When Taylor Swift first began dating actor Joe Alwyn greater than 4 years ago, it was almost immediately clear the couple had come to an agreement: Their relationship can be an intimate but private one, they usually’d be a united front in protecting that privacy. Gone were the paparazzi photo ops of Swift’s days with Tom Hiddleston, and gooey Instagram pics—just like the ones she’d posted with Calvin Harris—would not populate her social media. As a substitute, her accounts would concentrate on promoting her work and sharing photos of her other loves: cats Olivia, Meredith, and Benjamin.
Still, a love story like Swift and Alwyn’s couldn’t stay behind closed doors ceaselessly, and since 2020, they’ve been more public about their relationship than ever before. This includes Swift’s confirmation that Alwyn co-wrote two songs on folklore under the pseudonym William Bowery and in addition helped pen three tracks from Swift’s latest record, evermore. As we eke out the small print, scroll below for a timeline of their coupledom, leading as much as their collaboration on Swift’s ninth album and the brewing engagement rumors.
May 2, 2016: They meet on the Met Gala (probably).
No one knows obviously when Swift and Alwyn first met. But sleuths have determined that the song “Dress” on her 2017 album Repute might discuss with their first meeting.
The lyrics in query: “Flashback to while you met me, your buzzed cut and my hair bleached.” Swift’s hair was, indeed, bleached on the Met Gala, and Alwyn’s hair was buzzed.
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On the time, Swift was still dating Harris—and this was also the night she met Hiddleston and danced goofily with him in a video that went viral, and later sparked the rebound heard ‘around the world. It was an eventful night for Tay.
Oct. 12, 2016: Swift and Alwyn attend the identical Kings of Leon concert.
A month after breaking up with Hiddleston, Swift went to a Kings of Leon show along with her friends. Online sleuths have since determined that Alwyn was on the show, too.
Nov. 12, 2016: Swift attends Alwyn’s movie screening.
Swift and a gaggle of squad members went to the premiere of Alwyn’s film, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. If she and Alwyn were dating at this point, it was so under the radar that press coverage of the premiere didn’t even mention his name. It’s not clear if he was in attendance.
Alwyn on the photo call for Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.
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May 16, 2017: Reports emerge that they’re dating.
A source near the pair told The Sun that Swift and Alwyn had been together for just a few months, and that their friends and families were in on it:
“This isn’t a latest couple alert or a secret relationship – the one people this has been a secret to is the media because all of us, Taylor and Joe’s closest friends and their families, were aware they’ve been together for several months and have known one another for a very long time.
“After her 1989 tour and all the eye Taylor received, she learned she needed to be more protective of her personal life and she or he and Joe decided early on to maintain their private life private.”
June 5, 2017: They’re caught by the paparazzi in Nashville.
The paparazzi finally caught the couple in motion: sitting on a balcony in Nashville, where Alwyn was allegedly meeting Swift’s parents for the primary time.
July 25, 2017: They’re caught again, this time in Latest York.
Hoodies pulled tight over their faces, the couple were caught leaving Swift’s apartment.
Swift and Alwyn seemed eager to go incognito in these pics.
Oct. 20, 2017: Swift tells fans her latest single “Gorgeous” is about Alwyn.
Swift hosted a “secret” listening session for her latest album, Repute. She allegedly told fans the one “Gorgeous” is about Alwyn.
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Taylor Swift – Gorgeous (Lyric Video)
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“Principally Taylor made us all promise that if anyone made any accusations of who this song is about, we tell them it’s one hundred pc about her angel boyfriend of 1 yr,” a fan wrote on Tumblr. “This isn’t a secret. She wanted us to inform people.”
Oct. 27, 2017: Ed Sheeran spills the beans on Alwyn.
On the heels of Swift’s revelation that “Gorgeous” is about Alwyn, her good friend Ed Sheeran was asked about Alwyn on a British radio show.
“He’s very nice,” he said. “Really, really friendly, really good dude.”
Dec. 11, 2017: The couple is spotted snuggling during an Ed Sheeran performance.
Momentarily letting their guard down, Swift and Alwyn engaged in some honest-to-god PDA while Ed Sheeran performed at iHeartRadio’s Jingle Bell Ball in Latest York City.
“THEY LITERALLY SLOW DANCED TO ALL EDS SONGS WITH THEIR ARMS AROUND ONE ANOTHER AND JUST KEPT LOOKING AT EACH OTHER AND KISSING,” a fan tweeted, in line with EW.
May 8, 2018: They post coordinating cactus photos to Instagram.
Each Alwyn and Swift posted photos of themselves, solo, standing next to the identical cactus.
Alwyn later said they didn’t even realize the photos coordinated.
“I didn’t even consider that until I used to be in Latest York and another person mentioned it,” he said, in line with ET. “It wasn’t purposeful in any respect!”
That is the closest we’ve come to an “Instagram-official” moment for the couple.
Sept. 19, 2018: Alwyn talks about Swift for the primary time—but only to say he doesn’t need to speak about her.
“I’m aware people need to learn about that side of things,” he said to British Vogue. “I believe we now have been successfully very private and that has now sunk in for people…but I actually prefer to speak about work.”
Oct. 18, 2018: Alwyn speaks very, very briefly about Swift’s newfound political activism.
In early October, Swift finally waded into the political world to endorse two Tennessee congressional candidates, after a career-long silence.
A number of days later, an interviewer asked Alwyn how he felt about Swift’s post.
“I believe it’s great, and I believe it’s vital,” he said, before uncomfortably shuffling away.
Nov. 23, 2018: Swift acknowledges Alwyn’s existence on social media.
After two years of knowing him, Swift finally posted something about Alwyn—or no less than, his work—on Instagram.
It was a clipped trailer for his latest movie, The Favourite, with a caption calling the film “phenomenal” and imploring her followers to go see it. She tagged the movie’s account, plus Alwyn’s and Nicholas Hoult’s.
Nov. 25, 2018: Alwyn reiterates that he’d wish to keep his private life private.
In an interview with GQ, he skirted around the subject of Taylor, saying, “Someone’s private life is, by definition, private. Nobody is obliged to share their personal life.”
He also declined to call a favourite Swift song. “I’m just not even going to enter that side of the world,” he said.
Dec. 7, 2018: Alwyn opens up a teeny bit about their relationship.
Just to combine things up, Alwyn provided a tiny kernel of data about his relationship with Swift, before saying he didn’t need to speak about it.
Esquire asked him if he sought out any guidance from friends when he began dating Swift.
“I didn’t search out advice on that,” he said. “Because I do know what I feel about it. I believe there’s a really clear line as to what anyone should share, or feel like they need to share, and what they don’t need to and shouldn’t need to.”
Dec. 11, 2018: Swift attends Alwyn’s movie premiere in London.
Swift popped up on the Cineworld Leicester premiere of Mary Queen of Scots in addition to an after-party.
Jan. 6, 2019: Swift and Alwyn attend the Golden Globes (individually).
Alwyn attended the awards show for his nominated film The Favourite, and Swift presented Best Original Rating and Best Original Song throughout the 2019 Golden Globes. Although they didn’t walk the red carpet together, an Us Weekly source claimed the 2 got quite flirty while she was onstage.
“While Taylor presented, Joe watched the teleprompter near him and smiled and (his Favourite costar) Nicholas Hoult patted him on the back,” the source said. “After Gaga walked on stage, Joe shifted his gaze to the stage near Taylor.” The insider added, “She was smiling at him while she walked off the stage. She looked over her shoulder and gave a sassy cute little smile at his table’s direction.”
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Feb. 10, 2019: Swift and Alwyn step out at a BAFTAS after party.
Swift skipped the Grammy Awards in favor of attending a BAFTAs after party along with her beau. Clad in a pale blue Stella McCartney gown, Swift gave off major Cinderella vibes alongside Alwyn. The 2 were even photographed walking together hand-in-hand. (A rare occurrence for this secretive duo!)
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March 2019: Engagement rumors begin.
As Swift continued filming the large screen version of Cats in London, reports swirled that getting engaged to Alwyn was not far off. “Taylor’s friends are all talking a few proposal and the way she really desires to marry Joe,” an Us Weekly source shared. “He’s her dream guy.”
A People source echoed those sentiments, saying, “Taylor really got lucky to fulfill Joe, and she or he is the primary one to say it. Joe really is one in all a form.”
May 2019: The couple is spotted on a pair dates.
Swift and Alwyn ate breakfast at Café de Flore after which took a stroll through the town of Paris in a rare public outing.
Later within the month, the couple made it a double date with similarly private pair Robert Pattinson and Suki Waterhouse. Per an Us Weekly onlooker, the 4 low-key celebs dined at San Vicente Bungalows in Hollywood, spending the night laughing and talking.
August 2019: Swift releases Lover—and fans go nuts dissecting the lyrics.
Ahead of the August 23 release of her album Lover, Swift revealed to fans that latest music would address her current relationship…in so many words. During a YouTube Live, she explained, “It’s a extremely romantic album, but it surely really celebrates love in all its complexity. Not only flowers and sunshine however the patchwork emotions that go into any love you are feeling.”
Once the album dropped, fans began dissecting every song for hidden clues concerning the couple. Some were even convinced the songs “Lover” and “Paper Rings” were Swift’s big marriage reveal.
Swift continued to avoid talking about Alwyn in interviews. While talking to The Guardian about why she wouldn’t speak on her relationship, she said, “I’ve learned that if I do, people think it’s up for discussion, and our relationship isn’t up for discussion,” she said with fun. “For those who and I were having a glass of wine at once, we’d be talking about it—but it surely’s just that it goes out into the world. That’s where the boundary is, and that’s where my life has turn into manageable. I actually need to maintain it feeling manageable.”
Shortly after a People source gave an update on the connection saying, “Joe’s personality is great for Taylor. He may be very calm and at all times very supportive. He’s sympathetic and understanding and supports her speaking out about things that she doesn’t agree with.”
Even her inner circle likes Joe, the source added: “There’s something refreshing and different about their relationship. Joe makes Taylor very completely satisfied, and it’s hard to picture her not spending the remaining of her life with him. Her family loves him. He seems older than he’s and is a unbelievable guy.”
As for future comment from either party regarding the romance? The source says it’s unlikely: “Joe loves acting but doesn’t need to be a star,” the source said. “They each agree that for his or her relationship to maintain working, they need to keep things more quiet. She’s the happiest she’s ever been.”
September 2019: The couple is photographed on a non-public plane.
The 2 were photographed boarding Swift’s private plane after a low-key trip to her beach house in Watch Hill, Rhode Island.
October 5, 2019: They’re seen together after SNL.
In a rare sighting for the couple, Alwyn and Swift were seen holding hands after the singer’s Saturday Night Live performances. They headed to Latest York’s Zuma for the show’s after party.
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November 2019: Swift joins Alwyn for Thanksgiving.
Swift celebrated Thanksgiving in London with Alwyn, in line with E!, but not before hosting a splashy American Friendsgiving with friends including Gigi Hadid, Antoni Porowski, and Martha Hunt.
Early December 2019: The lovers spend time in London.
Us Weekly and E! each ran reports early within the month stating things between the couple are still going well. “Taylor has had a troublesome yr and Joe has been a rock for her,” a source told Us. “They’re still going very strong.”
Meanwhile, E! reported that,“Taylor has been spending quite a lot of down time in London,” per a source. “She doesn’t exit much aside from to take a walk with Joe or go to the local pub. They spend quite a lot of time with Joe’s family and friends. All weekend they’d people come over or they went to relations’ homes.”
Further proving the couple is doing just fantastic, Swift shared a photograph of her Vogue UK cover on Instagram, which Alwyn liked straight away.
December 16, 2019: Alwyn supports Swift’s acting profession.
Alwyn was available to subtly support Swift on the NYC premiere of her latest movie, Cats.
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December 26, 2019: The couple spends Christmas together.
After spending Thanksgiving together, E! reported that Swift spent her Christmas holiday in London, too. “Taylor spent the vacations in England with Joe,” a source told the outlet. “She was there for the week leading as much as Christmas and hung out with Joe’s family and friends. A few of Taylor’s family also flew in from Nashville to spend time with them.”
January 1, 2020: The duo are serenaded within the Maldives.
Alwyn and Swift rang in Latest Yr’s Eve with a concert within the Maldives. Although neither party revealed the travel plans themselves, singer Matthew Crane posted the news himself on Instagram. “So I can now finally reveal who I sung to on Latest Yr’s Eve within the Maldives, probably essentially the most notable Pop Star in the intervening time, the one and only @taylorswift and @joe.alwyn,” he wrote on his Instagram. “They were each so friendly and type to me once I performed, they even gave me a standing ovation and complimented on my voice. It was truly an honor and an experience that I’ll always remember. 🎤🎶”
January 5, 2020: Alwyn and Swift sit together on the 2020 Golden Globes.
The couple had their most public outing to this point on the 2020 Golden Globes, where Swift was a presenter and nominee for Best Original Song – Motion Picture for her and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest original song for Cats, “Beautiful Ghosts.” While they didn’t walk the red carpet together, onlookers captured Swift and Alwyn taking their seats next to one another contained in the ballroom:
E! also tweeted out a photograph of the pair sitting side-by-side, Alwyn in a tux and Swift in an Etro gown:
Next, the couple of greater than three years was spotted on the Golden Globes CAA after party. A source told E! that Swift (in a a glittery navy Alexandre Vauthier dress) wasn’t afraid to indicate PDA with Alwyn. “They looked inseparable and really in love,” the source noted. “Taylor had her arm on Joe, and she or he leaned in to kiss him several times.”
January 31, 2020: Miss Americana drops on Netflix.
With the discharge of Swift’s documentary Miss Americana, got here latest insight into her romance with Alwyn. She spoke vaguely about why she fell for Alwyn in the autumn of 2016, after her Kim Kardashian Snapchat drama had tarnished her repute. “I felt alone, I felt really bitter,” she explained. “I felt form of like a wounded animal lashing out. I figured I needed to reset all the things. I needed to reconstruct a whole belief system for my very own personal sanity. I also was falling in love with someone who had a splendidly normal, balanced life.”
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Miss Americana | Official Trailer
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Swift also revealed why she and Alwyn selected to maintain their relationship quiet. “We decided together we wanted our relationship to be private,” she said. “Despite the fact that it [Swift’s public image in 2016] was really horrible, I used to be completely satisfied. But I wasn’t completely satisfied in the best way I used to be trained to be completely satisfied. It was happiness without anyone else’s input. We were just…completely satisfied.”
Those trying to find Alwyn appearances won’t find much. He kissed her hand within the automobile at one point and hugged her backstage after a performance of “Getaway Automotive” on tour. Swift also serenaded Alwyn with a song believed to be about him from her album Repute. She sang the song “Call It What You Want” to him while he filmed her.
February 12, 2020: They’re spotted on the NME Awards.
Just before Valentine’s Day, Swift and Alwyn got close within the audience of the NME Awards in London. An audience member spotted Swift, sporting a two-tone Monse short suit, and Alwyn kiss and hug when she was announced the winner of Best Solo Act.
February 23, 2020: They rejoice Alwyn’s birthday.
For Alwyn’s twenty ninth birthday, Swift joined her beau, together with Ed Sheeran and his wife, Cherry Seaborn, for a celebration in London. The foursome and just a few other friends frolicked at restaurant Bob Bob Richard in Soho, per E! News. “They had a good time drinking champagne on the table by pushing a button that claims ‘Press for Champagne’ and having it immediately disbursed,” a restaurant source told E!. “They were there for several hours having fun with the night.”
March 24, 2020: We learn they’ve talked about marriage.
An Us Weekly source gave an update on marriage talks between Alwyn and Swift. “[They] have talked about their future and marriage,” a source told the outlet. “They don’t have a set deadline in place, but they’re very much in love.” The source added, “Taylor considers Joe one in all the one secure constants in her life. He has at all times been an enormous support and stuck by her.”
April 29, 2020: The lovers finally share some details on social media.
Alwyn shared a rare glimpse into his relationship with Swift on social media, leading fans to consider they’re quarantining together. He posted several photos of Swift’s cat Benjamin Button round her place. (The decor matches the background of this recent Swift post.)
Alwyn also shared a photograph of himself drinking a big glass of white wine, which is analogous to a May 7 post from Swift where she’s holding a glass of vino. “I like spending a full evening cooking a meal while sipping a glass of wine and listening to old music,” Swift even told People of her quarantine routine, via Billboard.
May 13, 2020: More photos arise.
A pair weeks later, Alwyn delivered one other quarantine update on Instagram. He posted several photos on his Instagram Story, including just a few that showcase Swift’s cat, Benjamin.
Alwyn also shared a black-and-white photo of himself drinking coffee and glancing over on the camera. Fans have speculated that Swift took that photo, just as they’ve guessed Alwyn is quietly taking hers.
July 23, 2020: folklore speculation begins.
Several months into Swift and Alwyn’s relatively quiet quarantine, Swift announced the surprise release of her eighth album, folklore. While fans awaited the 16-track release, social media was already speculating about which songs were inspired by Alwyn.
The primary song that some lyrics were available for was “cardigan.” An excerpt of the track’s lyrics were found on the back of a latest merch item on Swift’s website. “But I knew you / Playing hide-and-seek and / Giving me your weekends / I knew you / Your heartbeat on the High Line / Once in twenty lifetimes / And once I felt like I used to be an old cardigan / Under someone’s bed / You set me on and said / I used to be your favorite,” the romantic lyrics read, hinting at her longtime love with Alwyn.
One other theory regarding Alwyn and folklore was that the song “betty” refers to Alwyn’s mother of the identical name. Since then, it’s been reported that the track actually reveals the name of Blake Full of life and Ryan Reynolds’ third daughter. Much more interesting: Some looked as if it would think that Swift’s album collaborator, William Bowery, is Alwyn himself. When announcing her album, Swift shared her co-writers and producers for folklore, but didn’t tag Bowery. Conspiracy theorists looked as if it would think Alwyn and Swift being spotted outside the Bowery Hotel in October 2016, coupled with the proven fact that Alwyn’s great-grandfather is known as William, means he’s behind the pseudonym.
July 24, 2020: folklore is released.
With the discharge of folklore, answers to several questions on Alwyn’s musical inspiration were provided. On the track “invisible string,” Swift references a London yogurt shop that Alwyn worked in as a teen, in addition to the dive bars of their early relationship and a visit for his or her third anniversary. Other songs, including bonus track “the lakes” and “peace” also allude to Swift and Alwyn’s relationship. An excerpt from “Peace,” for instance:
All these people think love’s for show/But I’d die for you in secret/The devil’s in the small print, but you bought a friend in me/Would it not be enough if I could never offer you peace? And you already know that I’d swing with you for the fences/Sit with you within the trenches/Offer you my wild, offer you a toddler/Offer you the silence that only comes when two people understand one another/Family that I selected, now that I see your brother as my brother.
November 13, 2020: More lyrics are explained.
Swift confirmed that Alwyn helped encourage “peace” during a conversation with Paul McCartney for Rolling Stone. She said that the song “is definitely more rooted in my personal life. I do know you have got done a extremely excellent job of this in your personal life: carving out a human life inside a public life, and the way scary that may be while you do fall in love and also you meet someone, especially should you’ve met someone who has a really grounded, normal way of life. I, oftentimes, in my anxieties, can control how I’m as an individual and the way normal I act and rationalize things, but I cannot control if there are 20 photographers outside within the bushes and what they do and in the event that they follow our automobile and in the event that they interrupt our lives. I can’t control if there’s going to be a fake weird headline about us within the news tomorrow.”
When McCartney asked if Swift’s partner was in a position to “sympathize with that and understand,” she replied, “Oh, absolutely.” But Swift added that her relationship with Alwyn had modified her viewpoint on maintaining privacy in her personal life. “But I believe that in knowing him and being in the connection I’m in now, I even have definitely made decisions which have made my life feel more like an actual life and fewer like only a storyline to be commented on in tabloids,” she explained. “Whether that’s deciding where to live, who to hang around with, when to not take an image—the thought of privacy feels so strange to try to clarify, but it surely’s really just trying to seek out bits of normalcy. That’s what that song ‘Peace’ is taking about. Like, wouldn’t it be enough if I could never fully achieve the normalcy that we each crave? [McCartney’s designer daughter] Stella at all times tells me that she had as normal a childhood as she could hope for under the circumstances.”
November 25, 2020: Swift confirms William Bowery’s identity.
Months after the discharge of folklore, Swift finally confirmed what her fans had long suspected: songwriter William Bowery is Alwyn. Talking to the album’s producers, Jack Antonoff and The National’s Aaron Dessner, Swift revealed that “betty” and “exile” were co-written by Alwyn within the Disney+ film, folklore: the long pond studio sessions. “So, William Bowery is Joe…as we all know,” she teased.
“Joe plays piano beautifully and he’s at all times just playing and making things up and form of creating things. And ‘exile’ was crazy because Joe had written that entire piano part,” Swift explained, adding, “He was singing the Bon Iver part, the ‘I can see you standing honey, along with his arms around your body, laughing however the joke’s not funny in any respect.’ He was just singing it. And I used to be entranced and asked if we could keep writing that one.” Swift said the proven fact that she and Alwyn are “really, really, really big Bon Iver fans” helped make the collaboration occur.
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Taylor Swift – exile (folklore: the long pond studio sessions | Disney+) ft. Bon Iver
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As for “betty” Swift said she heard Alwyn singing “the complete fully formed chorus from one other room.” She added, “And I used to be similar to ‘Hello.’ It was a step that we might never have taken because, why would we now have ever written a song together?”
It was the couple’s first time working together, something Swift said she and Alwyn approached cautiously. “So this was the primary time we had a conversation where I got here in and I used to be like, ‘Hey, this could possibly be really weird, and we could hate this, so because we’re in quarantine and there’s nothing else occurring, could we just attempt to see what it’s like if we write this song together?’” she recalled.
December 3, 2020: The engagement rumors heat up again.
In early December, Swift released a snippet of her re-recorded version of “Love Story,” which could possibly be heard in a Match.com business featuring friend Ryan Reynolds. The brand new recording made waves because it was the primary concrete indication that Swift was re-recording her entire catalogue owned by Scooter Braun. Nevertheless it also sparked rumors about Swift and Alwyn potentially being engaged. Some fans noticed that the lyric “Baby, just say, ‘Yes’” might need been modified to “Baby, just said, ‘Yes.’” Several Swifties tweeted this theory within the hours after the song’s release. Multiple sources told E!, nonetheless, that the lyrics to the song had not modified.
While Entertainment Tonight wasn’t able to verify engagement theories, a source said the couple does speak about “their future together.” The insider said, “Joe has provided such a fantastic support system for Taylor. He’s the one constant in her life that she will truly depend on. Joe has helped Taylor along with her music, inspiring it. She is so grateful for him and in love with him. He’s her cheerleader and rock. They’ve spoken about their future together, they usually love celebrating the vacations together and are looking forward to that.”
ET’s source also spoke about how Alwyn is supporting Swift as she deals along with her mother Andrea’s cancer diagnosis. “[Taylor] has been having a troublesome time along with her mom’s health, but her mom is getting treatment and she or he and her family have been attempting to stay optimistic,” the source said. “She has been specializing in her music and spending quite a lot of time with Joe. Taylor desired to take a while to herself and her family this yr, so in that regard, the quarantine and break has been positive for her.”
December 8, 2020: Swift shuts down engagement rumors.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Swift subtly shut down engagement rumors when she called Alwyn her “boyfriend.” Swift had been discussing who knew she was making folklore throughout the interview, conducted in early November: “The one individuals who knew were the people who I used to be making it with, my boyfriend, my family, after which my management team,” she said. “In order that’s the smallest number of individuals I’ve ever had learn about something.”
December 11, 2020: evermore appears.
About five months after dropping folklore, Swift announced the surprise release of her ninth album, evermore. When the 15-track record debuted at midnight, Swifties quickly began dissecting which songs could possibly be about her relationship with Alwyn. At the very least three songs directly involve the actor: “champagne problems,” “coney island” and “evermore.” William Bowery, Alwyn’s songwriting pseudonym, is credited on those tracks. Beyond that, lyrics for “long story short” and “willow” appear to reference Swift’s long-lasting love with Alwyn.
But for those hoping Swift would confirm either an engagement or marriage to Alwyn, no such luck. The one song that references a proposal, “champagne problems,” appears to be a few fictional couple and ends with the lady declining the offer. Moreover, multiple sources confirmed to TMZ that the 2 should not secretly married either.
January 11, 2021: The couple is finally photographed again.
After 11 months of not being seen out together, Swift and Alwyn were photographed in London while on a walk with Alwyn’s mother, Elizabeth. The 2 were bundled up in winter gear. In line with E!’s sources, Swift had been going backwards and forwards between Nashville and London to spend time along with her family and Alwyn’s family.
January 14, 2021: Swift hints she’s able to bring the connection into the general public eye.
A source told Entertainment Tonight that Swift is able to be more public along with her and Alwyn’s relationship. “Taylor has gotten increasingly more comfortable being public with Joe and letting fans in on their romance in a way that she feels remains to be protecting it,” the source explained. “She loves Joe a lot and, in fact, isn’t attempting to hide their relationship, but she prefers to maintain specific details private.” Moreover, the source said the couple was in it for the long haul and sees a future together.
February 17, 2021: Swift reveals Alwyn helped her determine to talk out on political issues.
Swift wrote to Vanity Fair to debate her documentary Miss Americana, and the way she found her voice throughout the 2018 midterm elections—with the assistance of Alwyn.
Swift opened up about how her partner helped her turn into more comfortable speaking out about politics, in rare public remarks about him.
Swift wrote, “As a rustic musician, I used to be at all times told it’s higher to remain out of [politics]…The Trump presidency forced me to lean in and educate myself. I discovered myself talking about government and the presidency and policy with my boyfriend [Joe Alwyn], who supported me in speaking out.”
May 11, 2021: Swift shouts out Alwyn (and lots of others) in a BRIT Awards speech.
After becoming the primary woman and youngest person ever to win BRIT Awards’ Global Icon award, Swift took the stage to thank family and friends—including Alwyn.
Wearing a Miu Miu crop top and skirt, Swift told the audience concerning the joys and challenges of making her most up-to-date albums: “The world modified, and I ended up putting out three albums as an alternative, so making folklore and evermore was some of the unique, cathartic, extraordinary experiences I’ve ever had. I’d love the chance to thank the amazing creative people who I made those albums with. Thanks, Aaron Dessner, thanks Jack Antonoff, Joe [Alwyn, Swift’s boyfriend], Justin Vernon, the National, Marcus Mumford, Jon Low, Serban Ghenea, Laura Sisk, and HAIM. I need to thank my family and friends who know exactly who they’re: Whose opinion of me never modified whether my stock was up or down.”
Within the clip below, you possibly can watch Swift thank Alwyn specifically (across the 2:20 mark), accented by a slight pause and a sweet smile.
May 20, 2021: Marriage rumors proceed to swirl.
In late May, Entertainment Tonight released a story confirming that Alwyn and Swift’s engagement rumor mill was alive and well.
“They grew closer than ever throughout the quarantine and she or he really trusts him,” a source told ET. “They’ve been continuing to be pretty low-key about their relationship to the surface world to proceed to guard it…They’ve discussed future plans and Taylor can see herself marrying Joe sooner or later.”
November 23, 2021: Swift visits Alwyn on set for contemporary movie.
Alwyn didn’t make an appearance at Swift’s Saturday Night Live musical guest spot in November, and it was because he was away on set filming a latest movie. A source told E! that, “Taylor visited her boyfriend on the set of his movie.”
Shooting for The Stars at Noon began in October 2021, in line with ScreenDaily. and Alwyn joined the forged to exchange Taron Egerton, per Deadline, who “had to depart the project as a consequence of personal reasons.”
December 19, 2021: Swift likes Alwyn’s Instagram post from Panama.
On Sunday, December 19, Alwyn posted a series of photographs seemingly from the set of The Stars at Noon, and Swift liked it inside minutes.
Alwyn posed within the photos with director Claire Denis, who signaled she was in Panama as well with a picture featuring the Panama flag.
February 9, 2022: Alwyn makes his first temporary comment on Swift in years.
While discussing his upcoming project Conversations With Friends, Alwyn confirms his relationship with Swift is closed. “I believe people can do what they need and makes them completely satisfied. I’m obviously completely satisfied in a monogamous relationship,” Alwyn said, referring to Swift, via E!.
February 18, 2022: After engagement rumors spread, a source says that Swift and Alwyn have spoken about their future.
Life & Style reported on February 17 that Swift and Alwyn privately got engaged. Their reps didn’t comment on the rumor. A source spoke to Entertainment Tonight, not addressing engagement speculation but saying that the 2 prefer to maintain their personal relationship private.
Swift and Alwyn “are very completely satisfied of their relationship,” the source said. “They have been having fun with their time as a pair. They’ve spoken about their future together and feel very secure about their relationship.”
The source added that they’ve mastered balancing their careers with their relationship. “They’re supportive of one another’s careers and of one another usually,” the source said. “Each of them have been busy with work they usually completely understand the way to balance hectic schedules and still find time for one another. It’s a part of why their relationship really works.”
March 26, 2022: Swift and Alwyn attend a pre-Oscars party together.
In a really rare public sighting of the couple, Alwyn and Swift hit up the CAA’s pre-Oscars party on the San Vicente Bungalows. Two sources spoke to E! about what the 2 were like there. “Taylor was introducing Joe to many individuals round her,” the primary source said. “She looked smitten and proud to be there with him.”
A second source said that Swift and Alwyn “were very coupley and cute and seemed completely satisfied to be there together. Taylor and Joe were together all night. He was leading her around introducing her to people, and Taylor also introducing people to Joe. When Joe was leading Taylor around, he held his arm round her back.”
April 2022: In a series of interviews to advertise Conversations With Friends, Alwyn touches on Swift…very barely, including engagement rumors.
On April 13, he told ELLE UK of why he doesn’t discuss their relationship in interviews: “It’s not likely [because I] need to be guarded and personal, it’s more a response to something else,” he said with a shrug. “We live in a culture that’s so increasingly intrusive… The more you give—and albeit, even should you don’t give it—something shall be taken.” And that is all he offered about his personal life this time.
On April 19, to ELLE US, Alwyn said with regards to writing more songs with Swift, “It’s not a plan of mine [to continue writing songs], no,” Alwyn said.
On April 20, he told WSJ with regards to engagement rumors: “If I had a pound for each time I believe I’ve been told I’ve been engaged, then I’d have quite a lot of pound coins. “I mean, the reality is, if the reply was yes, I wouldn’t say, and if the reply was no, I wouldn’t say.”
On April 30 to The Guardian, Alwyn addressed why he keeps his relationship with Swift private again and the way he felt about them winning a Grammy for Folklore.
On what it’s like dating Swift and the eye it garners, he said, “It’s not something I take into consideration, unless I’m in situations like this, and someone says, ‘What’s it like?’ and I even have to take into consideration what to say about it. It’s just not for other people [our relationship]. And I don’t say that with aggression.”
“I don’t know the way best to speak about it,” he continued. “I mean, I’m aware of individuals’s … of that size of interest, and that world existing. It’s just not something I particularly care about, or have much interest in feeding, I assume, since the more it’s fed, the more you’re opening a gate for intrusion. I believe that’s just my response to a culture that has this increasing expectation that all the things goes to be given. For those who don’t post concerning the way you make your coffee within the morning, or should you don’t let someone take an image while you walk out of your front door, is that being private? I don’t know whether it is. So I just don’t really feed that. For those who and I were having a conversation, and having a shandy in my house, and it wasn’t being recorded, then, in fact, other things can be said.” (Alwyn’s last remark echoed the one Swift made to The Guardian in 2019.)
And on winning that Grammy and writing songs with Swift, he said, “It wasn’t like, ‘It’s five o’clock, it’s time to attempt to write a song together.’ It got here 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 top of it together.’ I mean fun is such a silly word, but it surely was quite a lot of fun. And it was never a piece thing, or a ‘Let’s attempt to do that because we’re going to place this out’ thing. It was similar to baking sourdough in lockdown. The Grammy was obviously this ridiculous bonus.”
May 2022: Joe Alwyn says he hopes people “stop caring” about their relationship in latest interview.
In a latest interviews with GQ, Alwyn reiterated again why he chooses not to talk about his relationship, “I believe since the precedent was set—that our selection is to be private and never feed that side of things—the more you try this, hopefully, the more that intrusiveness or intrigue drops off.”
June 2022: Joe Alwyn and Taylor Swift are seen kissing during their vacation within the Bahamas.
TMZ shared photos of the couple kissing for the summer solstice while vacationing together within the Bahamas. The blurry images show them embracing while neck-deep within the blue ocean waters.
July 2022: Joe Alwyn and Taylor Swift exit for a date in London.
On July 15, the couple went out on a rare public date in London, where they were photographed by the waiting paparazzi. They enjoyed some ice coffee and time in a public park together. Swift’s hand was briefly visible and there was no ring on her left hand, which some people took to mean that she is unquestionably not engaged.
Molly Mulshine is a author and performer living in Latest York City by the use of the Jersey Shore.
Savannah Walsh is an Editorial Fellow at ELLE.com.
Lauren Puckett-Pope is an associate editor at ELLE, where she covers news and culture.
