It has long been known that Taylor Swift uses her relationships and subsequent breakups to inspire her music.

When she released her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, on April 19, 2024, fans were expecting to hear about her exes.

But no one predicted how much focus there would be on her brief coupling with British musician Matty Healy.

Swift and Healy are believed to have dated in the spring of 2023, and their relationship lasted only a few months. Despite this, fans believe she references him several times, including his love of typewriters on the track, The Tortured Poets Department, and on Guilty as Sin? she sings about “recalling things we never did.” Some people also believe she has referred to Healy as a “dog.” But what does he think about all this chatter?

What Has Matty Healy Said About Taylor Swift’s Music?

Matty Healy has not addressed the music that appears to be about him, at least not publicly and not yet. However, his aunt, Debbie Dedes, gave an interview to the Daily Mail discussing the claims about Healy’s former relationship. She has also said the I’m in Love With You musician is not paying attention to what Swift has to say because he has moved on and is dating Gabbriette Bechtel.

“Nothing surprises him anymore,” she said. “He will not be surprised by the song. Him and her know what went on. She writes about all her relationships, doesn’t she? I don’t think it will come as a shock to him at all … He’s very happy in his new relationship, so I’m sure he will be focusing on that.”

In the same interview, Dedes also suggested Healy would likely not respond to Swift’s lyrics and that his story may differ from hers. “As my nephew, we know a bit more about what went on than has been in the press,” she says.

What Has Taylor Swift Said About Using Her Relationships As Songwriting Inspiration?

Taylor Swift is regarded as one of the most brilliant musicians of her time, and her songwriting abilities have been celebrated. While her ex-boyfriends perhaps don’t appreciate the attention her lyrics give them, Swift knows that people think she can only write sad songs. “What would I do if I was happy?” Swift asks on the Tiny Desk session (via Paper). “Would I not be able to do the things I love most in the world? Oh my God. Would I not be able to write breakup songs anymore? I love breakup songs. They’re so fun to write.”

Swift is also inspired by Ted Talks. “There’s a really good Elizabeth Gilbert TED talk about that. It’s one of my favorite things to cry while watching,” she said.

The Blank Space singer has previously addressed how she is able to pen her lyrics, and it’s not just her heartbreak that inspires her. “You know, you hear storytelling like in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, and it just … it makes your mind wander,” she told Big Machine Label Group (via Taste of Country) in 2013 of her inspiration. “It makes you feel like it makes your world more vast. And you think about more things and greater concepts after you read something like that.”