Taylor Swift fans post theories about upcoming album ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ after singer plays ‘You’re Losing Me’ live

On Feb. 15, Taylor Swift played “You’re Losing Me” — her first time playing the song live — during her “Eras Tour” stop in Melbourne, Australia. Because she played the song with the image of her forthcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department, projected on a giant screen behind her, fans couldn’t help but speculate that this further proved a critical theory: that her new album is, in fact, about the demise of her six-year relationship with Joe Alwyn.

Since first embarking on the “Eras Tour,” Swift started the tradition of playing two surprise songs at each date — the idea being that each audience would hear a couple of tracks that others would not.

For Melbourne night one, in addition to performing “Red (Taylor’s Version)” off of her 2021 re-release album of the same name, Swift made the decision to play the intensely emotional “You’re Losing Me” — the bonus track from her 2022 album Midnights that many fans have theorized is about Alwyn.

After all, when Swift announced the album at the 66th Grammy Awards on Feb. 4, she noted that it was two years in the making. “You’re Losing Me” was released in November 2023, a fact that Jack Antonoff, Swift’s longtime collaborator, revealed was written and recorded “on 12/5/21” placing that song, along with the tracks written for Tortured Poets Department, within the same time frame as her fading relationship with Alwyn. The pair reportedly broke up in early 2023.

Self-proclaimed Swiftie and TikTok creator Courtney (@eurosweetheart) posted a video delving into this speculation.

“In my opinion, this has always been a battle with herself, of deciding whether or not she wanted to chase him because he was running away from her,” Courtney says. “She was giving him the signals the entire time.”

So fans noticed the significance and arguable connection when Swift paired both “You’re Losing Me,” a song allegedly about Alwyn, with an image of her upcoming album that’s been tied to him as well.

Fan theories about The Tortured Poets Department

Following news of the impending debut of The Tortured Poets Department, fans were quick to speculate about the album’s connection to Alwyn. The album’s title, for instance, is believed to be directly inspired by the name of Alwyn’s group chat with actors Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott, called “The Tortured Man Club.” In addition to the alleged symbolism of the album’s April 19 release date, Swift revealed the track list. The fifth track — often believed to be Swift’s most “vulnerable” on each album — is “So Long, London.” On 2019’s album Lover, Swift memorably debuted the love song “London Boy,” which was presumably about Alwyn, who is British.

Swifties continued to investigate the connection between Alwyn and TPD after Swift also debuted the art for a special vinyl edition of the album called The Bolter Edition. The Bolter Edition, Swift announced to the Melbourne crowd, would also feature an exclusive track called “The Bolter.”

Of course, fans can’t help but wonder if the track, as well as the exclusive album’s title, is inspired by Alwyn’s alleged tendency to evade the paparazzi during his relationship with Swift. Footage from August 2022 has since gone viral, showing Alwyn and Swift, hand in hand, as they bolt toward their vehicle to avoid being photographed after a Video Music Awards afterparty.

“Singing ‘you’re losing me’ all while leaving that cover on the screen is a very specific kind of unhinged,” Twitter user @fanaTAYcism wrote. “it’s very clearly a threat. everyone should be scared.”

A representative for Swift did not respond to a Yahoo News request for comment.