Just as Paul Revere alerted Bostonians about the British, I feel it’s my duty to spread the word on Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn’s relationship. Swift and Alwyn have been dating for over six years, where they were rumored to have met at the 2016 Met Gala. Since that fateful day, Alwyn has acted as Swift’s muse for albums like Midnights. Things seemed to be going well for the couple — or so fans all thought.
Suspicions of a potential breakup rose after fans didn’t spot Alwyn at the Eras Tour. Maybe Alwyn was a victim of the Great Ticketmaster Crash of 2022 — or maybe this was the beginning to his and Swift’s end. Following the lack of Alwyn’s presence, Swift switched around the setlist for Eras. Fans that attended the tour said that Swift sang “The 1” in place of “Invisible String.” Both “The 1” and “Invisible String” appear in her album Folklore, but the latter is a song about found love, whereas “The 1” tells the story of a relationship that didn’t work out. Sound familiar?
As speculations bubbled, Swift and Alwyn seemed to officially call it quits on April 8, 2023. Her Campus reached out to Swift and Alwyn’s teams for comment but didn’t hear back. Neither confirmed or denied if the rumor was true, but their silence spoke volumes. Love is dead, I guess. But the reported breakup didn’t stop Swift from living her life and, per usual, slaying on tour.
While Swift and Alwyn have seemingly been trying to keep this news private, Swift hinted at the split during a recent Eras show. The Tampa concert on April 13 marked her first major appearance since her and Alwyn’s breakup. Aside from her choice to replace “Invisible String” with “The 1,” Swift also asked her Tampa audience, “Is it me, or do we have a lot of things to catch up on?” Though this comment seems minor, it’s the closest Swifties got to hearing a confirmation of what happened between her and Alwyn.
So what’s next for Swift, besides more Eras concerts? It’s safe to say that Swift will use this time away from Alwyn to enjoy the success of her latest album, Midnights, and continue putting her energy behind the Eras Tour.