Matty Healy will have free license to write about his romance with Taylor Swift on any forthcoming release with The 1975 because he didn’t sign a non-disclosure agreement while dating the singer.
Healy, 35, is thought to have provided inspiration for a series of unflattering and occasionally eviscerating lyrics on Swift’s latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, following their brief relationship in 2023.
Numerous tracks on the album refer to an unnamed wayward boyfriend, among them But Daddy I Love Him, Down Bad, I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) and The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.
But Healy will have an opportunity to respond while writing and recording a new album with The 1975 – the band’s sixth and their follow up to 2022 release Being Funny In A Foreign Language.
Healy alluded to his former relationship with R&B artist FKA twigs numerous times on the album, with stand out tracks I’m In Love With You, All I Need To Hear and When We Are Together believed to be inspired by their romance.
Matty Healy didn’t sign a non-disclosure agreement during his brief fling with Taylor Swift, so is now free to pen his own songs about their romance, according to reports
The 1975 singer Matty, 35, was surprisingly the focus of 34-year-old Taylor ‘s heartbreak album which was released last week to rave reviews (seen in NYC last May)
‘Matty is currently keeping a low profile working on The 1975’s next album. This time last week he had no idea he was about to become one of the most talked about men on the planet,’ a source told The Sun.
‘He has opted to keep silent, but no NDA has been signed. Like Taylor, he uses his music as a form of release and storytelling, it’s naturally caused him to think about their time together and he’s never been one to hold back when speaking his mind.
‘Also like Taylor, he’s moved on and is very happy with his current relationship with Gabbriette Bechtel but there is nothing stopping him from writing about his romance with Taylor and having his say on what she said about him.’
The insider added fans should wait in anticipation for when the band’s next album drops.
It comes as Healy broke his silence on Wednesday on the music which documents their failed romance.
Asked by a reporter from Entertainment Tonight on Wednesday what he thought of the ‘diss track’ he politely replied: ‘I haven’t really listened to that much of it but I’m sure it’s good.’
Swift’s eleventh album was released on April 19 as speculation the diss song was about Healy hit fever pitch around the world.
Matty and Taylor dated briefly after her split from her long-term boyfriend Joe Alwyn last year and despite the short relationship plenty of songs on the record appear to be about him
Taylor is now happily in love with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce
Choice lyrics refer to a man in a ‘Jehovah’s Witness suit’ responsible for ‘rusting my sparkling summer’.
Healy is known for wearing distinctive black suits during live performances and the pair are believed to have broken up in June 2023.
According to Us Weekly, his reaction has been positive, and the people close to him ‘couldn’t be happier’ with how the record turned out.
A source said on Saturday: ‘Matty still thinks very highly of Taylor but we were all nervous about what she might have said on the album.
‘Matty’s family were worried that Taylor was going to rip him apart. Matty has struggled with life in the public eye, and he’s been doing really well, but the last thing that he needs is for every Swiftie in the world to think he’s a villain.’
Another insider told the publication: ‘He was worried that their story would be shed in a negative light’ but was ‘really appreciative of the heads up’ he got from Swift.
Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department: Full tracklist and meanings in her double album
Tracks on The Tortured Poets Department
1. Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)
Taylor appears to reference the end of her relationship with Joe Alwyn and her subsequent fling with Matty Healy in the first track on her album.
The first verse appears to hint at the end of her romance with Joe as she sings: I was supposed to be sent away but they forgot to come and get me.
Taylor then wishes an ex well who betrayed her: All of this to say, I hope you’re okay, but you’re the reason / No one here’s to blame but what about your quiet treason.
In the second verse, Taylor talks about a short-lived fling that helped her ‘move on’, potentially a reference to Matt.
She sings: ‘All my mornings are Mondays stuck in an endless February / I took the miracle move on drug and the effects were temporary / And I love you, it’s ruining my life / I touched you for only a fortnight.’
2. The Tortured Poets Department
The titular track is a shimmering melody which suggest that Taylor, modestly, doesn’t see herself at the top table of tortured poets: ‘You’re not Dylan Thomas, and I’m not Patti Smith.’
It also appears to heavily reference her fling with Matty as she sings: ‘You smokеd then ate seven bars of chocolate / We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist.
‘I scratch your head, you fall asleep / Like a tattooed golden retriever / But you awaken with dread.’
She also makes a candid reference to her mental health, singing: ‘But you told Lucy you’d kill yourself if I ever leave /And I had said that to Jack about you so I felt seen’.
3. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys
Written solely by Taylor, this song’s dense electronic hum adds forceful notes.
Fans have suggested the title is a reference to the ‘shiny toy she sang about in her hit Cruel Summer from the album Lover.
It’s not clear if she is referring to heartbreak after splitting from Joe or the abrupt end to her romance with Matty.
‘Once I fix me, he’s gonna miss me,’ she vows, adding: ‘I know I’m just repeating mysеlf Put me back on my shelf / But first, pull the string And I’ll tell you that he runs Because he loves me (He loves me).’
4. Down Bad
Taylor references mental health again as she details how ‘down’ she feels without an ex and the infatuation she felt with him.
‘Everything comes out teenage petulance,’ sings Taylor as she bitterly surveys the fallout from an old relationship.
She continues: ‘Everything comes out teenage petulance / F**k it if I can’t have him / I might just die, it would make no difference / Down bad, waking up in blood /Staring at the sky, come back and pick me up.
‘F**k it if I can’t have us / I might just not get up / I might stay down bad.’
5. So Long, London
The first track to be written with The National’s Aaron Dessner brings a change of pace, with a lovely, choral intro. ‘So long, London, you’ll find someone,’ sings Taylor.
The song appears to be a reference to British ex Joe and a follow up to her hit London Boy from Lover.
She references their different approaches to the end of their romance, singing in the first verse: ‘I kept calm and carried the weight of the rift / Pulled him in tighter each time he was drifting away / My spine split from carrying us up the hill.’
Verse three she muses: ‘And you say I abandoned the ship, but I was going down with it / My white knuckle dying grip holding tight to your quiet resentment.’
Taylor Swift officially dropped The Tortured Poets Department on Friday – her hotly-anticipated 11th studio album
6. But Daddy I Love Him
‘I know he’s crazy, but he’s the one I want,’ sings Taylor, showing wry humour as she admits to falling for the bad boys. Produced, with real brightness, by Dessner.
She goes on to revel in the fact she dismisses warning from critics, singing: ‘They slammed the door on my whole world / The one thing I wanted
‘Now I’m running with my dress unbuttoned, / Screaming, But daddy I love him / I’m having his baby / No I’m not, but you should see your faces.’
7. Fresh Out The Slammer
Finger-picked acoustic guitar adds folky notes reminiscent of lockdown albums Folklore and Evermore to Fresh Out The Slammer, which details rushing into a new relationship.
Seemingly a reference to her fling with Matty – who she previously dated in 2015 – she sings: ‘Now pretty baby, I’m running back home to you. / Fresh out the slammer I know who my first call will be to.’
On the decay of her past relationship, she sings: ‘Splintered back in winter, silent dinners, bitter he was with her in dreams / Gray and blue and fights and tunnels, handcuffed to the spell I was under.
‘For just one hour of sunshine / Years of labor, locks and ceilings / In the shade of how he was feeling.’
8. Florida!!! (feat. Florence + The Machine)
An album highlight, this theatrical duet with London singer Florence Welch is an uplifting song of escape – from small-town life and a bad romance.
Tellingly the first tour stop following her split from Joe was in Tampa, Florida and she begins her song by singing: ‘You can beat the heat if you beat the charges too.
‘They said I was a cheat, I guess it must be true / And my friends all smell like weed or little babies / And this city reeks of driving myself crazy.’
9. Guilty As Sin?
A tale of unrequited love, and a superb slice of 1980s-style soft rock. It even mentions The Downtown Lights, a 1989 single by Scottish band The Blue Nile.
She begins the track with her feelings on being ‘trapped’ in a relationship, singing: ‘My boredom’s bone-deep, this cage was once just fine / Am I allowed to cry?
‘I dream of cracking locks, throwing my life to the wolves or the ocean rocks.’
She hints at an emotional affair providing her release, singing: ‘These fatal fantasies giving way to labored breath taking all of me we’ve already done it in my head.
‘If it’s make-believe why does it feel like a vow we’ll both uphold somehow?”’
10. Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me?
Big drums, a dramatic arrangement, and more dry humour in another song penned solely by Taylor. ‘You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me,’ she snarls.
It’s reminiscent of her hit single Look What You Made Me Do and the villain arc is prominent in her lyrics.
She sings: ‘I was tame, I was gentle till the circus life made me mean /Don’t you worry folks, we took out all her teeth
‘Who’s afraid of little old me? Well you should be.’
This is her first new album since the end of her six-year relationship with British actor Joe Alwyn and, while she doesn’t mention Alwyn by name, speculation will be rife that tracks such as So Long, London are about him. Pictured together in 2019
Taylor Swift and Matty Healy seen leaving The Electric Lady studio in Manhattan on May 16, 2023
11. I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)
A moody, stripped-down number worthy of Lana Del Rey, who has also worked extensively with the song’s producer, Jack Antonoff.
She appears to be referring to chain smoking, booze loving Matty, as she sings: ‘The smoke cloud billows out his mouth like a freight train through a small town / The jokes that he told across the bar were revolting and far too loud.’
Fans had expressed their concerns when Taylor started dating The 1975 bad boy rocker and it seems her friends had the same reservations.
Taylor sings: ‘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 / And only I can.’
12. loml
‘You said I’m the love of your life,’ sings Taylor on this warm, resonant piano ballad. In a smart twist, the ‘loml’ ultimately becomes ‘the loss of my life’.
She describes being love-bombed by an old flame, seemingly referring to Matty given their past experience.
Others have suggested the intensity of the lyrics suggest it relates to her longterm relationship with Joe.
She sings: ‘I felt a glow like this, never before and never since /If you know it in one glimpse it’s legendary.
‘You and I go from one kiss to getting married / Still alive, killing time at the cemetery / Never quite buried.’
13. I Can Do It With A Broken Heart
More 1980s influences on an electronic pop track that sees Taylor vowing to remain a trouper, despite any romantic strife.
She sings about putting on a brave face while her relationships publicly fall apart, noting: ‘They said, “Babe, you gotta fake it till you make it,” and I did.
‘Lights, camera, b***h, smile / Even when you wanna die / He said he’d love me all his life / But that life was too short / Breaking down, I hit the floor / All the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting more.’
Taylor has previously admitted she struggled with her love live playing out so publicly and the narrative that she’d had more boyfriends than other women.
14. The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
‘You didn’t measure up in any measure of a man,’ sings a disdainful Taylor on a melodramatic ballad.
The title is noteworthy, given that Matty’s stature is an object of some debate. The singer previously disclosed: ‘Everyone in [the 1975] is 6’4” and I’m 5’10”, so everyone thinks that I’m 5’5”.’
More recently, he addressed these short man allegations by telling a fan that he was ‘sick to f***ing death of this’, insisting that he is ‘a big boy.’
She sings: ‘And I don’t miss what we had / But could someone give a message / To the smallest man who ever lived?’
15. The Alchemy
Not all the songs are about heartbreak, as sporting metaphors aplenty suggest a track inspired by the singer’s current boyfriend, American football star Travis Kelce.
‘When I touch down, call the amateurs and cut them from the team,’ she sings.
Speaking about the upcoming release back in February, when he was building up to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, Kelce said he had heard some of the songs on Taylor’s latest release.
‘I have heard some of it and yes, it’s unbelievable,’ he said to reporters. ‘I can’t wait for her to shake up the world when it finally drops.’
16. Clara Bow
It’s tempting to think Taylor sees something of herself in a closing track inspired by Clara an American actress of the 1920s who lived her life in the Hollywood goldfish bowl.
She goes on to reference Stevie Nicks as she details struggling with the trappings of fame.
Taylor sings: ‘I’m not trying to exaggеrate / But I think I might die if I made it, die if I made it / No one in my small town thought I’d meet these suits in LA / They all want to say.’
The Alchemy: Sporting metaphors aplenty suggest a track inspired by the singer’s current boyfriend, American football star Travis Kelce. Pictured at Coachella this week
Bonus tracks on The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology
17. The Black Dog
The Black Dog is also a reference to depression and lack of energy based on a demonic hellhound acting as an omen of death in English folklore and literature.
As well as the eerie lyrical meaning to the title, The Black Dog is a bar in Vauxhall, London – her ex Matt’s city of birth and just a stone’s throw away from Joe’s hometown of Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent.
In the song, she belts out: ‘I am someone who until recent events you shared your secrets with and your location / you forgot to turn it off / And so I watch as you walk into some bar called The Black Dog…
‘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.’
18. Imgonnagetyouback
Taylor is torn between calling things off for good or rekindling with an ex in imgonnagetyouback.
Emotions are clearly running high as she sings: ‘Whether Im gonna be your wife / Or smash up your bike / I haven’t decided yet’.
She appears to reference her new romance with Travis as the song goes on, sharing: ‘I can feel it coming / In the way you move / Push the reset button /We’re becoming something new.
‘See you got somebody else / Say I got someone else too / Even if it’s him, I’m leaving here with you.’
19. The Albatross
It seems London watering holes are a theme of the album, with The Black Dog and The Bolter joining The Albatross as apparent references to venues.
The Albatross Club is a pub in Farringdon, London but also has particularly eerie significance in its meaning as a word alone.
Albatross is defined in the Britannica Dictionary as: ‘A continuing problem that makes it difficult or impossible to do or achieve something. Fame has become an albatross that prevents her from leading a normal and happy life.’
Additionally, an albatross is a large white ocean bird that has very long and often black wings – which many likened to her outfit from the Grammys.
Taylor is taking no prisoners in this track, referring to herself as one of the largest seabirds on Earth – famed for their giant wingspan and ability to glide seamlessly.
She sings about taking revenge with the lyrics: ‘She is here to destroy you/ Devils that you know / Raise worse hell than a stranger’.
20. Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus
Taylor tells the story of a rocky relationship in which their partner betrays them and focuses on drugs more than her.
She hints at infidelity on their part by singing: ‘Your hologram stumbled into my apartment / Hands in the hair of somebody in darkness.
‘Named Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus / And I just watched it happen / As the decade would play us for fools.’
Taylor goes on to reference, singing: ‘You said some things that I can’t unabsorb / You turned me into an idea of sorts / You needed me, but you needed drugs more / And I couldn’t watch it happen.’
Taylor reignited her explosive feud with Kim Kardashian by releasing a diss track aimed at the reality star (pictured with Kim in 2015)
Taylor also seems to reference Kim’s 10-year-old daughter North West dancing to Shake It Off on TikTok back in January, she writes:# your kid comes home singin’ a song that only us two is gonna know is about you’
21. How Did It End?
Taylor appears to reference the speculation over her relationship with Joe as she details in the chorus:
‘Come one come all It’s happ’nin’ again / The empathetic hunger descends We’ll tell no-one / ‘Cept all of our friends / We must know How did it end?’
Accusing people of conducting their own ‘post-mortem’s’ in the opening sentence, Taylor also accuses people of being smug: ‘Soon they’ll go home to their husbands / ’cause they know they can trust him / Then feverishly calling their cousins.’
She later admits that while everyone is questioning, ‘How did it end?’ she doesn’t know herself: ‘But I still don’t know, how did it end?’
22. So High School
While many tracks are bold aims at her exes Matt and Joe, happiness does reign in her track So High School where she discusses current boyfriend Travis.
She sings: ‘You know how to ball, I know Aristotle, brand new, full throttle // Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto // It’s true, swear, scouts honor // You knew what you wanted, and, boy, you got her.’
Taylor the directly references a resurfaced video in which Travis was asked who marry, kiss or kill between Ariana Grande, Katy Perry and Taylor.
She sings: ‘Are you gonna marry, kiss or kill me? Kill me. It’s just a game, but really, really, I’m betting on all three for us two.
23. I Hate It Here
Taylor relies in escapism to distract herself from the issues plaguing her real life, describing herself as going to ‘secret gardens in my mind’.
She appears to be dealing with the fallout of being lied to, singing: Tell me something awful like you are a poet / Trapped inside the body of a finance guy
‘Tell me all your secrets / All you’ll ever be is / My eternal consolation prize.’
She appears to be between relationships, musing: ‘I’m lonely, but I’m good /I’m bitter, but I swear I’m fine.’
24. thanK you aIMee
Fans are convinced the 24th track – thanK you aIMee – is aimed at Kim Kardashian, as the letters K,I and M are capped up to spell out her name.
Taylor sings in one line: ‘There’s a bronze spray-tanned statue of you and a plaque underneath it/That threatens to push me down the stairs, at our school.’
‘All that time you were throwin’ punches, I was buildin’ somethin’ / And I can’t forgive the way you made me feel / Screamed ‘F**k you, Aimee’ to the night sky, as the blood was gushin’ / But I can’t forget the way you made me heal.’
She goes on to add: ‘And it wasn’t a fair fight, or a clean kill / Each time that Aimee stomped across my gravе / And then she wrote hеadlines/ In the local paper, laughing at each baby step I’d take.’
Taylor concludes by confirming she’s changed the name of the woman she’s singing about – further fuelling speculation the track is about Kim.
She also seems to reference Kim’s 10-year-old daughter North West dancing to her 2014 single Shake It Off on TikTok, finding it ironic as the ‘song is about you’.
She sings: ‘And so I changed your name, and any real defining clues/And one day, your kid comes home singin’ a song that only us two is gonna know is about you.’
25. I Look in People’s Windows
While she may have the ultimate girl squad around her, Taylor admits she can’t help but feel lonely when chasing a man.
She sings: ‘I look in people’s windows / Transfixed by rose golden glows / They have their friends over to drink nice wine.
‘I look in people’s windows / In case you’re at their table / What if your eyes looked up and met mine / One more time.’
26. The Prophecy
Taylor seems to be pained by the thought of trying to find an intimate love when her life is so public.
The singer – who found fame as a teenager – reveals that being in the spotlight and adored by millions of fans can’t measure up to being loved by a partner.
She shares: ‘Please / Change the prophecy / Let it once be me / Who do I have to speak to / About if they can redo the prophecy?’
Taylor has previously revealed how fame changed her life for the worst, explaining: ‘It’s a social situation every time I go out.
‘I just have to wake up in the morning and say, “How am I feeling today? If someone asks for a picture, am I gonna feel imposed upon today because I’m dealing with my own stuff? Am I gonna take my own stuff out on some innocent 14-year-old today and be in a bad mood?”
‘OK, maybe not … Maybe I won’t leave the house.’
27. Cassandra
thanK you aIMee might not be the only song issuing shots at Kim Kardashians, with Cassandra also seeming to be filled with veiled digs.
Greek god Cassandra, ‘entangled men’ and was punished with a curse where no one would believe what she had to say.
In her chorus, Taylor sings: ‘When the first stone’s thrown, they’re screaming /In the streets, there’s a raging riot / When it’s “Burn the b***h”, they’re shrieking / When the truth comes out, it’s quiet.’
This could be in reference to Kim sparking a social media firestorm when she shared a Snapchat video of then-husband Kanye West during a phone call with Taylor, where she seemingly gave the rapper to include lyrics about her in his new song.
While Taylor insisted that she hadn’t consented to Kanye labelled her a ‘b***h’ in his track, many accused her of being a snake.
Kardashian fans and Swifties went to war with one another by posting snake emojis.
Taylor references snakes in her song, sharing: ‘So, they killed Cassandra first ‘cause she feared the worst / And tried to tell the town / So, they filled my cell with snakes, I regret to say / Do you believe me now?’
28. Peter
Taylor reflects on her childhood and pleads for forgiveness as she reflects on losing a past love.
It could be in reference to Matty, who she was first linked to in 2014, and their subsequent breakup as she sings: ‘Said you were gonna grow up /Then you were gonna come find me.
‘Words from the mouths of babes / Promises oceans deep / But never to keep / Never to keep.’
It could also be a follow up to her song Cardigan, where she sang: ‘Tried to change the ending / Peter losing Wendy’.
Taylor reflects on her childhood and pleads for forgiveness as she reflects on losing a past love (pictured in 2008)
29. The Bolter
Fans have made many interpretations of The Bolter – with links to a London pub in the form of Mansion House’s bar of the same name while also alluding to a suitor running into the night – something fans insisted was about Joe.
Some Twitter users claimed the location is where the former couple enjoyed their first date – yet the claims were quickly disputed by devoted followers.
The initial claim came from a fan writing: ‘The Bolter is a bar in London where Taylor and Joe went on their first outing?!?!???? I’m done, BYE’.
Others followed up writing: ‘***Apparently that’s not the bar they were publicly first seen together!!!!*** But there is indeed this bar in London which is crazy anyway… guys it’s not real, it was different place’.
She sings: ‘Started with a kiss / “Oh, we must stop meeting like this” / But it always ends with a town car speeding / Out the drive one evenin’ / Ended with the slam of a door / But she’s got the best stories // You can be sure…
‘All her f**kin’ lives / Flashed before her eyes / And she realized / It feels like the time / She fell through the ice / Then came out alive’.
30. Robin
Her penultimate track is also reflective of her youth as she reflects on how innocence is ripped away with age.
She sings: ‘You get the dragonflies above your bed /You have a favorite spot on the swing set / You have no room in your dreams for regret
‘You have no idea / The time will arrive for the cruel and the mean / You’ll learn to bounce back just like your trampoline.’
Despite this there’s an element of hope involved as she sings: ‘But now we’ll curtail your curiosity / In sweetness / Way to go, tiger / Way to go, tiger /Higher and higher / Higher and higher / Wilder and lighter.’
31. The Manuscript
The only bonus track on the first physical versions of Taylor’s album seems to be a follow up to All Too Well – her song about Jake Gyllenhaal.
She reflects on a past romance as she sings: ‘Now and then she rereads the manuscript / Of the entire torrid affair /He said that if the sex was half as good as the conversation was / Soon they’d be pushin’ strollers / But soon it was over.’
In a nod to All Too Well (10 Minute Version) and its music video directly, Taylor continues: ‘The Professor said to write what you know / Lookin’ backwards might be the only way to move forward / Then the actors / Were hitting their marks.’
The Bad Blood songstress, 34 – who recently teased a ‘timetable’ to her fans ahead of the LP’s release – initially announced the album while attending the 2024 Grammys in February
It came after Healy’s family gave a withering assessment of his ex Taylor after she appeared to savage him on her new album.
His aunt appeared scornful of Swift’s candour about her exes, including Matty, when she spoke to . He is now thought to be dating model Gabbriette Bechtel – with whom his aunt says he is ‘very happy’.
Debbie Dedes said of how Healy would react: ‘Nothing surprises him any more.
‘He will not be surprised by the song. Him and her know what went on.’
And Debbie, who as sister of Healy’s celebrity mum Denise Welch has known him since birth, went on: ‘She writes about all her relationships, doesn’t she?
‘I don’t think it will come as a shock to him at all.
‘He’s very happy in his new relationship so I’m sure he will be focusing on that.’
And hinting that Healy has his own version of the relationship that he has been too respectful to share publicly, Debbie added: ‘As my nephew, we know a bit more about what went on than has been in the press.’
Other lyrics in the song suggest the unnamed subject of the title ‘tried to buy some pills’ and ‘didn’t measure up in any measure of a man’.
Healy has openly spoken about his drug problems in the past, and has said in interviews he is tired of speculation about his height, claiming to be 5ft 10ins, but dwarfed by other members of The 1975.
He told The Fader in 2018: ‘Everyone in [the 1975] is 6ft 4ins and I’m 5ft 10ins, so everyone thinks that I’m 5ft 5ins.’
The singer is widely believed to take aim at her ex in the song The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived which has prompted wild fan theories
Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 5, 2020, a time when fans were convinced they were engaged. Joe has never spoken about their relationship, either during or after
Swift found herself in a whirlwind romance with Healy — though neither ever directly confirmed — that started in April 2023 after they were seen kissing in NYC .
But the fling ended as fast as it began after Healy’s ‘bad boy’ image and ‘racist’ remarks caused squeaky clean Swift to face backlash.
She is now happily in love with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce — but it’s clear she still has a few bones to pick with the ‘worst men’ in her life .
Swifties have been furiously speculating about the potential targets of the singer’s songs on the new album – which was initially launched as a 16-song volume before a surprise additional release of 15 songs came two hours later.
The singer, who has reinvented herself over the years as a pop icon and more recently as a folksy indie voice of introspection, describes the album as capturing a ‘fleeting and fatalistic moment in time – one that was both sensational and sorrowful in equal measure.’
She added in a post on Instagram: ‘This period of the author’s life is now over, the chapter closed and boarded up.
‘There is nothing to avenge, no scores to settle once wounds have healed. And upon further reflection, a good number of them turned out to be self-inflicted.
‘This writer is of the firm belief that our tears become holy in the form of ink on a page. Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it.
‘And then all that’s left behind is the tortured poetry.’
It was previously thought that Swift asked lovers to sign NDAs to give her an iron-clad assurance that they will never speak about their relationship unless they want to be sued for millions of dollars.
One leading British lawyer told there may even be binding clauses to delete pictures and control their posts on social media.
Emma Gill, a leading British lawyer who represents high-value footballers and celebrities for Vardags, one of the UK’s top divorce firms, said: ‘Taylor Swift has settled a number of scores in song, yet cleverly ensured her ex-lovers rarely become liabilities’.
Harry Styles and Swift were said to have split after an ‘almighty row’ on holiday and claims he kissed someone else. But the British singer and One Direction star has only been complimentary about Swift.
One of her earliest boyfriends Jake Gyllenhaal said he does not resent Taylor Swift for expressing herself in her music when he was apparently subject to some of her cutting lyrics.
And when asked about his relationship with Taylor, British actor Tom Hiddleston told a journalist: ‘I would rather not talk about this if that’s all right’.
Only John Mayer has spoken of being humiliated by Taylor in her song ‘Dear John’.
Superstar DJ and producer Calvin Harris also hit out at her in a series of tweets – but he then hastily deleted them and has not mentioned it since.
Harry Styles and Taylor enjoyed a short relationship said to have ended with a big row. Harry thanked her for breaking up with him
Tom Hiddleston, pictured with Swift in 2016, has not been keen to discuss their relationship
Calvin Harris did bite back to lyrics written by his ex. But deleted the tweets. John Mayer said she had humiliated him with the song ‘Dear John’ – they had a 13 year age gap
Matt Healy with Swift on May 23 last year in NYC. When asked if he they had been a couple he said: ‘I wouldn’t say no’
Taylor Swift officially dropped The Tortured Poets Department on Friday – her hotly-anticipated 11th studio album
Emma Gill told today that the silence from Swift’s ex-boyfriends suggests she may have got them to sign non-disclosure agreements.
She said: ‘By definition, we’ll never really know what conditions are imposed by non-disclosure agreements – but you can find templates for ‘Relationship NDA’s’ online, and the law is there to protect your reputation and prevent confidential information about you being used for someone else’s personal gain.
‘NDA’s have a toxic vibe, but an honest conversation among mature adults is always sensible and using a lawyer to capture that can give both sides comfort as their relationship progresses’.
‘These days, when so much is shared in public, shrewd millennials are also keen to set boundaries and expectations for social media, not to mention more intimate material, and a pre-nup will now often specify how photos or videos have to be deleted or returned along with the keys to the house or car’.
She added: ‘Kris Jenner apparently has a 100 pages of “dos and don’ts” for anyone dating her family, and breaching the conditions imposed by another star can cost you a million dollars’.
Gill has suggested that Swift may have imposed legally-binding agreements with her lovers to protect her privacy, including financial penalties if they speak out.
‘I have yet to encounter this in Manchester, even among the Premier League stars I represent. But young professionals, who have worked hard to build a decent life are increasingly up front about spelling out some ground rules early on about what they expect as a relationship progresses and what to avoid if they break up’, she said.
‘There are practical considerations when you move in together. Who pays the rent and who stays in the flat if you split up. Pets add another dimension, children raise the stakes and marriage takes commitment to different level with pretty clear financial consequences if you divorce’.
Emma Gill, Regional Managing Partner – Head of Manchester for divorce firm Vardags, said: ‘Taylor Swift has settled a number of scores in song, yet cleverly ensured her ex-lovers rarely become liabilities’
Joe Alwyn has not been drawn into a war of words with Taylor Swift despite her savage new album suggesting he cheated, shattering her dream of marriage and children with him.
He has faced barbs ever since they split last year.
In fact the British star, 33, has adopted the mantra of the country's late matriarch Queen Elizabeth II - to never complain and never explain - having spent six years refusing to discuss his relationship with the world's most famous woman.
The Tunbridge Wells-born actor admitted he understood the interest in their relationship - but always made it clear that the only person he would ever discuss it with was Swift herself.
'People on the street wouldn't tell strangers about their personal lives, so why should I', the star of The Favourite and Boy Erased said before they split up last year.
Swift and Alwyn were together for six years but split up last year when many believed that they were destined to marry after her disastrous love life and dating some of the world's most famous men.
Taylor Swift's dating history
Taylor Swift fans were left in shock when it was revealed in April that she'd called it quits with Joe Alwyn after six years together.
And with the hitmaker, 33, moving on from The 1975 frontman Matty Healy with American footballer Travis Kelce, DailyMail.com is taking a look back at her extensive dating history.
July- October 2008: JOE JONAS
Taylor dated Joe in the early days of her singing career back in 2008, but sadly split after only a few months together
Taylor dated Joe in the early days of her singing career back in 2008, but sadly split after only a few months together.
The singer revealed that she was dumped over 'phone call' and their relationship was inspiration for the star's much-loved album Fearless.
The Grammy-winning songstress then went onto slam Joe during an appearance on The Ellen Show, saying: 'There's one (song) that's about that guy, but that guy's not in my life anymore, unfortunately. That's ouch.
'We haven't talked since, but you know what, some day I'm gonna find someone really really great who's right for me.'
'When I look at that person, I'm not even going to remember the boy who broke up with me over the phone in 25 seconds when I was 18.'
But in 2015, Joe revealed he harbored no bad blood with Taylor during an interview with Access Hollywood, admitting that having a song written about you goes with the territory of dating a musician.
The singer revealed that she was dumped over 'phone call' and their relationship was inspiration for the star's much-loved album Fearless
And in 2021, Taylor hinted that she and Jonas were back on civil terms during another appearance on Ellen's Burning Questions segment.
The star was asked what the most rebellious thing she did as a teenager was, which caused Taylor to laugh.
'Probably when I like put Joe Jonas on blast on your show,' she began. 'That was too much, that was too much.'
Meanwhile in 2021, Taylor put out previously unreleased track Mr. Perfectly Fine which is believed to be about ex Joe.
August - November 2009: TAYLOR LAUTNER
Taylor and Taylor dated back in 2009, having first met while filming the upcoming ensemble romantic comedy Valentine's Day, where they shared an on-screen kiss.
Taylor and Taylor dated back in 2009, having first met while filming the upcoming ensemble romantic comedy Valentine's Day, where they shared an on-screen kiss.
She described the moment as 'life-changing', and he appeared equally smitten, saying he definitely considered her 'his type'.
When quizzed about their relationship on a U.S. radio show at the time, the Love Story singer played it coy.
She said: 'I don't know, he's an amazing guy and we're really close... and ah... yep.'
However it was a mere two months before their relationship was over.
'He liked her more than she liked him. He went everywhere he could to see her, but she didn't travel much to see him,' a source told Us Weekly at the time. 'They decided they were better as friends.'
It has long been rumored that Swift wrote Back To December about her 2009 relationship with Lautner.
November 2009 - February 2010: JOHN MAYER
John Mayer reportedly dated Taylor from December 2009 through February 2010 when he was 31 and she was 19
John Mayer reportedly dated Taylor from December 2009 through February 2010 when he was 31 and she was 19.
They originally met when she collaborated on his song Half of My Heart.
The romance seemingly ended on bad terms based on her scathing song Dear John which many people believe is about him.
The name of the song as well as lyrics recalling her age (19) at the time of the romance appear to lead to the conclusion that is is fact about John and their rocky but brief romance, although the songstress never confirmed it was about him.
The timing of the song also confirms its about John: She released the song in October 2010 on her Speak Now album, eight months after their reported split.
The romance seemingly ended on bad terms based on her scathing song Dear John which many people believe is about him
The tune gave insight on how Taylor and John's reported romance went wrong, with the singer singing in tune: 'Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone/ Don't you think I was too young to be messed with / The girl in the dress cried the whole way home.'
She also wrote the lyrics: 'Well maybe it's me / And my blind optimism to blame / Or maybe it's you and your sick need / To give love and take it away.
'Dear John, I see it all now, it was wrong / Don't you think nineteen's too young / To be played by your dark, twisted games.'
He added more fuel to the fire two years after the songs release when he told Rolling Stone magazine that he felt 'really humiliated' about the song, which 'made' him 'feel terrible.'
October - December 2010: JAKE GYLLENHAAL
Swift and Gyllenhaal made headlines when they dated for just three months in the fall of 2010, when he was 29 and she was 20
Swift and Gyllenhaal made headlines when they dated for just three months in the fall of 2010, when he was 29 and she was 20.
Sources told tabloids at the time that it was 'serious,' and they were even spotted together over Thanksgiving weekend.
Nearly two years after they split, Swift released Red, which included track number five, All Too Well, with allusions to the actor.
In the original lyrics, Swift sings about taking a trip upstate with her romantic partner, leaving her scarf at his sister's house, dancing in the kitchen, and falling in love before it all ended.
She later teased on numerous occasions that the song as she originally wrote it lasted about ten minutes, but verses were cut for time.
Gyllenhaal, though, denied knowing anything about being featured on her album.
'Do I [have a song]? I don't know,' he told Howard Stern in 2015.
Earlier this year, Taylor released a 10-minute long, deeply personal version of All Too Well, which offered added new dramatic details in recounting their romance, singing that she was in 'hell' and felt 'shame' (pictured, the music video)
The song would have firmly been in Swift's past had it not been for the drama with her masters. In 2009, after Scooter Braun purchased her masters, Swift accused him of exerting 'tyrannical control' over her music, and the two had a bitter feud in the press.
At the urging of fans, Swift began rerecording all of the songs for which he owned the masters, which she has started to release — including several never-before-released tracks on each one.
She released a 10-minute long, deeply personal version of All Too Well, which offered added new dramatic details in recounting their romance, singing that she was in 'hell' and felt 'shame.'
Most damning, though were revelations that Gyllenhaal told Swift the problem was their age difference.
July- October 2012: CONNOR KENNEDY
Taylor and Connor - the son of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the late Mary Kennedy - were first spotted together at the Kennedy family home in Hyannisport in July 2012
Taylor and Connor - the son of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the late Mary Kennedy - were first spotted together at the Kennedy family home in Hyannisport in July 2012.
But the summer romance barely lasted three months. Insiders said Taylor - who was four years older than Conor - freaked the 18-year-old by coming on too strong - and because of her apparent obsession with his famous family.
'Conor's just an 18-year-old kid and wasn't ready for anything super serious,' a pal told RadarOnline.com.
'But Taylor is looking for her soulmate and it kind of freaked him out with how strong she came on,' the insider went on.
The friend also said that Taylor was obsessed with the Kennedy family - and was living out a fairytale with Conor.
'She was more obsessed with the idea of dating a Kennedy, than the actual Kennedy she was dating,' the pal added.
December 2012 - January 2013: HARRY STYLES
Fledgling couple Harry and Taylor dated from November 2012, with a source telling The Sun at the time he was 'head over heels' for her
Fledgling couple Harry and Taylor dated from November 2012, with a source telling The Sun at the time: 'Harry is head over heels for Taylor and even admitted he loves her while they were in the Big Apple.'
However they split just three months later in January 2013.
At the time it was reported she had ended their fling after an angry row during their New Year's vacation.
He is largely believed to be the inspiration for her tracks Style and Out Of The Woods, both off of the album 1989.
In 2015, she admitted she always knew her relationship with Harry was doomed for fail.
In a video posted to celebrate the one year anniversary of her hit album 1989, she revealed that the number one feeling she felt during her three month fling with the One Direction singer was 'anxiety'.
Before belting out a one-off acoustic version of Out Of The Woods, she elaborated on the relationship that inspired the song.
'I'm going to play you a song that I wrote about a relationship that I was in that the number one feeling I felt in the whole relationship was anxiety,' she explained as she sat at her piano.
In 2015, she admitted she always knew her relationship with Harry was doomed for fail because she felt 'anxious' the whole time
'Because it felt very fragile, it felt very tentative. And it always felt like, 'Okay, what's the next road block? What's the next thing that's gonna deter this?
'How long do we have before this turns into just an awful mess and we break up? Is it a month? Is it three days?'
The former One Direction-er previously spoke about Taylor's songwriting back in 2017.
He kept coy about the songs, but defended Taylor against critics telling Rolling Stone: 'I mean, I don't know if [Out Of The Woods and Style] about me or not, but the issue is, she's so good, they're bloody everywhere.'
March 2015 - June 2016: CALVIN HARRIS
Taylor is rumored to have started their relationship after meeting the hunk at a BRIT Awards after party in London in February 2015
Taylor is rumored to have started their relationship after meeting the hunk at a BRIT Awards after party in London in February 2015.
However the couple ended up splitting in 2016 after a very public romance, with reports stating the relationship had ended because he was 'jealous' of the superstar singer's success.
Calvin later accused Taylor's team of leaking that she had secretly written the lyrics for his hit track with Rihanna, This Is What You Came For.
He wrote soon at the time: 'Hurtful to me at this point that her and her team would go so far out of their way to try and make ME look bad at this stage though. I figure if you're happy in your new relationship you should focus on that instead of trying to tear your ex bf down for something to do.
'I know you're off tour and you need someone new to try and bury like Katy [Perry] ETC but I'm not that guy, sorry. I won't allow it. Please focus on the positive aspects of YOUR life because you've earned a great one. God bless everyone have a beautiful day.'
Calvin later admitted 'all hell broke loose' when he split from Taylor.
Calvin later admitted 'all hell broke loose' when he split from Taylor; seen in 2015
He told GQ: 'It's very difficult when something I consider so personal plays out very publicly. The aftermath of the relationship was way more heavily publicized than the relationship itself.
'When we were together, we were very careful for it not to be a media circus. She respected my feelings in that sense. I'm not good at being a celebrity.'
He continued: 'But when it ended, all hell broke loose. Now I see that Twitter thing as a result of me succumbing to pressure. It took me a minute to realize that none of that matters. I'm a positive guy. For both of us it was the wrong situation. It clearly wasn't right, so it ended, but all of the stuff that happened afterwards.'
June - September 2016: TOM HIDDLESTON
The couple - formerly known as Hiddleswift - became infamous due to their enthusiastic public displays of affection; seen in July 2016
The couple - formerly known as Hiddleswift - became infamous due to their enthusiastic public displays of affection.
They shocked fans around the world after they were spotted locking lips on a beach in June 2016 - marking the beginning of their romance.
But the most infamous moment occurred during their July 4th weekend break in Rhode Island, where Tom was photographed frolicking in the surf with his lover while wearing a vest that was emblazoned with the message 'I heart TS'.
Tom insisted that their relationship wasn't a 'showmance' when talking to The Hollywood Reporter.
'The truth is that Taylor Swift and I are together, and we're very happy,' he said. 'That's the truth. It's not a publicity stunt.'
The couple even took the huge step of meeting one another's parents, with Taylor jetting to the UK to spend time with Tom's mother in Suffolk, while he went to her adopted home town of Nashville.
However it was soon reported she put the brakes on the relationship after having regrets about how public the first few weeks were and getting the impression that Tom liked the limelight.
A source told Us Weekly: 'Taylor knew the backlash that comes with public displays of affection but Tom didn't listen to her concerns when she brought them up.
'I think she feels a little embarrassed that the whole world saw them so serious and now it's over.'
According to the publication, the pair were also struggling maintain a long-distance relationship, and met up in her Rhode Island home just last month in a bid to work through their problems.
They ended up breaking up in September of that year an insider exclusively told DailyMail.com that the pop star felt 'uncomfortable' with the actor's desire to be 'so public' about their romance.
Tom insisted that their relationship wasn't a 'showmance' when talking to The Hollywood Reporter
They ended up breaking up in September of that year an insider exclusively told DailyMail.com that the pop star felt 'uncomfortable' with the actor's desire to be 'so public' about their romance
Tom had asked Taylor to the Emmy Awards that month, but she began questioning whether he was with her for 'the right reasons' and ultimately decided to call off the romance.
The actor commented in a GQ profile in a 2017: 'Taylor is an amazing woman. She's generous and kind and lovely, and we had the best time.'
He also nixed speculation the relationship was a stunt purely designed for publicity, insisting: 'Of course it was real.'
He claims they were both seeking a normal relationship, adding: 'So we decided to go out for dinner, we decided to travel… She's incredible. [But] a relationship in the limelight… A relationship always takes work. And it's not just the limelight. It's everything else.'
2016- APRIL 2023: JOE ALWYN
Whirlwind: Taylor began dating the Conversations With Friends star, 31, in late 2016 after they were rumored to have crossed paths at that year's Met Gala in New York City; Taylor and Joe pictured in 2019
Taylor began dating the Conversations With Friends star, 31, in late 2016 after they were rumored to have crossed paths at that year's Met Gala in New York City.
The Lover singer reportedly kicked off her romance with Joe just months after her shock split from Loki actor, Tom Hiddleston, in September 2016.
Taylor gave fans insight into their burgeoning romance by alluding to Joe in lyrics on her hit 2017 album Reputation, including the song Gorgeous where she recalls 'making fun of' his English accent.
The Grammy Award-winner opened up even more on her 2019 album Lover, where she gushed about her 'London boy' on multiple tracks.
The song Cruel Summer is also rumored to be about the overlap between the beginning of her romance with Joe and the end of her fling with Hiddleston.
Joe told The Sunday Times in 2018 that he finds it 'flattering' that Taylor uses him as her musical muse.
Just two years later, Taylor welcomed her beau into the songwriting world by allowing him to pen lyrics for her 2020 alum, Folklore.
Using the pseudonym 'William Bowery,' Joe co-wrote two songs for the Grammy Award-winning album and three more songs for Folklore's sister record Evermore.
Although she feels safe opening up in her music, Taylor previously stated that her relationship with the British hunk 'isn't up for discussion' in the press.
She discussed the decision to keep their romance 'private' in her 2020 Netflix documentary Miss Americana, which included rare footage of herself and Joe.
Insight: Taylor gave fans insight into their burgeoning romance by alluding to Joe in lyrics on her hit 2017 album Reputation, including the song Gorgeous where she recalls 'making fun of' his English accent; Taylor and Joe pictured in 2019
Split? On April 3, 2023, it was claimed by ET that - despite reports they were 'doing fine' - Taylor and Joe had decided to call it quits after six years together; Taylor and Joe pictured in 2019
She described 'falling in love with someone who had a really wonderfully normal, balanced, grounded life' and they 'decided together that we wanted our relationship to be private.'
Though the pair have yet to make a red carpet debut, they've attended several high-profile events together - including the Golden Globes in 2020.
They were hit with engagement rumors in July 2022 but Taylor seemingly shut them down in the lyrics on her latest album Midnights.
On April 3, 2023, it was claimed by ET that - despite reports they were 'doing fine' - Taylor and Joe had decided to call it quits after six years together.
A source told the outlet that the split was 'not dramatic' and that the relationship had simply fizzled out.
APRIL 2023 -JUNE 2023: MATTY HEALY
Sparks:The Lover singer, 33, and The 1975 rocker, 34, shocked the world when their romance was revealed in April - they are pictured together in 2015
The Lover singer, 33, and The 1975 rocker, 34, shocked the world when their romance was revealed in April.
They had first connected - and been at the center of romance rumors - back in 2014.
Matty had been seen publicly supporting the singer on her The Eras Tour, shooting the star loving glances as he attended her Nashville concerts.
The pair were also seen in NYC numerous times, leaving a recording studio and heading for dinner with her pals, Margaret Qualley, Phoebe Bridgers and Zoe Kravitz.
He had also been seen sneaking out of her NYC apartment.
A friend close to the star confirmed Taylor is 'single' again. It is not clear why the pair have split.
SEPTEMBER 2023: TRAVIS KELCE
Latest romance rumors: Back in July, the Chiefs star first expressed his interest for Swift on his podcast that he hosts with brother, Jason, called New Heights With Jason and Travis Kelce; seen earlier this month in New Jersey
Making a move: The professional NFL star admitted to McAfee, 'It's life, baby. I threw it out there, I threw the ball in her court'; seen in August in Arizona
Back in July, the Chiefs star first expressed his interest for Swift on his podcast that he hosts with brother, Jason, called New Heights With Jason and Travis Kelce.
He opened up about attending her Eras Tour concert in Kansas City and stated, 'If you're up on Taylor Swift concerts, there are friendship bracelets, and I received a bunch of them being there, but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it.'
However, he wasn't able to do so, admitting, 'I was a little butthurt that I didn't get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her. She doesn't meet anybody — or at least she didn't want to meet me. So, I took it personal.'
Earlier this month in September, Travis addressed romance rumors that had begun circulating between him and Swift during an interview on The Pat McAfee Show.
The host brought up the speculation that was 'being talked about by the whole entire world right now.'
The professional NFL star admitted to McAfee, 'It's life, baby. I threw it out there, I threw the ball in her court.'
Cheering him on! And on Sunday, September 24, Taylor was seen attending the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Chicago Bears and joined Kelce's mother, Donna, in a VIP section at the stadium
On September 24, Taylor was seen attending the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Chicago Bears and joined Kelce's mother, Donna, in a VIP section at the stadium.
The Grammy winner sported a red and white-colored ensemble to show her support for the recent Super Bowl champions and appeared to be having a blast with Kelce's mother as they shouted and cheered on the team and tight end.
Also earlier in September, a source told DailyMail.com, 'Travis and Taylor are talking and Travis is absolutely interested.'
'He has shot his shot and would love to take Taylor on a date and see where they can go in the relationship department.'
The insider added, 'The one problem that they have now is that their schedules are so all over the place that it is difficult to get together without being seen and everything else that comes from being the celebrities that they are.'
'It isn't organic to Travis and his liking, but he certainly likes the rumors, because he actually would love to date Taylor if she would give him a chance.'
Swift has since attended a total of three Kansas City Chiefs games and is expected to attend more but 'doesn't want to be a distraction,' a source dished.
The couple had their first public PDA outing on Saturday, October 14 when they were spotted holding hands while on a date night in New York City.
Travis flew to Argentina in November to watch Swift perform her Eras Tour show and they shared a passionate kiss when she walked off stage.
He's since marveled over her 'genius' and she has moved into his Missouri home as she enjoys a two month break from touring.
DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that Taylor's unparalleled starpower played a role in the end of her relationship with Joe amid claims by fans that he was unfaithful.
A source close to the singer said at the time: 'The bottom line for the difficulties in their relationship was that Taylor's career took priority over Joe's – which can be awkward for a couple when it's not balanced.
'This drove them apart and ultimately, they both realized they were not on the same page anymore.'
The insider explained that 'it's been hard for Joe trying to make it in Hollywood and not quite becoming leading man material while dating one of the most famous women in the world over the last six years.
'It was easier during the pandemic when it was just the two of them, but once things returned to normal, Taylor Swift the superstar emerged, and their differences were even more apparent.
'They really made a go of it and tried everything they could but ultimately were unable to save the relationship,' the source concluded.
has contacted Healy and Swift's representatives for further comment.