Taylor Swift Explained Why Joe Alwyn Helped Write Evermore's Saddest Songs

The sad songs on Taylor Swift's last two albums may have had some fans concerned about her and Joe Alwyn's relationship, but it turns out all of those heartbreaking lyrics are actually a sign of the couple's strong bond. During a recent interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, Taylor Swift explained why Alwyn co-wrote some of Evermore's most heartbreaking tracks, revealing that the lyrics have nothing to do with their own love story.

"I say it was a surprise that we started writing together, but in a way, it wasn't because we have always bonded over music and had the same musical tastes," Swift said. "And he's always the person who's showing me songs by artists and then they become my favorite songs or whatever." The actor collaborated with Swift on some of Folklore and Evermore's most devastating tracks, including "Champagne Problems," which some fans speculated was inspired by the singer rejecting his proposal.

As she explained to Lowe, however, the pair's heartbreaking lyrics were just an extension of their shared musical tastes. "Joe and I really love sad songs," Swift said. "We've always bonded over music. So it was… We write the saddest [ones]. We just really love sad songs. What can I say?"

For the title track, Evermore, Swift revealed that she and Alwyn wrote it the same way they wrote "Exile," with the actor composing the melody and her adding the lyrics afterward. In true Swift fashion, the song also features multiple nods to significant points in her life — specifically the aftermath of her feud with Kanye West. "When I went through a bunch of bad stuff in 2016, [in] July, November," she recalled, referencing the feud. "All those times were just sort of taking it day-by-day to get through, trying to find a glimmer of hope, all of that. So I was coming from both of those perspectives."

There was also a more recent inspiration for the song: the 2020 presidential election. "One of the meanings is that I wrote this song and these lyrics when we were coming up to the election, and I didn't know what was going to happen," Swift said. "So I was almost preparing for the worst to happen, and trying to see some sort of glimmer at the end of the tunnel."

"You're catching your death, and then in the last chorus, the person goes inside, and finally is warm, and finally is safe," Swift continued, explaining the reasoning behind the final verse on the album's title track. "It's about sort of the process of finding hope again." Swift also said that she wanted fans to know "that it could get better," which is why she decided to end the album on that note.

The album's closer wasn't the only track they worked on together. The couple wrote another melancholy Evermore song called "Champagne Problems," which the pop star can't wait to perform live once it's safe to do so. "I'm so excited to one day be in front of a crowd when they all sing, 'She would have made such a lovely bride. What a shame she's f--ked in the head,'" she said. "I love a sad song."

According to Swift, it was easy to collaborate with Alwyn on these emotional tracks, even though they probably wouldn't have worked together if not for the coronavirus lockdowns. "All I have to do is dream up some lyrics and come up with some gut-wrenching, heart-shattering story to write with him," she said. But fans probably shouldn't expect more music from Swift anytime soon (aside from her two upcoming bonus tracks). "I have absolutely no idea what the next decade holds," she said. So if you're a Swiftie who's been holding out hope for a Folklore trilogy, you might be waiting a while.