we need to talk about joe alwyn and taylor swift. AGAIN.

In this video, Zach, the self-proclaimed Swiftologist, delves into the speculated breakup of Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn, sparked by Jack Antonoff's Instagram story about Swift's song "You're Losing Me." Written in December 2021, months before the public split, the song is seen as a key to understanding the couple's protracted and painful separation. Zach dissects the timeline of Swift's "Midnights" album, suggesting it's a living concept with clues hinting at the relationship's end, despite Swift's cryptic social media activity. He also explores Swift's songwriting process with Antonoff, the evolving narrative of the breakup, and the public versus private personas of Swift and Alwyn. The video is a deep dive into the unraveling of 'Jover,' examining Swift's lyrical breadcrumbs and the implications of the relationship's dynamics on her music.

• Jack Antonoff shared an Instagram story about Taylor Swift's song "You're Losing Me," indicating it was written in December 2021.
• The song provides insight into Taylor Swift's relationship with Joe, which officially ended in April 2023.
• "You're Losing Me" was initially released on the physical copy of the "Midnight's 3:00 a.m. Edition" as a "From the Vault" track.
• The song's creation coincided with a period when Taylor and Jack Antonoff wrote multiple tracks for the "Midnights" album.

Jack Antonoff posted an Instagram story revealing that you're losing me the extremely revealing and probably the closest that we're going to get until ts11 glimpse into the demise of jover he revealed in this Instagram story that it was actually written in December of 2021 J didn't officially happen until April 2023.

This quote reveals that "You're Losing Me" was written before the public breakup of Taylor Swift and Joe, offering fans a look into the timeline of their relationship's decline.

• Zach is a Swiftie who analyzes pop culture, especially Taylor Swift's music.
• He suggests that Taylor Swift's album "Midnights" is a living and breathing concept that evolves over time.
• Taylor Swift's liking of a tweet suggests that she might be hinting at the true inspiration behind her songs.
• Zach emphasizes that his videos and podcast provide detailed analysis of Taylor Swift's life and music.

and I just want to point you in the direction of a couple of videos of mine that will give you a lot of background context on this if you are new to this particular topic.

Zach encourages viewers to watch his previous videos for a deeper understanding of the context surrounding Taylor Swift's music and personal life.

• The songwriting session for "Midnights" was brief, intense, and produced significant tracks like "Anti-Hero" and "Midnight Rain."
• Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff were highly productive during this period, raising questions about the album's quality control compared to previous works.
• "Midnights" is seen as more revealing over time, with new information like the songwriting timeline adding to its mystery.

It was over the span of about a month how do we go from Mastermind to you're losing me in like two weeks I need to know the answer to that question.

This quote highlights the rapid and intense songwriting process for the "Midnights" album, which produced both "Mastermind" and "You're Losing Me" in a short timeframe.

• Taylor Swift's songs often depict her as the one needing to fix herself within her relationships.
• "Renegade" shifts this narrative, questioning Joe Alwyn's role in their dynamic and his ability to meet Taylor's needs.
• The song "You're Losing Me" and others hint at a drawn-out and difficult ending to their relationship.
• Zach speculates on Joe Alwyn's personality and his impact on Taylor Swift's life and artistic expression.

Renegade kind of flips that on its head you've come a long way open the blinds let me see your face you wouldn't be the first Renegade to need somebody is it insensitive for me to say get your [ __ ] together so I can love you is it really your anxiety that stops you from giving me everything or do you just not want to.

This quote from "Renegade" suggests a reversal in the narrative where Taylor Swift confronts Joe Alwyn's contributions to their relationship struggles.

• The songs from "Midnights" were written during a critical time when both Taylor and Jack Antonoff's significant others were away.
• The album's tracks, including "Maroon" and "Dear Reader," reflect on various aspects of Taylor Swift's relationship with Joe.
• Zach's theories about the album's creation and the nature of Taylor Swift's relationships are supported by the songwriting context and lyrics.

The fact that Mastermind was also written in this writing session is very bizarre to me and it also just supports my theory that midnights was kind of not a hack job not a rush job. but it came from a very kind of like pure and quick place it is in this era of Taylor being hyper productive and putting out a lot of stuff very quickly meaning that I don't think it went through the same kind of quality control that maybe some of her other albums went through in the past.

This quote discusses the unusual circumstances under which "Mastermind" and other tracks were written, suggesting a different approach to the album's production compared to Taylor Swift's previous work.

• People can only control their reactions, not the actions of others.
• It is important to recognize when issues in relationships are not one's fault.
• Accepting that you cannot fix someone else's personal issues is crucial.

"You cannot control how other people act, you can only control how you react."

This quote emphasizes the importance of focusing on one's own reactions rather than attempting to control the actions of others, particularly in the context of a relationship.

• Taylor's visit to Joe in Arland and the period described in "Sweet Nothing."
• The song suggests a parallel with Paul McCartney's marriage.
• "Sweet Nothing" initially seems like a love song but also expresses deep sadness and resentment.
• The song reflects a growing distance and emotional disconnect between the protagonists.

"When Renegade comes out, Taylor is going to visit Joe in Arland and this period of time is written about on 'Sweet Nothing'."

This quote indicates that the song "Sweet Nothing" reflects a specific period in Taylor and Joe's relationship, suggesting a deeper emotional narrative than initially perceived.

• The song "Sweet Nothing" may reveal underlying issues in the relationship.
• It was written later in the creative process, suggesting its significance.
• The relationship between Taylor and Joe was possibly tumultuous, with on-and-off periods.
• Taylor faced an internal struggle in deciding the future of her relationship with Joe.

"I think that this song really does reveal the emotional rot at the core of the relationship which is just that they're growing apart."

This quote suggests that "Sweet Nothing" serves as an insight into the deteriorating emotional connection between Taylor and Joe, highlighting a sense of growing apart.

• Taylor and Joe's relationship may have suffered from a "victim and savior" dynamic.
• Their "love bubble" became suffocating, especially as Taylor was not ready to become a removed cultural figure.
• Taylor often put Joe's needs before her own, which was a change from their usual dynamic.

"I think that Joe and Taylor's relationship was boring from this victim and savior Dynamic."

This quote introduces the concept of a "victim and savior" dynamic in Taylor and Joe's relationship, implying an imbalance that may have contributed to its downfall.

• Joe's reluctance to engage with the public aspect of Taylor's life created tension.
• His guarded approach to fame contrasts with Taylor's public persona.
• Joe's lack of public acknowledgment of their relationship stood in stark contrast to other figures in Taylor's life.

"To reject that is to really reject a big part of who Taylor Swift is as a person."

This quote points out the conflict between Joe's desire for privacy and the public nature of Taylor's life, suggesting that his inability to embrace this aspect of her was a fundamental issue in their relationship.

• Taylor's NYU graduation speech may have prompted personal reflection and decision-making.
• She spoke about the concept of "Catch and Release" in life, implying the need to let go of what doesn't serve you.
• The speech hinted at Taylor's own life changes and potential relationship decisions.

"Today you leave New York University. And then you go out into the world searching for what's next and so will I."

This quote from Taylor's NYU speech reflects a moment of personal introspection, suggesting she was also contemplating significant changes in her own life, potentially including her relationship with Joe.

• The concept of a long-term arrangement that doesn't lead to happiness is touched upon.
• The speaker implies that such arrangements are doomed to fail because they cannot fulfill the needs of the individuals involved.

"She also then talks about learning to live alongside cringe and I thought this was a really kind of outof left field and weird inclusion when I heard the speech because like the passage before it and the passage after it kind of have nothing to do with cringe and it is kind of a strange thing to just randomly bring up in a commencement speech."

The quote points out the oddity of discussing "cringe" in a commencement speech, suggesting it's unrelated to the surrounding context and an unexpected topic to address during such an event.

• Cringe is an inevitable part of life, and one will retrospectively cringe at past actions.
• The term "cringe" itself may eventually become cringe-worthy.

"But she said no matter how hard you try to avoid being cringe you will look back on your life and cringe retrospectively it's unavoidable over a lifetime even the term cringe might someday be deemed cringe."

This quote emphasizes that feeling embarrassed by past actions ("cringe") is an unavoidable part of life, suggesting it's a universal experience that evolves over time.

• Joe is characterized as resistant to cringe and insistent on maintaining a cool, untry-hard image.
• Taylor Swift's attitude is contrasted with Joe's, as she rallies against unbothered ambivalence and values eagerness.

"The thing that I always felt was very intention about Taylor and Joe's dispositions is that Joe seems to be the kind of person that is very resistant to cringe and is like very insistent upon being a pretentious art boy that is cool and always does the right things and never tries too hard."

The speaker describes Joe's disposition as one that avoids embarrassment and strives to maintain a particular image of coolness and effortlessness.

• Taylor Swift argues against the idea that not trying hard is chic, and expresses disdain for unbothered ambivalence.
• She values effort and eagerness, hiring people who want success the most.

"Never be ashamed of trying she says effortlessness is a myth the people who wanted it the least were the ones I wanted to date and be friends with in high school the people who want it most are the people I now hire to work for my company."

Taylor Swift's quote challenges the notion of effortlessness and promotes the importance of trying hard, reflecting her personal and professional values.

• Joe is criticized for his lack of effort in acting and promotion, giving bad interviews, and not being interesting on screen.
• His unwillingness to risk failure or cringe is highlighted as a limitation.

"Joe is a lazy actor he is bad at doing promo he gives a horrible interview he's not interesting um he's not good he's not good on screen have you seen conversations with friends one of the worst things I've ever seen in my life."

This quote harshly critiques Joe's professional performance and attitude, suggesting a lack of effort and a failure to engage audiences.

• Taylor Swift's willingness to be eager and enthusiastic is seen in all aspects of her life, not just in business.
• Her past experiences of feeling inferior have not deterred her from valuing eagerness and success.

"I think that her willingness to not be ambivalent and to be eager and to be enthusiastic are characteristics that she shows up fully with in every part of her life not just in a business sense."

The speaker admires Taylor Swift's consistent display of eagerness and enthusiasm in every area of her life, indicating it's a core part of her character.

• Taylor Swift's past experiences of isolation contribute to an ongoing inferiority complex.
• Despite this, she understands the value of trying and succeeding.

"But I think that her understanding that eagerness and trying and succeeding are really fruitful and valuable experiences definitely overrides that and that is where she is simply a better and more interesting person than the arloom turkey."

The quote suggests that Taylor Swift's recognition of the fruitfulness of eagerness and success outweighs any feelings of inferiority she may have, enhancing her character.

• The speaker criticizes Taylor Swift's track list organization, suggesting she doesn't put much thought into it.
• They mention their own series where they reorganize her track lists for better coherence.

"I would say that it is dumb to at this point to pay attention to Taylor's organization of a track list she doesn't know how to do it that's why I have a whole series where I Remix reimagine remaster her track list because they never make any sense."

This quote criticizes Taylor Swift's track list organization skills, implying that her albums lack logical song progression, which the speaker attempts to rectify in their own work.

• The speaker is hesitant to label Taylor Swift's relationship as gaslighting without personal knowledge.
• They speculate on the unhealthy dynamics of the relationship, such as a victim-savior complex.

"I am very hesitant to use words like gaslighting when referring to two people that I don't know about uh I can confidently say that I don't think that Joe Alan was the right boyfriend for Taylor Swift."

The speaker expresses reluctance to make assumptions about the relationship's dynamics while also suggesting that Joe may not have been a suitable partner for Taylor Swift.

• Taylor Swift's songwriting explores themes that may not be strictly autobiographical.
• The speaker suggests that the lockdown and the creation of folklore and Evermore allowed Taylor Swift to delve into different themes without focusing solely on her relationship.

"Allowing herself to escape into the fictional Realms of folklore and Evermore allowed her to explore some themes in song that she may not have done had she had to be strictly autobiographical while trying to keep this relationship together."

This quote highlights Taylor Swift's use of fictional storytelling in her music as a means to explore themes beyond her personal life, particularly during the time of her relationship and the pandemic.

• The speaker discusses the difficulty of determining whether to continue or end a relationship, referencing the sunken cost fallacy.
• Taylor Swift's public portrayal of Joe as an "endgame" partner may have influenced her decision-making.

"It's like when you have invested all this time into getting to know someone. and you know them so intimately. and so well it becomes this really delicate dance of being like are we just having a hard time right now and do I need to just write it through or are we actually incompatible and is this relationship over."

This quote describes the challenging decision-making process in relationships, where one must discern between temporary difficulties and fundamental incompatibility, a dilemma Taylor Swift may have faced with Joe.

• Taylor Swift's personal experiences significantly influence her music.
• She uses social media to give fans hints about her personal life and music.
• Reputation album suggested the "will we won't we" phase of a relationship.
• Afterglow, Cornelia Street, and Death By A Thousand Cuts from Lover album hinted at relationship troubles.
• Taylor Swift's return to the public eye may have caused tension in her relationship.
• Afterglow's lyrics suggest self-blame and absolving her partner of responsibility.

"so with reputation I got the sense that all of The Strife that was being written about was kind of about that will we won't we period that any relationship goes through at the beginning for me the cracks."

The quote implies that the album "Reputation" captures the uncertain early stages of a relationship.

"but what concerned me about songs like Afterglow was how much she placed blame on herself and how quickly she was to absolve him of any responsibility whatsoever it's all me in my head I'm the one that burned it down I'm sorry that I hurt you."

This quote discusses the self-blame evident in the lyrics of "Afterglow," highlighting a potential imbalance in the relationship dynamic.

• Midnights album is complex and its songs' subjects are not easily discernible.
• Matty Healey's presence during the writing process adds to the speculation about song subjects.
• Glitch may be about a dalliance with Healey while Swift was still with Joe.
• Songs like Midnight Rain are ambiguous and may not be solely about Joe.
• Renegade portrays Joe as a brooding figure, contrasting with other descriptions.
• Swift's New York experiences and Joe's presence in her homes are significant to her music.
• The Great War and Labyrinth songs suggest a turbulent relationship timeline.

"because something else that we know about the writing process for midnights is that Maddie Healey was present for a lot of it he even made contributions to the record."

The presence of Matty Healey during the album's writing process suggests his potential influence on the content.

"but I think that it has been Rocky pretty much since that period of time so like from the reputation tour."

This quote reflects on the relationship's instability since the Reputation tour, suggesting ongoing issues.

• Taylor Swift's songs are often sequenced to reflect her emotional journey.
• The playlist "jover" is an attempt to chronologically order songs related to her relationship with Joe.
• The One, Peace, Hoax, Renegade, Sweet Nothing, Maroon, The Great War, Labyrinth, Lavender Haze, Question...?, Midnight Rain, and Dear Reader are considered in this timeline.
• The Great War is about overcoming obstacles and appears after You're Losing Me in the playlist.
• Labyrinth's lyrics suggest rekindling love, indicating a reconciliation in the relationship.

"so my kind of working hypothesis and you can see how I've worked this into my well it's j playlist which I made when the album first came out I have switched that up significantly."

The speaker discusses their hypothesis and adjustments to the "jover" playlist, reflecting changes in their understanding of the relationship timeline.

"and then I have sweet nothing lavender Hayes question Beed and midnight rain ending with dear reader."

This quote lists the songs the speaker believes conclude the narrative of Taylor Swift's relationship with Joe.

• Invisible String's meaning changed during the ARs tour, indicating a shift in Swift's feelings.
• The song You're Losing Me is compared to Is It Over Now, both revealing insights into her relationships.

"so early on the ARs tour she said there was no Invisible String I cut that [ __ ]. I cut it I cut it off and now I want to sing about Harry Styles on stage instead to make him mad."

This quote shows a change in Swift's narrative about her relationship, as she dismisses the concept of an "Invisible String" that once connected her to someone.

"do you feel like you're losing me is the. is it over now of midnights."

The speaker compares "You're Losing Me" to "Is It Over Now," suggesting both songs serve a similar purpose in reflecting the end of a relationship.

• Tolerate It and You're Losing Me have similar themes and were written close in time.
• Folklore and Evermore albums contain songs with kernels of truth that are abstracted into fiction.
• The songs may reflect Swift's feelings but are not necessarily autobiographical accounts.

"how do you fathom knowing that tolerate it was released in December 2020 and knowing that you're losing me was written early 2021."

The quote raises questions about the close timing of two songs with similar themes, suggesting a connection to real-life events.

"but tolerated is a really good example actually of something that has a kernel of truth but is actually abstracted and fictionalized."

This quote explains that while Tolerate It may be inspired by real emotions, it is not a direct portrayal of Swift's personal life.

• The decision to cut songs like You're Losing Me may be due to uncertainty about the relationship's status.
• The release of the song post-breakup could be seen as a combination of hope, heartbreak, and possibly retaliation.
• Swift's trust in Jack Antonoff is highlighted as part of her creative process.

"I don't think that she cut it from the album I don't think it was ever intended to be on the album it sounds to me like something she just have to work through emotionally."

The speaker speculates that You're Losing Me was more of an emotional exercise for Swift rather than a track intended for the album.

"so I don't know that it was necessarily meant to be on the record and she deliberately withheld it. but I think that after they broke up she was like you know what I'm going to write about this eventually."

This quote suggests that Swift's decision to release You're Losing Me was influenced by the breakup and the need to eventually address the relationship in her music.