Updated on 07/08/20: Joe Alwyn is enjoying a Utah getaway weeks after his girlfriend Taylor Swift released her ground-breaking eighth studio album Folklore.

Amid fan rumours that Alwyn co-wrote singles on the album under a pseudonym, it appears the notoriously famous actor has taken a trip to the mountains.

On Thursday, the 29-year-old shared a photograph of himself in a white T-shirt, shorts and a baseball cap while on a hike in Utah. The actor didn't tag his girlfriend in the snap, despite rumours that she has joined him on the trip, and captioned the photo with a mountain emoji.

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In April, The Favourite star revealed that he was self-isolating with Swift after posting images of what looked to be the singer’s cats.

Speaking about relationship with her British beau in her Netflix documentary, Miss Americana, last year, Swift said: ‘I was also falling in love with someone who had a really wonderfully normal, balanced, grounded life.’


Original article published on 24/07/20: Taylor Swift has sent her fans into overdrive this morning after the release of her surprise eighth studio album, Folklore.

On Thursday, the 30-year-old dropped her latest album which prompted her loyal ‘Swifties’ to speculate on plenty of potential Easter eggs, from the references to Blake Lively’s daughters on the song ‘Betty’ to the possible musical collaboration between Swift and her boyfriend, Joe Alwyn.

Sharing a post about her new music on her Instagram page to coincide with its release, Swift paid tribute to all the people who had helped her produce her new album.

‘I wrote and recorded this music in isolation but got to collaborate with some musical heroes of mine; @aarondessner (who has co-written or produced 11 of the 16 songs), @boniver (who co-wrote and was kind enough to sing on one with me), William Bowery (who co-wrote two with me) and @jackantonoff (who is basically musical family at this point),’ she wrote.

taylor swift fans think joe alwyn secretly wrote songs on folklore
GOR//Getty Images

While we’re all familiar with names like the indie folk band Bon Iver and producer Jack Antonoff, several fans were flummoxed by the mention of a William Bowery, and following some detective work suggested it might in fact be Alwyn.

One of Swift’s fan sites reported that one of the couple’s first meetings occurred at the Bowery Hotel in New York after a Kings of Leon concert in 2016.

Another fan shared that the actor is the great-grandson of William Alwyn who, according to several news outlets, reportedly worked as a music teacher and composer.

Swift has previously been known to work under a pseudonym, famously going by 'Nils Sjöberg' when collaborating on other music projects, such as the 2016 song ‘This Is What You Came For’ with her ex-boyfriend Calvin Harris.

taylor swift fans think joe alwyn secretly wrote songs on folklore
Jackson Lee//Getty Images

In addition to the rumours that Alwyn might have secretly helped pen songs for Folklore, some fans have also suggested that Swift’s song ‘Cardigan’ pays tribute to her three-year romance with the London-born actor.

Meanwhile, others wondered whether Swift’s songs ‘The 1’ and ‘Exile’ might actually be hinting at a possible split from Awlyn.

Confusing, much?

Swift has been known to reference her relationships, particularly with Alwyn, over the years, most recently on her albums Reputation and Lover.

taylor swift fans think joe alwyn secretly wrote songs on folklore
George Pimentel//Getty Images

Writing about her new music and inspiration for the album, Swift noted on social media: ‘In isolation my imagination has run wild and this album is the result, a collection of songs and stories that flowed like a stream of consciousness. Picking up a pen was my way of escaping into fantasy, history, and memory.

‘I’ve told these stories to the best of my ability with all the love, wonder, and whimsy they deserve.’

Curious, very curious.

taylor swift fans think joe alwyn secretly wrote songs on folklore

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Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.