As the Singer Releases New Album on Their Romance, Taylor Swift’s Ex Joe Alwyn Shares Pictures

In anticipation of Taylor Swift's new album, The Tortured Poets Department, fans expect the pop sensation to divulge more details about her secret relationship. Recently, her ex Joe Alwyn posted several unusual Instagram pictures. Just two days before his 33rd birthday on February 21, the British actor posted a carousel of photos to his Instagram on Monday. 

As reported by Page Six, he shared many images, including a flashback picture from his early years and a cute dog picture taken at what seemed to be a restaurant. In between, he included a meme from The Office UK with the description, "different drinks for different needs," along with a chic picture of him gazing over his shoulder at an event. The actor—who notably dated Swift—could display his humorous side in the carousel's last picture. A young Alwyn makes a goofy face with his hands behind his ears while grinning in the flashback. Alwyn, whose most recent Instagram photo until now, was published in September 2023, blocked comments on his most recent upload in addition to leaving no description. After six years together, Swift, 34, broke up with Alwyn in the spring of 2023. 

Swift recently made an appearance in Melbourne as part of her Eras Tour, and she was open about her mental condition as she was working on her highly regarded album, Folklore. During her time in quarantine with her former partner, Alwyn, she thought back on her creative process and said she felt "lonely." As reported by The Daily Mail, Swift gave the crowd a clear view when she stood on stage with a guitar and stated, "[I was] imagining that, instead of being a lonely millennial woman covered in cat hair drinking my weight in white wine, I was a ghostly Victorian lady wandering through the woods with a candle in a candlestick holder. And I wrote only on parchment with a feathered quill. And that was in my mind, what I thought I looked like...while writing Folklore." Following its July 2020 release, Swift's "Folklore" won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2021. Remarkably, her former partner Alwyn was the producer under the pseudonym William Bowery, co-writing songs such as Betty and Exile.

Swift also gave details on her partnership with Alwyn during their London quarantine during her interview on The Zane Lowe Show for Apple Music. She said how the notion of co-writing songs was inspired by Alwyn's ongoing musical exploration. As per Billboard, she admitted, "He's always just playing instruments, and he doesn't do it in a strategic 'I'm writing a song right now' thing." She said that their cooperation was the result of an organic, unplanned process, adding, "He's always done that. But do I think we would have taken the step of, 'Hey, let's see if there's a song in here? Let's write a song together.' If we hadn't been in lockdown, I don't think that would have happened, but I'm so glad that it did." Swift continued, thinking back on their mutual appreciation of sad music, "Joe and I really love sad songs. We've always bonded over music...We write the saddest. We just really love sad songs. What can I say?"