Why Fans Think Taylor Swift And Joe Alwyn Are Broken Up

As practically everybody in the solar system is aware by now, Taylor Swift just dropped a new album called Folklore, and Swifties everywhere are full of theories interpreting each and every syllable of every lyric. Quite a few of these fan theories seem to revolve around Swift's latest boyfriend, Joe Alwyn. Perhaps not too surprising when you consider the fact that Swift and Alwyn have been together since 2017 (or possibly 2016, according to Elle), which means that in TS years, they're practically headed for their golden anniversary.

Quite a few fans seem to think that Swift and Alwyn are now collaborating creatively, as well as romantically, as People reports that many suspect the two songs credited to William Bowery were really written by Alwyn. Other fans, however, are reading into the fact that a number of Swift's new songs seem to be all about sad breakups. Cosmopolitan says that apparently these Swifties have decided that their idol is either on the brink of splitting up with her longtime bf or perhaps has already done so.

Okay, so a line like "You know the greatest loves of all time are over now ... but it would've been fun, if you would've been the one" from "The 1" and "I couldn't turn things around cause you never gave a warning sign" from "Exile" definitely don't speak to happy times — but that does not necessarily mean they're about Alwyn. After all, there's also a song called "The Cardigan," where the lines, "When I felt like I was an old cardigan / Under someone's bed / You put me on and said I was your favorite" (via Glamour), seem to indicate finding new love after having been discarded by an old one.

Perhaps the biggest clue comes from Taylor herself, though, in an Instagram post explaining what Folklore's all about: "In isolation, my imagination has run wild and this album is the result ... picking up a pen was my way of escaping into fantasy, history, and memory." While the songs may sound too painfully real to credit the "fantasy" aspect, when it comes to history and memory, remember, this is Taylor Swift we're talking about, and the girl's got a long string of failed relationships behind her. So chill, Swifties! She and Joe could very well live happily ever after while she keeps cranking out song after song of long lost loves from times gone by. Girl's got to make a living, after all, and sad songs sell.