Taylor Swift didn’t only include hints in her lyrics on The Tortured Poet’s Society, but also in its music videos, and one clue in her “Fortnight” video has fans believing she was once engaged to her ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn.
How Taylor’s Music Video Suggests She Was Engaged To Joe
The video, which also features Post Malone, begins with the pop star dressed in white. While her ball gown may not have been very wedding-esque aside from the color, Taylor was notably wearing a garter, which is an American wedding tradition, seeming to imply she’s wearing a bridal outfit.
The opening scene features Taylor in the white outfit in an asylum room, with hand cuffs keeping her chained to the bed, a seeming reference to the prison her past relationship kept her in.
Later in the video, Taylor emerges in a black, gothic Victorian dress, a representation of the singer mourning her failed relationship.
Taylor’s garter isn’t the only clue in the music video, though it seems to be the strongest hinting at a failed engagement. There are also cameos by Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles, a clear reference to the 1989 movie The Dead Poets Society, which the album’s title refers to. But even the record’s name is believed to be a reference to Joe, based on a past comment he’s made.
There’s also a pill bottle called Forget Him featuring the number 121389-041924, which is a reference to Taylor’s birthday (December 13, 1989) as well as the release date for her 11th studio album. Likewise, Taylor shows off an array of new (though temporary) tattoos on her face, a nod to Post Malone and his role in the song. But it may also be Taylor’s attempt to show how she tried to change herself or mirror her partner in the failed relationship being represented visually.
Later in the video Taylor is surrounding by floating letters that are catching fire. In her 2019, she performed “Lover” on Saturday Night Live, a song music video widely believed to be about Joe Taylor. During the romantic ballad, she became surrounded by love letters. Now, the burning letters in her recent music video seem to be a parallel, though the fire represents their relationship burning out.
In another scene, Taylor runs into Post Malone’s arms in a way that seems similar to how she famously embraced Joe at the 2019 at the American Music Awards.
Many Swifties took to social media to debunk the music video when it debuted. “She really said she was expecting to wear a white wedding dress only to then attend the funeral of her relationship in a black dress” one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Taylor And Joe Were Rumored To Be Engaged For Years
Taylor and Joe were hit with rumors of a secret engagement for years during their six-year relationship, though neither ever confirmed whether they officially took the next step. The couple’s break-up was announced in April 2023.
Taylor went on to briefly date The 1975 singer Matty Healy, though the relationship ended quickly amid his controversial reputation. She seems to reference him in Fortnite when she sings, “I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary.”
The country crooner went on to debut her romance with Travis Kelce in the fall, and the two have been inseparable since, even dodging pregnancy and engagement rumors as Taylor has in past relationships.