Taylor Swift fans are buzzing with speculation that the pop star took a subtle jab at her ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn during her recent Eras Tour stop in Liverpool. The excitement began when Swift introduced a new “murder mashup” during the acoustic segment of her show at Anfield Stadium.
The “Lover” singer brought out her guitar and announced to the crowd, “This one, I’m gonna call this the ‘murder mashup,’” before launching into a rendition of her 2022 song “Carolina” and her 2020 hit “No Body No Crime.” Fans quickly noted that both songs share a dark theme: “No Body No Crime,” from Swift’s “Evermore” album, tells the story of a woman who kills her cheating husband, while “Carolina” was written for the murder mystery film “Where the Crawdads Sing.”
In “No Body No Crime,” Swift sings, “Her husband’s acting different and it smells like infidelity,” and “They think she did it but they just can’t prove it / She thinks I did it but she just can’t prove it / No, no body, no crime.” Meanwhile, “Carolina” features lyrics like, “Carolina stains / On the dress she left / Indelible scars, pivotal mark,” and “Don’t leave / I’ll make a fist, I’ll make it count / And there are places I will never, ever go / And things that only Carolina will ever know.”
The mashup’s timing and content led many fans to believe it was a veiled reference to Alwyn, who is from the UK. One fan tweeted, “OK, you have to give it to Taylor. A murder mashup right before she heads to London is hysterical.” Another added, “And suddenly the murder mashup makes sense now. Good for her.”
Adding fuel to the fire, Swift was visibly emotional during her performance of “Champagne Problems” that same night. She thanked the Liverpool crowd, saying, “It is genuinely such an honor to play for a crowd like this. The fact that you would do that for us — I love you so much, Liverpool. Thank you.”
The emotional performance came just as Alwyn broke his silence about their April 2023 breakup. In an interview with The Times, the British actor said, “I would hope that anyone and everyone can empathize and understand the difficulties that come with the end of a long, loving, fully committed relationship of over six and a half years. That is a hard thing to navigate.”
Alwyn also reflected on the public scrutiny that followed their split, saying, “What is unusual and abnormal in this situation is that, one week later … it’s suddenly in the public domain and the outside world is able to weigh in. So you have something very real suddenly thrown into a very unreal space: tabloids, social media, press, where it is then dissected, speculated on, pulled out of shape beyond recognition.”
Swift and Alwyn’s relationship, which lasted from 2016 to 2023, has been a subject of intense public interest. Fans have speculated that their breakup inspired several songs on Swift’s albums “Midnights” and “The Tortured Poets Department.” While Swift has not confirmed these theories, Alwyn mentioned that he has not listened to “The Tortured Poets Department.”
Since their breakup, Swift has been linked to several high-profile figures. She briefly dated The 1975 frontman Matty Healy in May 2023, but the relationship ended a month later. More recently, she has been involved in a highly publicized romance with NFL star Travis Kelce.
The “murder mashup” has only added to the intrigue surrounding Swift’s personal life and her ability to weave her experiences into her music. Fans continue to dissect her lyrics and performances for clues about her relationships, making her concerts a treasure trove of potential insights.
As Swift prepares for her upcoming shows at London’s Wembley Stadium, fans are eagerly anticipating what other surprises she might have in store. Whether or not the “murder mashup” was a direct dig at Alwyn, it has certainly captured the imagination of Swifties around the world.
