Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn were once a beloved couple until they called it quits in April 2023. Swifties, of course, were shocked over news of the split — leaving many wondering why they ended things. Now that Taylor has released her double album The Tortured Poets Department, many are investigating the possible clues behind their breakup. Keep reading to learn everything we know about Taylor and Joe’s breakup.
Why Did Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn Break Up?
Taylor’s fans are convinced that she hinted at the reason for her and Joe’s breakup in her song “You’re Losing Me.” The track is about a romance that was fizzling out for a long time. To add fuel to this fire, music collaborator Jack Antonoff later revealed that “You’re Losing Me” was actually written in 2021 when Taylor and Joe were still together.
“My heart won’t start anymore for you / ‘Cause you’re losing me,” she sings in one portion of the song. The chorus features Taylor contemplating whether or not she should stay in the relationship, as she sings, “Do I throw out everything we built or keep it?”
Toward the end of the track, the “Cruel Summer” artist reveals she wanted marriage, but the person she is singing about did not. “And I wouldn’t marry me either / A pathological people pleaser / Who only wanted you to see her,” she adds in another verse.
“How long could we be a sad song / ‘Til we were too far gone to bring back to life?” Taylor continues in the last verse. “I gave you all my best me’s, my endless empathy / And all I did was bleed as I tried to be the bravest soldier / Fighting in only your army / Frontlines, don’t you ignore me, I’m the best thing at this party.”
Entertainment Tonight reported that the split “was more of Taylor’s decision to break up, but both of them realized that they weren’t completely right for one another.”
“Taylor and Joe are in totally different places in their lives right now,” a source told the outlet in April, shortly after the pair called it quits. “They had been together for such a long time and were spending so much time together, but their personalities were just too different. Joe is more introverted, shy and quiet.”
Were Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn Engaged?
Throughout their six-year relationship, multiple outlets reported that the then-couple were engaged at one point. In 2022, sources told Life & Style that Taylor and Joe were engaged, but neither the pop singer nor the Mary Queens of Scots actor publicly confirmed whether they were engaged or not.
However, Joe played it coy during an interview with WSJ Magazine that year.
If I had a pound for every time I think I’ve been told I’ve been engaged, then I’d have a lot of pound coins,” he joked before adding, “I mean, the truth is, if the answer was ‘yes,’ I wouldn’t say, and if the answer was ‘no,’ I wouldn’t say.”
Who Is Taylor Swift Dating Now?
Following her split from Joe, Taylor was briefly romantically linked with The 1975’s Matty Healy, but that fizzled out a month later. Throughout September and October, though, the “Bad Blood” singer was seen cheering on NFL player Travis Kelce at three of his football games. While their romance is only starting out, music and sports fans have expressed their support for the duo. The two even made brief cameos on Saturday Night Live together before being spotted holding hands. During that episode of SNL, the cast referred to her breakup from Joe, with one speculating whether her hit “Karma” was about the actor.
“‘Karma’ isn’t about Joe! Are you insane? Not everything has to be about Joe,” comedian Mikey Day said in the sketch.
Travis has spoken out about his newfound relationship with Taylor but made it a point that he would refrain from commenting about it too much in order to “respect” her privacy.
