Since their romance went public in 2016, Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn have been one of pop music’s favorite (and most private) couples. After all, Swift has dedicated more than a few songs to her relationship with Alwyn that have inspired fans and left them swooning. But in 2020, Alwyn also tossed his hat in the musical ring (under the pseudonym William Bowery), and has writing credits on Folklore‘s “Exile” and “Betty” as well as Evermore‘s “Champagne Problems,” “Coney Island,” and “Evermore.” And now that Midnights is out, Swifties are realizing that Alwyn co-wrote “Sweet Nothing,” once again taking the pen name William Bowery, and it’s only making the lyrics of the song even more poignant.
Midnights was released on Oct. 21 at midnight with a fitting 13 songs. But Swift surprised everyone once again (how did fans not see this coming?) when she added a whopping seven more songs to the album at 3 a.m. the same day. “Sweet Nothing” is track No. 12, which I’m convinced has some significance, though of course I don’t know what it is yet.
Fans on Twitter are swooning over the song. One fan said, “The fact that sweet nothing was also written by taylor & joe make it sweeter I’m gonna cry.” Another wrote, “After hearing Sweet Nothing if Taylor and Joe ever break up I will truly believe love is dead.” TBH, same.
Some of the “Sweet Nothing” lyrics read, “I spy with my little tired eye / Tiny as a firefly, a pebble / That we picked up last July / Down deep inside your pocket / We almost forgot it / Does it ever miss Wicklow sometimes?” As Genis points out, Alwyn was filming a TV show in Wicklow, Ireland, so Swift must have visited him while he was there.
Swift also sings, “They said the end is coming / Everyone’s up to something / I found myself a-running home to your sweet nothings.” This could refer to people constantly judging Swift and her relationships, and some people thinking her relationship with Alwyn would end quickly. That’s obviously not the case, though, since the pair’s been together for over six years.
Add “Sweet Nothing” to the list of absolute bops co-written by this power couple. Maybe we’ll get a full Taylor and Joe album in the future?