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Cinemablend
Cinemablend
Entertainment
Caroline Young

Why Some Taylor Swift Fans Are Convinced She Subtly Shaded Ex-Boyfriend Joe Alwyn During Her Eras Tour

From left to right: Joe Alwyn in Conversations with Friends and Taylor Swift singing at the Grammys

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is in full swing, with the singer headlining sold-out stadium shows around the country. However, since the singer’s reported breakup with actor Joe Alwyn, eagle-eyed fans have been looking to see if the Grammy winner drops clues about her recent split amid the performances. Swifties are now convinced that she shaded Alwyn in one of her most recent shows and have taken to social media to share their thoughts

The songstress' performance of “Look What You Made Me Do” during her tour is very theatrical, as it takes inspiration from its now-iconic music video. People freaked out when seeing Taylor Swift face past versions of herself. Those counterparts represent Swift’s different eras, which vary in terms of style and aesthetic. The on-stage performance features a Reputation-era Swift singing the song while the others are housed in transparent boxes behind her, as Us Weekly explained.  

During one of her Houston shows though, she taunted the version of herself that was supposed to represent her Lover era. A dancer dressed in her costume from the “You Need To Calm Down” music video was trapped in a box, and the songstress ran over to her and made the “Loser” sign on her forehead. The move ultimately gave some the impression that she was mocking that variant. For context, that particular album is mostly about how she fell in love with Joe Alwyn. Those feelings are particularly evident in the songs “London Boy,” “Paper Rings” and the titular track. Photos and videos of the concert moment started circulating on Twitter, and many fans believe that this was a deliberate choice. One user commented on the moment, saying:

i’ll take this as her statement

However, other fans disagree with this interpretation of the act. The entire “Look What You Made Me Do” performance is supposed to represent a “rebirth” and a metaphorical “killing” of former versions of herself. Some Swifties don’t think Swift meant to single out her Lover era and that the “L” symbol was simply meant to signify that title. Another user opined:

L for loving joe alwyn or L for lover?

More on Taylor Swift

That's also a valid theory. However, it's important to note that “Look What You Made Me Do” was released years before Lover and was not a part of the original concept for the song. All in all, the 33-year-old entertainer's decision to include this era in the sequence is interesting, and I wouldn't be surprised if fans continue to ponder it.

This isn't the only time fans believe Taylor Swift nodded at her and Joe Alwyn's split while on tour. Swifties think the pop princess made a change to her set list to reference the breakup during her Tampa shows last week. All of these shade rumors are accompanied by a wave of Swift's friends unfollowing Joe Alwyn as well. It's hard to say if the “Anti-Hero” singer will fully address the matter in the near future but, I'd expect fans to keep spinning their theories in the meantime. Hopefully, this whole situation doesn't overshadow the remainder of her spectacular tour, though.

Fans who were unable to obtain tickets due to the chaotic Ticketmaster fiasco can still see the Midnights artist perform by streaming the 2018 concert film, Taylor Swift Reputation Stadium Tour. That special is currently available to stream using a Netflix subscription.

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