When Taylor Swift released her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department , back in April, one of the biggest surprises was just how many of the songs appear to be about her former flame Matty Healy . The star famously embarked on a highly controversial romance with Matty throughout the month of May in 2023, with the two going public with their relationship less than one month after Taylor split from her boyfriend of over six years, Joe Alwyn. Taylor’s association with Matty sparked almost immediate backlash due to Matty’s long history of problematic behavior, which included him seemingly doing a Nazi salute on stage, and candidly saying that he masturbates to Black women being “brutalized” just months earlier.
But Taylor remained defiant amid the outrage, and even made a pointed speech that implied she was completely unfazed by the online discourse during one of her Eras shows. However, in early June, it was reported that Taylor and Matty had ended their relationship — seemingly as suddenly as it had started. Fast-forward to April, and Taylor’s fans were stunned by the sheer amount of insight that her 31-track album appeared to give into her and Matty’s relationship.
(At this point, it’s worth mentioning that lyrical interpretation is, of course, entirely subjective, and Taylor very rarely confirms who her songs are about. However, she has always actively encouraged her fans to connect clues and Easter eggs about the subjects of her music.) Through multiple .