Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” music video is out, and everybody has an opinion. About the song, the video, the singer, … and her comeback.
A lot of those opinions are wrong, but hey, a plurality of opinions is what makes the world go ‘round.
While some former friends and many former fans have turned on the Grammy-winning singer, she has the support of the ones who matter most. Including her boyfriend, Joe Alwyn.
Taylor’s breakup with Calvin Harris came right around the time when, thanks to Kim Kardashian releasing some shadily incomplete audio recordings over Snapchat and Calvin turning on her,
Taylor then started to date Tom Hiddleston. Like, almost right away.
Some people accused her of having cheated on Calvin Harris with Tom. Others accused Taylor of just having a fake relationship with the British actor.
And there were some people who accused her of both.
(No, it doesn’t make sense, but that’s the beauty of unsubstantiated conspiracy theories — they don’t have to)
About a year ago, Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston broke up.
During their relationship and since, Taylor Swift very deliberately stepped back from the spotlight as much as possible.
Sometimes you need to step back to nurse your wounds.
Sometimes you need to keep to yourself when you’re planning your comeback … and your spectacular revenge.
While Taylor did a little of both, she started dating a British actor named Joe Alwyn.
Despite Taylor’s status as one of the most famous singers in the world, the two of them have kept their relationship relatively low-key.
(So low-key that we always double-check to make sure that we’re remembering his name correctly. “Alwyn” is distinct and sounds like a wizard’s name. “Joe” is so generic that we’re like “Tom Alwyn?” “John Alwyn?”)
But with Taylor’s big comeback — the musical equivalent of a supervillain emerging from the water in a giant robot to wreak havoc on the city — it’s becoming more difficult for their relationship to remain so private.
And now we know a little more about how things are going between them.
According to what a source close to Taylor tells People, Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn are “very happy together.”
Taylor’s been taking extreme measures to “go undercover” while seeing him, even wearing wigs, hats, and scarves like she’s in a spy movie, so it’s clear that they enjoy the relationship enough that they’re willing to put up with a lot of nonsense in order to make it happen.
But it sounds like it’s worth it.
“Her decision to keep her relationship with Joe quiet is making her happy.”
There’s no telling how that will change.
But there’s something to be said for the difference between a relationship that’s in the spotlight from its inception and a relationship that has months and months to build and grow before it becomes a truly public affair.
Taylor and Joe have been using their time wisely.
“They have been getting to know each other slowly without any pressure.”
That’s a healthy start to things.
Earlier this year, while she was still laying low, Taylor Swift spent a while in the UK.
Joe Alwyn is an actor with his own career, and is filming a movie titled The Favourite.
(Awww, look how British that title is!)
They also have some reports about how Joe Alwyn views the relationship.
Joe visits Taylor here in the US a lot, and “is very happy about spending time at home with Taylor.”
Well, that’s no surprise.
(Did you SEE how hot she was in her “Look What You Made Me Do” music video? Especially in the room with the magenta lighting. Dang, girl)
“They seem to be on the same page. Joe is getting to know Taylor’s parents and everyone likes him.”
He’s even met her family!
(Gosh, imagine being Taylor’s relative throughout all of the public drama)
Joe has a very important quality in any boyfriend that Taylor might have:
“He is very supportive of her work.”
And, we’re sure, of her.
Honestly, after everything and all of the nonsense, we’re glad that Taylor’s found a boyfriend who gets her.
Hopefully, this one won’t betray her with a Twitter rant after they break up that paints her as a villain just because people found out that she’s behind one of his big successes.
We also hope that Taylor’s quiet bliss with Joe Alwyn can survive the storm that’s coming when her album is released.
Her single’s only been out a week, folks. “Look What You Made Me Do” is crushing records and it’s not even close to her best song.
Batten down the hatches, folks. Taylor’s not done with us, yet.
