Taylor Swift rarely names names in her songs, but on the title track of her new album , The Tortured Poets Department , she breaks the rules a bit. Trigger warning: This article contains brief references to suicidal thoughts.
In the song's bridge, she sings: "Sometimes, I wonder if you're gonna screw me over, but you told Lucy you'd kill yourself if I left, the same things I told Jack about you , so I feel seen.”
Of course, it only took investigators a few minutes to figure out who she might be referring to: her frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff, who produced the track, and Boygenius member Lucy Dax (Lucy Dacus). Swift has something in common with them through her rumored ex-boyfriend, The 1975 frontman Matty Healy.
connect, explain
Fans were quick to connect Swift's mention of Jack to Antonoff. The Grammy-winning producer also collaborated with Healy on the 1975 album Funny in a Foreign Language , so it makes sense that Swift would delve into her relationship with the former couple's mutual friend.
Singer-songwriter Dacus met Swift through her Boygenius bandmate Phoebe Bridgers, who participated in the Red (Tyler version) collaboration "Nothing New" and opened for the Eras tour in May 2023. Dacus and fellow member Julien Baker appeared at Bridgers shows. First Eras performance on May 5th.
The next night, Healy, who had collaborated with Bridgers several times, joined her on stage. He later played several shows in Nashville and Philadelphia, confirming fans' suspicions that he was dating Swift, who reportedly broke up in June. Apparently, the musicians have a large group of mutual friends, which ties into Swift's mention of Dacus and Antonoff's background.
However, these names are even more interesting when Healy and Dax's friendship soured just months after he split from Swift. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that he told Dacus about a Boygenius-inspired band name that uses an ableist slur. “I don’t really hear from her that often,” he concluded. In response, Dacus wrote, "You haven't heard from me at all," causing Healy to deactivate his account entirely.
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. You can also call the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 or Trevor Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386, or your local suicide crisis center .
