Music
Taylor Swift’s Tortured Poets Department Tracklist May Be Joe Alwyn-Coded
Get tissues before “So Long, London” comes out.
Only a day after Taylor Swift announced her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, during the 2024 Grammys, the singer unveiled the album’s tracklist by posting the back cover on social media. Naturally, the Swifties got out their magnifying glasses to examine the song titles, and they think all roads lead back to her ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn.
After winning Best Pop Vocal Album for 2022’s Midnights, Swift teased her big announcement by saying she’s kept a secret “for the past two years,” meaning she likely conceptualized and started writing Tortured Poets sometime in 2022.
Given that Swift and Alwyn reportedly broke up in early 2023, fans think most of the record will be about the end of their six-year relationship — and the tracklist contains many hints and references that fuel the speculation.
Joe Alwyn’s Curious Group Chat Name
Some fans think Swift’s album title may be a direct nod to Alwyn. In a 2022 interview with Paul Mescal for Variety, the two revealed they’re in a WhatsApp group chat with Andrew Scott called the “Tortured Man Club.”
Swift’s lyricism and songwriting history obviously predates the group chat, which might be where the “poet” reference comes in. But if the nod is intentional, then expect some devastating breakup songs.
Never Dismiss Swift’s Track 5
The most obvious nod toward Alwyn comes in the form of this album’s Track 5, called “So Long, London.” Swift tends to place her most emotional or vulnerable song as the fifth song on the tracklist, which makes Track 5 a trend unique to her catalog.
“Picking a Track 5 is sort of a pressurized decision,” she once said in her 2020 documentary folklore: the long pond studio sessions.
Since Alwyn is from London, as she proudly sang about on her 2019 track “London Boy,” Swifties think this new song will be about a post-split farewell. Grab some tissues before you start listening.
The Florence Collab Holds A Big Clue
Fans also think Swift’s collaboration with Florence + the Machine, “Florida!!!,” may have something to do with Alwyn. While it’s unknown exactly when the two split, Swift played her first Eras Tour shows after the breakup reports came out in Tampa, Florida, from April 13-15.
A Story Of Breakup
Even if they aren’t directly Alwyn-coded, many of the Tortured Poets song titles allude to breakups and trying to save a relationship, including “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can),” “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” and “loml,” which is shorthand for “love of my life.” Swifties are also raising their eyebrows at “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.”
Some fans also pointed out that Swift may have arranged the tracklist to tell the story of a breakup in different stages of grief. The album’s vinyl includes two discs, dividing the tracklist into Sides A-D. Given the titles, Swifties think Side A could represent denial, Side B may be full of anger, Side C could reflect depression, and Side D may signify acceptance.
But, Is All Of Tortured Poets A Breakup Album?
Despite all the speculation about a breakup album, Tortured Poets could address many other topics that Swifties haven’t even considered. Some titles like “Fresh Out the Slammer” and “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” hold a bit of mystery, with the potential to tell stories that aren’t about love. Here’s a look at the full song list:
- “Fortnight” (feat. Post Malone)
- “The Tortured Poets Department”
- “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys”
- “Down Bad”
- “So Long, London”
- “But Daddy I Love Him”
- “Fresh Out the Slammer”
- “Florida!!!” (feat. Florence + the Machine)
- “Guilty as Sin?”
- “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”
- “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)”
- “loml”
- “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”
- “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”
- “The Alchemy”
- “Clara Bow”
- “The Manuscript” (Bonus Track)
One thing that the Tortured Poets tracklist doesn’t hint at is its sound. Swift has not announced which producers she worked with on this album. Some fans think it could be a mixture of folklore’s indie-folk sound and Midnights’ moody synth-pop, while others think Swift will do another total genre shift. Swifties will have to wait until April 19 to find out for themselves.
