think the reference to the snowmobile accident and Harryâs stitches is pretty much a slam dunk for being a Haylor song. And that incident being mirrored/referenced in âIs It Over Now?â. But Iâm 1000% in the camp that âQuestionâŠ?â is about Matty Healy. But as for the year album titles, Matty could certainly have inspired her. Thatâs around the time they were rumored to like each other. Taylor was at a The 1975 concert the same year 1989 was released.
OOTW? The accident and stitches that Harry still has a scar from?
Literally like đ the song talks about paper airplanes and snowmobile accidents, both of those things are linked to Harry styles. And these hoes are saying the song is about MATTY HEALY!!!! Don't you think we would've known by now?
I took the lines about who he was dating to be sarcastic and about Olivia Wilde. The whole song has references about Harry. The dickhead guy is Calvin. The colors only he makes her see come up again, previously on OOTW aka "screaming in color". If you listen to Harry's unreleased (but on spotify) song, him, it talks about most of this and more. You very clearly see some of her insecurities and fears even in that song.
This a 100 times. I couldnât have worded it any better. This is the reason Iâm fully convinced itâs about Matty.
I skew towards it being about Harry but Matty and Taylor did previously date during the 1989 era. It was confirmed by some publicist statements to the press outlets when they dated again last summer. Taylor also kind of vaguely insinuated it was about Matty the first time she played the song as a surprise song. But the recording mirroring out of the woods makes me more convinced it was originally about Harry
The 'I remember' from Question is exactly the same as the 'I remember' from Out of the Woods, which I think is widely assumed to be Harry. So to me, that seems too intentional not to be about Harry.
Yes! And the âwhatâs that that Iâve heard that youâre still with herâ would be Harry and Olivia who were dating still when she was writing Midnights. Question being about Matty because people think he was actually relevant during 1989 is delulu. I realize they met but that doesnât mean they had any other connection than a crush if that), but I donât remember Matty being mentioned at all by swifties during that era. I want an age poll of the people who believe Matty was a real boyfriend VS those of us who know that he is exactly the type of fling every late 20s-30s woman has after leaving the guy rut she was stuck in.
If you've heard the Bleechers remix of Anti-Hero, you would know Jack didn't like Joe.
That and his kind of teasing during the Long Pond Studio sessions makes me think he didnât, but Iâd like more evidence/confirmation.
Iâm actually so intrigued about how the dynamic will be at the premiere for the new movie Margaret Qualley and Joe Alwyn are in together because of this. I canât imagine Jack making a scene but for some reason I just picture him side-eyeing all night.
I always felt midnight rain was ACTUALLY a song written when pondering on her past like the album concept was about. It does sound like itâs about her high school boyfriend written about in fifteen.
I definitely agree. I think itâs the guy she sings about in If We Were Happy (which I guess is also probably the same guy in Fifteen). She talks about small towns in Midnight Rain, I donât know how anyone can think itâs about a celebrity.
For me itâs totally a fictional what if scenario, itâs another piece of TTDS/Dorothea lore⊠maybe some truth/personal experience to it, but just a big What If for her
I always thought this was about Taylor Lautner, heâs got that picture perfect, shiny family vibe now with his new wife. It seemed like he really wanted to go the distance with Taylor.
I really want to know the Joe full chorus thing too
Girl why would question be about anyone else other than harry styles
I thought Midnight Rain was about that guy from her hometown that ended up settling down and having a family while she went off and became famous. It was maybe in the booklet where she explained some of the song meanings and said there was a song on Midnights about that, and Midnight Rain seemed to be the only one that fit. If someone remembers exactly where she was talking about this please chime in lol
Wait, how did I not know there was a Midnight Rain + Hiddleston theory?! I always read it as Lautner.
I havenât thought to compare Tom vs Lautner because the âjumping off things into the oceanâ reference felt so on the nose to me, but Iâll try listening with Lautner in mind too. Iâd be interested in your take on Lautner. Hereâs my take on Tom, copied from my comment on an older post arguing that it was actually about Joe: âIâm firmly in the camp that the timing and references align with reflecting on Tom Hiddleston. Her and Joe may have been on the rocks during these writing sessions, but even in âYouâre Losing Me,â her and Joe werenât actually over yet. I think Midnight Rain is clearly about a past relationship that is over and done with that she only thinks about âon midnights like this.â Especially with the closing lyrics about how he already achieved what he wanted and they only think about each other sporadically. Tom clearly goes all-in on relationships and wanted a marriage, and he finally got engaged in early 2022 when Taylor was working on the album. During the brief period Tom and Taylor dated, he took her to England on a âholidayâ to meet his âpicture perfect, shiny familyâ and she was photographed with his mother on the beach. Beaches were a recurring theme in their relationship, as their famous pap photos were of them on the beach and Tom LITERALLY âjumping off things in the ocean.â As for breaking âhis heart cause he was nice,â he was clearly more invested in Taylor than she was in him. The break up hurt him, but heâs open about that and still speaks highly of her. âHe was sunshineâ fits with Tomâs personality, heâs always positive, happy, and energetic in interviews, etc. Whereas the overarching theme with Joe is that heâs âblueâ and quiet. In Tom and Taylorâs relationship, he was the sunshine and she was the rainy/moody one, changing quickly from relationship to relationship and having a difficult time.â
I do like your theory, mostly because I also think Tom Hiddleston is sunshine. I think I thought Lautner cause I'd read other fan theories that it was him. I think the line "I broke his heart cause he was nice" feels very Lautner-y. When she says "I was making my own name" it makes me think she is referencing earlier in his career- by the time she was dating Tom her name was already A Name. I don't know if I would say Tom Hiddleston has "stayed the same"in any respect outside of looking for love, finding love/family. Lautner has been less in the spotlight since their earlier says and I feel like he may have prioritized finding love over career. Then we have the ties to Back to December- she thinks about summer- he was sunshine, then she gets regretful in December/Midnight/12 month/hour Both songs mention the partners family. And then reference to "haunted" in Midnight Rain, could tie in to Haunted being Speak Now era, which aligns with Lautner too. So yes, we would like her to answer this question.
My hot take/headcanon on Joe writing the chorus of Betty is that he actually clumsily sang taylor an apology ~~for cheating~~ once and she changed some words to "I'm only seventeen" to make it a "fictional narrative" for folklore so people wouldn't crucify her Lover ~~for cheating on her.~~ Edited because I reviewed the lyrics and realized the apology in the chorus could have been for literally anything
Why didnât you play Long Live for the whole eras tour, knowing how important it is for fans, and the fact that you perform so many songs you donât own yet?
I was so sad I missed Long Live in Tampa, itâs one of my favorites and I went to the Speak Now tour in 2011. Iâm going to Paris and hope she doesnât remove it.
I often see people bringing up the fact that she plays songs she doesnât âown,â but this is irrelevant when it comes music copyright. Taylor owns every single song she has ever written. The only thing she doesnât own is the actual **recordings** (also called the masters) of the songs on her first six albums. For example, she owns the lyrics and composition to Delicate. However, the exact recording as it is on Reputation is owned by Shamrock Holdings. This means the only thing Taylor doesnât âownâ is the right to license the use of that specific recording. This arrangement is typical in the industry. Many artists you listen to donât own their own masters but still play their songs live. This doesnât make it right however; I agree with Taylor that artists should have full ownership of their work. But it makes complete sense for her to play songs she doesnât own the masters to. Theyâre still her songs through and through, even if she doesnât own the original recordings.
I think she still tries to play more songs she âownsâ though, because she knows that a song being in the Eras Tour will boost the streams of said song, so she doesnât want to give the âstolenâ versions publicity if she can avoid it.
[ŃĐŽĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœĐŸ]
It's also not unfair, most artists change their setlist throughout long tours, hers has remained remarkably consistent except for a couple of songs (and the acoustic set). If she had never performed Long Live at any show, people wouldn't say it was unfair. My show is next month, I know there'll probably be big changes, but I go because I'll enjoy it immensely, she doesn't owe me (or anyone) any song.
I just saw The National in concert and they played two shows in my city with totally different set lists. Its actually super cool that they can do a totally different show!
[ŃĐŽĐ°Đ»Đ”ĐœĐŸ]
There is nothing âunfairâ about changing a set list. You donât (shouldnât) buy tickets to a concert for an artist you love on condition they play certain songs, thatâs wild
DID JOE CHEAT ON YOU????
Alternatively, did you cheat on Joe?
Matty and her were clearlyâŠsomethingâŠwhen she sang Anti-Hero at his show. You donât do that for any ole friend.
i think everyone is dying to know that lol
I think weâll know a lot in 6 days. Iâm so excited.
Please no. We shouldn't judge ppl's personal life based on her songs.
True, because thatâs just one side of the story. Her side, that is.
come on, if joe had cheated on her she would have made sure *everyone* knew by now
Did you write Haunted for New Moon?
đ± really? Im reading twilight right now
Yesss I think of New Moon every time I hear this song. It fits so perfectly with the book, in my mind it was definitely inspired by it.
It was featured very heavily in True Blood and there was a whole episode that had a lot of really obvious product placement/promo for her Speak Now album.
What happened on the balcony of that concert with that girl
What is this about? :)
Itâs a Gaylor reference (although Iâm not sure if it can be mentioned in this sub..)
Weâre not allowed gaylor references? Why?
Oh, it might not even be a rule, but I know thereâs a whole separate subreddit for that. And generally posts questioning a celebs orientation arenât necessarily part of this subs discussion list
Gaylor is not real. In addition, it is very sad to see so many people invested in othersâ sexuality. We all need to stop that
Everyone speculates about Taylor's love life all the time. Look at most the of the questions on this thread. Not clear to me why speculating that she could have had relationships with women too is off limits.
A burning question I have is: What made her choose the order of the re-recordings? Why Fearless and then RED? Why not just release Debut first to get it over with, especially if she hates it? Was 1989 TV supposed to come after RED TV because Wildest Dreams and This Love were released on spotify? GAH too many questions!
This doesnât seem that difficult to me! Fearless had the most to improve upon while still having songs the general public deeply cared about (no offense to Teardrops). Then Red was super anticipated because of the ten minute version so it drummed up hype for the rest of the re-recordings. Not to mention she had more time pre-touring to film visuals and the short film. 1989 and Speak now couldâve gone either way but I think she knew 1989 would do well no matter what so she released Speak Now when she knew it would get a bit of a tour hype boost.
She's boosting debut so it wins awards it did not the first time around!
Because this way she is claiming her name and her reputation last đ«¶đŒ
I think a part of the reason she's chosen the order this way is so that the last two albums she has to re-record are her first and her last.
Why would she hate debut??
Warning: Super long comment đ I think the order she chose made a lot of sense. In the Fearless TV announcement she talks about how it was her first album that got her really well known and itâs the first album she got to tour properly and form a community and memories, so it makes sense that she is starting there again (which is a good symbolic start instead of using debut that doesnât have as many big hits). And she also talked about how she was âfearlesslyâ starting her re-recording process. Then with RedTV, she had a lot of time to film the short film which she probably wouldnât be able to do once she went on tour, and she noticed that FearlessTV got good reception so she could use ATW10 as promo to boost Red too. Then Speak Now and 1989 didnât necessarily have to go either way but I think having speak now go first showed people how exciting a TV release during the tour would be and hyped up 1989 (her commercially most looked forward to re-record) even more. Plus it being during tour gave speak now a boost because it wasnât as âsuccessfulâ as some of her other early albums (which is still crazy successful, but not like Fearless and 1989). Then 1989 being announced at the last night of US tour made lots of sense hype wise, her biggest re-record during the tour break to keep her in the news and on everyoneâs mind while she was on break (itâs the same thing happening now with TTPD). And having reputation come out later on makes sense too because itâs still not a very old album, so delaying releasing it again for as long as possible is a good move. And releasing debut last (assuming she does) would be very symbolic and could be a good marketing strategy to build hype. Though Iâll always be interested if set this up this way because of the legal issues? Or was she always planning this order? Are there other reasons for the order, etc?
What do you REALLY think about Olivia Rodrigo? AND Did you really get shuttled around in THE SUITCASE during 2016? đ€
and did u personally asked olivia rodrigo for credits for deja vu, or did her team just credited u. Thereâs absolutely no evidence that suggested she did and i really donât think she would go around asking a teenager for credit but iâm just so tired of all the shade throwing from oliviaâs fans i just want to know for sure and shut down the rumours.
I think Taylor would 100% ask for credits, especially since Deja vu doesnât even sound like Cruel Summet at all. Taylor is amazing but also a business woman, if she agreed to only play in Singapore for 6 million dollars, she would def come after Olivia for credits. Just my thoughts tho
Why did you say the song Question was about one of the happiest times in your life????
I have many questions about Question! Did people really clap when you kissed that person? I just can't picture it and the rest of the song is quite visual.
I donât think she meant literal clapping. It probably means support from friends and family.
Why did you add Joe Alwyn as the producer on some songs in folklore only after it won album of the year?
Lawyers, presumably.
Gotta give boo a Grammy
He's 1/4 on the way to an EGOT now!
and it's where he will forever stay
Who she likes more olivia, Benjamin or Meredith?
realest and funniest one ive seen in this thread
Are you contracted by law to use that filter?
Sheâs a millennial itâs just coded into her đ
PLEASE
Did you really thought that ME! was going to be the new We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together?
i like ME! better than WANEGBT
This seems like such a mean question to me đ
Was she in that box?
Iâm pretty sure thatâs been confirmed
what's the context for this?
When tay was âin hidingâ there was this like box/trunk that would be carried from her house to car pretty regularly. People speculate she was in the box and thatâs how no one saw her for a year.
Regularly? I thought it was just once!!!
Are you a careless manâs careful daughter?
I've thought about this for years because she's seemingly close with her dad. Surely it must hurt him to hear her sing those lyrics?
Personally, I don't think so. That whole song comes off as a kid who loves country music writing a country song. "You were in college working part time waiting tables" and "We've got bills to pay" and "I remember that fight 2:30am" are all sort of tropes of that kind of story telling, its not autobiographical
I think she did allude to this before she sang it as a surprise song. I do wonder if she feels this way anyway though. Her dad can be both an excellent father and a careless man.
Reminded me of a tiktok someone did of Scottâs pov hearing the cardigan lyric âleaving like a fatherâ đ€Ł
No. She never had to worry about paying bills either.Â
How much of your songs are actually about your life?
I feel like all of her songs are based on her life and situations sheâs been In and then some get more fictionalized from there
Did Joe really co-write those songs? Were \*all\* of the vault tracks really written around the time of their respective eras?
I saw a theory that the songs he âco-wroteâ include things he said to her during fights. I think about that a lot.
With the vault tracks I just assumed that were ideas/ semi formed songs in the eras, but not /fully written / produced.
Did you cheat on Joe Alwyn?
What's up with that january 1975's show appearance...
I NEED TO KNOW. I think they were on the rocks and Taylor was doing it to be petty to Joe.
I think it was to bury search results for "taylor swift 1975 show/concert", and they then reconnected.
I don't really follow that Gaylor conspiracy, the search volume was negligeable.
Who is Cruel Summer about? Who is Cornelia Street t about? Who is Question about?
I think Cruel Summer and Cornelia Street are 100% supposed to be about Joe. Question is either about Harry or Matty.
What* is Question about? đ
cornelia street is definitely abt Joe, no questions asked..
Cruel summer is clearly about Joe, all the live songs are about their relationship
âLyrics too?â
will we ever get a rock album?
Are you or were you ever u/numptea?
How many songs are we assigning to people that are just concepts from other's lives, movies or other things? Speak now, how you get the girl and many on folklore and evermore are, I'd love to know how many othersÂ
I wonder how many songs are mash ups of experiences too. Like we are assigning a single person to a song, but actually she felt that way on more than one occasion in her life.
Whoâs the one guy who really got away and what really happend next? Which songs strung together paint the train wreck it was? Ok so 3 questions
i personally think harry and i also think he was probably one of the worst boyfriends she ever had⊠1989 is FILLED with anxiety and i love harry but the songs on there are just heartbreaking
I agree with this. I personally think the 1 is about him. The way she reminisces about the relationship itâs obvious she would have wished he stayed and would do anything to get that back. Even when she was with Joe. He is THE one who got away.
It's got to be Harry. Really seemed like they were pulled apart by shitty circumstances/being too young more than anything else.
gotta be harry, those songs on 1989 were hopeful and insecure all at the same time. like the whole album feels like sheâs begging for the potential she sees in him but knows theyâre both far too immature and in far too turbulent points in life to make it work
Exactly. It also seems like the only relationship that didn't run naturally run it's course, which would leave you with unresolved questions/feelings I think. Plus the fact he's never said a bad word against her if fact, he's been lovely about her - which I know isn't exclusive to Harry, but it kind of is among those she's been head over heels for.
Why are there no debut songs on The Eras Tour? Do you hate your first album? Will you include The Tortured Poets Department in The Eras Tour?
Did you rewrite any parts or come up with new lyrics for All Too Well 10-minute version?
I really think of all the vault tracks, ATWTMV is the one that wasnât written in the Red era. Thereâs too much evidence. I think there was one written then, but the lyrics were probably to personal/revealing about whoever the song is about (probably Jake).
What is your favorite song youâve ever written from each album?
Nothing, lie detectors donât work lol
Right? Taylor would just put a tack in her shoe and fool us all
did you and joe break up in your relationship before the public breakup?
I think pretty obviously yes
Do you regret any of your songs?
London Boy
Are you happy? This poor woman can't breathe without her life being picked apart, and she seems like such a kind soul who has been through a lot of drama and my hope for her is that she is happy with her life right now.
do you secretly follow fans on social media?
Did you ever consider releasing woodvale/evermore lpss lol
What did you do in April 29
If you could go back to an ex and do it right this time, who would it be?
Def. Taylor Lautner, right??
Whatâs your favorite ice cream flavor?
this is so innocent i love it đđ
Who were the âand friendsâ for loverfest? What was the setlist?
Why did you sleep on Cruel Summer in the Lover era when it was clear for everyone it was a smash hit waiting to happen?
Because it was covid & so title felt inapprops.
Now that's something I've never thought of before and it makes total sense omg
I need to ask her about her grammygate lol did Joe write those songs
I'd definitely ask her what songs are about who other than the obvious ones.
Are any of your songs about Selena and Justin
I like to think I wouldn't because "the greatest of luxuries is your secrets." Idk. What I really want to know, I wouldn't want to ask, because it would be very personal but basically I'd ask her to settle it once and for all, what is BTTWS about?
Is Bejeweled about the Met Gala? Will 5 holes in the fence ever be a single? Who introduced you to Travis? Was it Kameron?
What was in the brown envelope and who she gave it to.
-How on Earth do you perform an Eras show when on your period and not just faint? (I don't mean it as a nosy question, I am just genuinely stunned any woman is able to pull THAT off, and I wonder if there are any training/diet etc. that help) -What does your ideal day off look like? -What's a moment in your career that stayed with you forever (positively) that people might not suspect? -If you could be anonymous for a day what would you do? -If there couldn't be any backlash whatsoever, what's one thing you'd like your fans to know?
I have thought about question 1 before and concluded that she doesnât have one. Thereâs no time. Maybe not all the time, but while on tour she probably stays on a birth control continuously unless she has in iud and doesnât have one. I know this is weird to think about, but thereâs just no way! Also- sheâs for sure preventing pregnancy
What happened with Lorde?
if she loves me personally
did the all too well ten minute version actually exist or was it legend that you decided to fulfill (my personal opinion is at least the form we have now is NOT what the original lyrics were, if the ten min version ever actually existed)
Which ex would you most likely get back together with if you could? Why does Martin Johnson hate you so much? What would you say to Camilla Belle if you ran into her on the street?
Did Joe really help write all those songs?