Taylor Swift fans think she is dragging Joe Alwyn with The Tortured Poets Department tracklist

6 February 2024, 13:57

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By Sam Prance

Taylor Swift has announced the song titles on The Tortured Poets Department are here and they seem very pointed.

A new Taylor Swift era is upon us and fans think The Tortured Poets Department tracklist takes multiple shots at Joe Alwyn.

On Sunday (Feb 4), Taylor Swift shocked us all by announcing a brand new album at the Grammys. Fans had come up with a theory that Taylor was going to reveal the release date of Reputation (Taylor's Version) but instead she confirmed that The Tortured Poets Department will come out April 19th. You can now pre-order physical versions of the LP from her website.

If that weren't enough, Taylor has since unveiled the tracklist for and Swifties think that the song titles are aimed at her ex.

READ MORE: Taylor Swift The Tortured Poets Department: Release date, tracklist, theories and news

Swifties will already know that The Tortured Poets Department is Taylor's first studio album since breaking up with actor Joe Alwyn. Taylor and Joe dated each other for six years before ending things during the first month of Taylor's Eras Tour in 2023. As a result, fans think the songs on The Tortured Poets Department will predominantly be inspired by the breakup.

Are they actually about Joe though? We won't know for sure until the album comes out. However, with song titles such as 'So Long London' and 'I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)', Taylor has given Swifties plenty to theorise over. With that in mind, here's a full breakdown of each song title, how savage it is and whether or not it has anything to do with Joe.

1) Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)

'Fortnight' seems pretty vague on first glance but fans have pointed out that it's the British term for two weeks and Joe is, of course, British. Two weeks is also the common notice period for a job. Could fortnight be about the last two weeks of Taylor and Joe's relationship? We'll have to wait and see.

2) The Tortured Poets Department

Now, the title track has already sparked a lot of discourse on social media. While it could all be a coincidence, Joe and Paul Mescal revealed in 2022 that they have a WhatsApp group with Andrew Scott called "The Tortured Man Club." You can decide if that's about Joe or not.

3) My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys

Taylor is the GOAT when it comes to referencing her own lyrics and 'My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys' could be a nod to a lyric in 'Cruel Summer' which is widely believed to be about Joe. In 'Cruel Summer', Taylor sings: 'Bad, bad boy shiny toy with a price you know that I bought it.' Is Joe Taylor's boy and, if so, what did he break?

4) Down Bad

'Down Bad' is vague enough as a title that there's no knowing just yet if it's about Joe or not. Could it be about being down so bad in a relationship that you ignore all the red flags? Could it actually be about a whole new relationship with a beloved American football player where you're actually down bad for someone in a good way? The possibilities are endless.

5) So Long, London

Right, well. Track 5. We all know that Taylor's Track 5's are often her most emotionally raw songs and there's a 99% chance that 'So Long, London' is a breakup song about Taylor's 'London Boy'. It looks like 'Dear John' and 'All Too Well' are about to meet their match.

6) But Daddy I Love Him

Fans have clocked that 'Daddy I Love Him' is exactly what Ariel says to King Triton in The Little Mermaid shortly before she gives up her voice to be with Prince Eric. Did Taylor feel like she gave up her voice to be with Joe?

7) Fresh Out the Slammer

At the end of 2023, Taylor appeared to insinuate that she felt like she hid herself in her relationship with Joe. Talking to Time, she said: "Me locking myself away in my house for a lot of years—I’ll never get that time back. I’m more trusting now than I was six years ago." Taylor also sang "He can be my jailer, Burton to this Taylor" about Joe on her single '...Ready for It?'.

8) Florida!!! (featuring Florence + the Machine)

Well, this one could break us. As fans have pointed out, Taylor performed in Florida just after the news that she and Joe had broken up went public. The triple exclamation mark could suggest a different vibe but after 'Slut!', all bets are off.

9) Guilty as Sin?

Now, this is a title! Swifties are yet to decipher or guess what it could be about but in two months we'll have our answer.

10) Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?

Swifties believe that 'Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?' could be a reference to Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf. As pointed out, the play "examines the marriage of a middle-aged couple whose relationship is falling apart."

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, who are referenced on '...Ready For It?', also famously played the lead roles in the 1966 film adaptation of the play.

11) I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)

No easter eggs here just yet but the title speaks for itself.

12) Loml

'Loml' likely stands for 'love of my life'. Fans think this could be a heartbreaking song about ending a long-term relationship. The last time Taylor used the phrase 'love of my life' in a song, she sang: 'Wondering if I dodged a bullet or just lost the love of my life' in her Fifty Shades single 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever'. Is she wondering the same thing?

13) I Can Do It With a Broken Heart

Taylor is famous for playing her shows no matter what. Speaking to Time in 2023, she said: "I know I’m going on that stage whether I’m sick, injured, heartbroken, uncomfortable, or stressed." Fans think that 'I Can Do It with a Broken Heart' could be about her soldiering on and performing amid the heartbreak of her relationship with Joe ending.

14) The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

We'll let you decide who this one could be about.

15) The Alchemy

Throughout Taylor's relationship with Joe, she released multiple songs about him with gold imagery. There's 'Gold Rush' on Evermore and in 'Daylight' on Lover, Taylor sings: "I once believed love would be burning red but it’s golden." Alchemy is the art of turning metals into gold. Is Taylor waking up and realising that her relationship was never actually golden?

16) Clara Bow

Clara Bow was a silent film actress who first rose to fame in the 20s and fans are already spotting the similarities between her and Taylor. Whether this is about Joe or not, we'll have to wait and see.

READ MORE: Who is Clara Bow? Taylor Swift's new song title sparks theories about meaning

So there we have it. 16 iconic track titles. Which one are you claiming?

Read more Taylor Swift news here:

• Is Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets Department' album title about Joe Alwyn? Here's what it could mean
• When does Reputation (Taylor's Version) come out? Here's what Taylor Swift has teased so far
• Taylor Swift re-recordings: All the release dates of the Taylor’s Version albums in order
• When does 'Debut (Taylor's Version)' come out? Here's what Taylor Swift has teased so far
• Every surprise song performed on Taylor Swift's Eras Tour so far

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