It seems that nobody is safe from Taylor Swift’s new studio album The Tortured Poets Department, which dropped today (19 April).
While many fans expected a lot of songs to take aim at her ex-boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, after their six-year relationship came to a halt last year, there was another surprise supposedly in store for listeners.
For anyone who has already sped through the two-hour album - which includes an additional surprise album and 31 songs - there are some lyrics which might be about a different British man the pop star has reportedly dated.
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We all know about the bizarre pairing that was Taylor and The 1965 lead man, Matty Healy - but he may have had more of an impact on the lyricist than initially thought.
Though their fling was short-lived before she found love with Kansas City Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce, fans are convinced that a few of her songs are inspired by the 'Robbers' singer.
In particular, listeners believe that 'The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived', 'loml' 'But Daddy I Love Him', 'Fresh Out the Slammer', 'The Black Dog' and 'My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys' all reference Matty.
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So, what supposedly gave it away?
Well, let’s take a peek at the lyrics.
'But Daddy I Love Him' + 'I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)'
On 'But Daddy I Love Him', Swift sings: “I'd rather burn my whole life down/ Than listen to one more second of all this b***hin' and moanin'/ I'll tell you something 'bout my good name/ It's mine along with all the disgrace/ I don't cater to all these vipers dressed in empath’s clothing,” with fans speculating that this was about the backlash she'd received about dating Matty.
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And many believe that this theme is continued in 'I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can), as she continues: “The jokes that he told across the bar were revolting and far too loud/They shake their heads, saying, ‘God help her’ when I tell ‘em he’s my man/But your good Lord doesn’t need to lift a finger I can fix him, no really I can.”
'loml'
To make matters worse, fans further speculated that he could have possibly ghosted the singer as she sings in 'loml': “Was any of it true?/ Gazing at me starry-eyed/ In your Jehovah’s Witness suit/ Who the f*** was that guy?/ You tried to buy some pills/ From a friend of friends of mine/ They just ghosted you/ Now you know what it feels like.”
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She continues: “And I don’t even want you back I just want to know/ If rusting my sparkling summer was the goal/ And I don’t miss what we had but could someone give/ A message to the smallest man who ever lived.”
'The Black Dog'
In the extended version of the album, Swift appears to reference one of Healy's favourite pop-punk bands, The Starting Line, with the lyrics saying: "I just don't understand how you don't miss me / In The Black Dog when someone plays The Starting Line / And you jump up, but she's too young / To know this song / That was intertwined in the magic fabric of our dreaming."
'Fresh Out The Slammer'
This song describes Swift being 'at the starting line' of something new - like a brand new romance.
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She also hints at her new love interest not being American, singing: "To the one who says I’m the girl of his American dreams."
After hearing the album, fans were quick to comment on social media.
One wrote on Instagram: “All that for an album about Matty Healy.”
Another echoed a similar sentiment over on X, writing: “Taylor using matty healy as inspiration for an album makes sense because i have also lost my mind over a month long fling.”
“TTPD being a Matty Healy album when it was marketed as a Joe Alwyn album feels like the biggest catfish of all time,” someone else claimed.
While a fourth said: “Literally only on the first song of this marathon album but if this is all genuinely about Matty Healy when the girl has been in a f***ing seven year relationship then I cba like girl that’s embarrassing.”
Tyla has contacted Swift and Healy's reps for comment.
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Matty Healy, Taylor Swift, Music, Social Media
Britt Jones