Taylor Swift May Have Hinted At Her Reported Breakup With A Set List Change

Swifties had gotten comfortable in Taylor Swift’s loved-up era, so when reports emerged on April 8 that the singer had split from longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn a few weeks prior, it was a shock. Although a source told ET their relationship had “run its course” and that the breakup “was not dramatic,” fans are still reeling. And with Swift and Alwyn remaining as tight-lipped about their relationship as ever, the hunt for clues about what actually happened, and when, is on.

Swift is known to deliberately drop hints for fans, so in the wake of breakup reports, many suddenly began to reexamine her recent behavior. One decision, in particular, has been flagged as a potential clue. Fans noticed that the singer switched up her Eras tour set list about a week prior to her reported split going public, replacing the Folklore track “Invisible String” with “The 1” in her performances. The theory goes that Swift prefers to sing a song about a past love rather than one she wrote about Alwyn and the tie between them.

Not everyone is on board with the theory, of course. Some fans have noted that Swift still has numerous romantic songs about Alwyn on her set list. Others aren’t ready to believe the couple has broken up, either. Noting the many Alwyn-inspired tracks included, one naysayer tweeted that they didn’t believe Swift would be performing Eras shows “without a single tear” if the reports were true.

But if the switch was because of their breakup, Swift could hardly be blamed for not wanting to sing “Invisible String” during her shows. The lyrics muse about the possibility of her and Alwyn’s love story being meant to be. “And isn’t it just so pretty to think, all along there was some invisible string, tying you to me?” she sings in it.

“The 1,” on the other hand, could be a better fit for a post-breakup Swift. For one, it’s not written about Alwyn, and on top of that, it deals with looking back nostalgically on a previous love while moving on. It’s a poignant track, including lyrics like, “And if my wishes came true, it would’ve been you,” and “But it would’ve been fun, if you would’ve been the one.”

To be honest, neither track would be easy to sing in the midst of a painful breakup, but ET’s source did indicate their relationship simply reached the end of the road in non-dramatic fashion. Nonetheless, fans will surely be paying attention to any other changes that Swift might make during the Eras Tour. And, of course, the real answers might come whenever she makes new music.