It seems that nobody is safe from Taylor Swift’s new studio album The Tortured Poets Department, which dropped today (19 April).
While many fans expected a lot of songs to take aim at her ex-boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, after their six-year relationship came to a halt last year, there was another surprise supposedly in store for listeners.
For anyone who has already sped through the two-hour album - which includes an additional surprise album and 31 songs - there are some lyrics which might be about a different British man the pop star has reportedly dated.
We all know about the bizarre pairing that was Taylor and The 1965 lead man, Matty Healy - but he may have had more of an impact on the lyricist than initially thought.
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Though their fling was short-lived before she found love with Kansas City Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce, fans are convinced that a few of her songs are inspired by the 'Robbers' singer.
In particular, listeners believe that 'The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived', 'loml' 'But Daddy I Love Him', 'Fresh Out the Slammer', 'The Black Dog' and 'My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys' all reference Matty.
So, what supposedly gave it away?
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Well, let’s take a peek at the lyrics.
'But Daddy I Love Him' + 'I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)'
On 'But Daddy I Love Him', Swift sings: “I'd rather burn my whole life down/ Than listen to one more second of all this b***hin' and moanin'/ I'll tell you something 'bout my good name/ It's mine along with all the disgrace/ I don't cater to all these vipers dressed in empath’s clothing,” with fans speculating that this was about the backlash she'd received about dating Matty.
And many believe that this theme is continued in 'I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can), as she continues: “The jokes that he told across the bar were revolting and far too loud/They shake their heads, saying, ‘God help her’ when I tell ‘em he’s my man/But your good Lord doesn’t need to lift a finger I can fix him, no really I can.”
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'loml'
To make matters worse, fans further speculated that he could have possibly ghosted the singer as she sings in 'loml': “Was any of it true?/ Gazing at me starry-eyed/ In your Jehovah’s Witness suit/ Who the f*** was that guy?/ You tried to buy some pills/ From a friend of friends of mine/ They just ghosted you/ Now you know what it feels like.”
She continues: “And I don’t even want you back I just want to know/ If rusting my sparkling summer was the goal/ And I don’t miss what we had but could someone give/ A message to the smallest man who ever lived.”
'The Black Dog'
In the extended version of the album, Swift appears to reference one of Healy's favourite pop-punk bands, The Starting Line, with the lyrics saying: "I just don't understand how you don't miss me / In The Black Dog when someone plays The Starting Line / And you jump up, but she's too young / To know this song / That was intertwined in the magic fabric of our dreaming."
'Fresh Out The Slammer'
This song describes Swift being 'at the starting line' of something new - like a brand new romance.
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She also hints at her new love interest not being American, singing: "To the one who says I’m the girl of his American dreams."
After hearing the album, fans were quick to comment on social media.
One wrote on Instagram: “All that for an album about Matty Healy.”
Another echoed a similar sentiment over on X, writing: “Taylor using matty healy as inspiration for an album makes sense because i have also lost my mind over a month long fling.”
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“TTPD being a Matty Healy album when it was marketed as a Joe Alwyn album feels like the biggest catfish of all time,” someone else claimed.
While a fourth said: “Literally only on the first song of this marathon album but if this is all genuinely about Matty Healy when the girl has been in a f***ing seven year relationship then I cba like girl that’s embarrassing.”
Tyla has contacted Swift and Healy's reps for comment.
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Matty Healy, Taylor Swift, Music, Social Media
Britt Jones