Why Taylor Swift Fans Think Tortured Poets Department Is a Nod to Ex Joe Alwyn

After Taylor Swift announced her 11th album The Tortured Poets Department at the 2024 Grammys, fans started speculating that the title was a nod to her ex Joe Alwyn.

The conversation with friends on 2024 Grammys night is that the title of Taylor Swift‘s new album has a Joe Alwyn Easter egg.

Shortly after the “Anti-Hero” singer announced the April 19 release date of her 11th studio album at the Feb. 4 ceremony, Swifties started speculating that its title, The Tortured Poets Department, was a nod to her ex. (See every star on the Grammys red carpet here.)

“I knew that taylor swift’s new album name sounded a little too familiar,” one fan wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, alongside a screenshot pointing out that Joe was in a WhatsApp group chat called “The Tortured Man Club.”

Meanwhile, a second Swiftie quipped, “tortured man club group chat lighting up i fear.”

A third fan remarked of Taylor, “oh she’s wild for this LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.”

Joe first revealed the chat name in 2022, joking that he “started the group” with Normal People‘s Paul Mescal and Fleabag‘s Andrew Scott as a tongue-in-cheek nod to the characters they play onscreen.

“It’s the Tortured Man Club, I think,” the Conversations With Friends star shared in a joint Variety interview with Paul. “We were both in the Sally Rooney universe and crossed over with Lenny Abrahamson. We were so lucky to have that experience.”

Joe added at the time that the chat consisted of Andrew “messaging himself good mornings.”

“It hasn’t had that much use recently,” the 32-year-old said, with Paul jokingly noting that the three were “less tortured now.”

Christopher Polk/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

Taylor, 34, dated Joe for six years before news of their breakup surfaced in April. During their relationship, the music superstar collaborated with the actor several time, including on her 2020 album folklore, where Joe was credited under the pseudonym of William Bowery.

In fact, that collab led to Joe winning his first-ever Grammy. (See the complete list of winners at the 2024 Grammys here.)

“It wasn’t like, ‘It’s 5 o’clock, it’s time to try and write a song together,’” he told The Guardian in 2022. “It came about from messing around on a piano, and singing badly, then being overheard, and being, like, ‘Let’s see what happens if we get to the end of it together.’”

Joe continued, “I mean, fun is such a stupid word, but it was a lot of fun. And it was never a work thing, or a ‘Let’s try and do this because we’re going to put this out’ thing. It was just like baking sourdough in lockdown.”

Travis Kelce Addresses Taylor Swift Engagement Speculation Ahead of 2024 Super Bowl

Is Travis Kelce ready to propose to girlfriend Taylor Swift? The NFL tight end reacted to ring rumors at a pre-Super Bowl press conference on Feb. 5.

All they keep asking Travis Kelce is if Taylor Swift is gonna be his bride.

But as he prepares for Super Bowl XVIII, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end intercepted any engagement speculation.

“I’m focused on getting this ring,” he told reporters at a Feb. 5 press conference, referencing the gift awarded to Super Bowl winners. “That’s all my mind is focused on right now.”

Even so, the guy on the Chiefs did make a point to congratulate his girlfriend on her monumental Grammy wins at the Feb. 4 ceremony.

“She’s unbelievable,” he told reporters. “She’s re-writing the history books herself, and I told her I’d have to hold up my end of the bargain and come home with some hardware too.”

Taylor took home two awards—Best Pop Album, and a historic fourth Album of the Year trophy—at the 66th Grammys, but the highlight of the ceremony may have been her announcement of her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, which drops April 19.

And Travis shared he’s already gotten a sneak peek of the upcoming record.

“I have heard some of it, yes, and it’s unbelievable,” he teased. “I can’t wait for her to shake up the world when it finally drops.”

As if Travis’ praise wasn’t enough to get Swifties excited, Taylor also revealed the tracklist for her new album on Feb. 5.

Among the tracks? A collab with Post Malone called “Fortnight,” and “Florida!!!” with Florence + the Machine. Fans have also clocked a song titled “So Long, London,” an apparent nod to her British ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn.

(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Ahead of the album’s release, Taylor is heading back on her Eras Tour, which will take her to Tokyo over the next few days. But don’t worry, she’ll make it to Las Vegas to see Travis hit the field on Super Bowl Sunday.

In the meantime, read on for Taylor’s latest time rooting for her man on the football team.

Patrick Smith/Getty Images