Taylor Swift hasn’t shared much about her and Joe Alwyn’s love story in interviews, but on Midnights‘ “Mastermind,” she appears to tell their true origin story. In the lyrics, she seems to recount the night she met Alwyn at the 2016 Met Gala, and how her heart was set on him despite her going on to date Tom Hiddleston immediately after.
Swift already addressed falling for Alwyn at the Met Gala in her Reputation song “Dress” with the lyrics: “Flashback when you met me / Your buzzcut and my hair bleached / Even in my worst times, you could see the best of me.” Swift bleached her hair blonde for the fashion event after attending Coachella with the statement look, while Alwyn had a buzzcut at the time. The two went on to properly start dating in the fall of 2016.
Taylor Swift at the 2016 Met Gala
Mike Coppola//Getty Images
Joe Alwyn at the 2016 Met Gala
Daniele Venturelli//Getty Images
“Mastermind” fleshes out details of that night with lyrics like, “What if I told you none of it was accidental / And the first night that you saw me, I knew I wanted your body? / I laid the groundwork and then, just like clockwork / The dominoes cascading in the line.” The song also reveals Alwyn’s reaction when Swift seemingly told him later: “So I told you none of it was accidental / And the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me / I laid the groundwork and then, saw a wild smirk / On your face, you knew the entire time / You knew that I’m a mastermind / And now you’re mine / Yeah, all you did was smile / ‘Cause I’m a mastermind.”
Take in the full lyrics below:
Once upon a time, the planets and the fates
And all the stars aligned
You and I ended up in the same room
At the same timeAnd the touch of a hand lit the fuse
Of a chain reaction of countermoves
To assess the equation of you
Checkmate, I couldn’t loseWhat if I told you none of it was accidental?
And the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me
I laid the groundwork and then, just like clockwork
The dominoes cascading in the lineWhat if I told you I’m the mastermind?
And now you’re mine
It was all by design
‘Cause I’m a mastermindYou see, all the wisest women had to do it this way
‘Cause we were born to be the pawn in every lover’s gameIf you fail to plan, you plan to fail
Strategy sets the scene for the tale
I’m the wind and I’m free, flowing sails
In the liquor of our cocktailsWhat if I told you none of it was accidental
And the first night that you saw me, I knew I wanted your body?
I laid the groundwork and then, just like clockwork
The dominoes cascading in the lineWhat if I told you I’m a mastermind?
And now you’re mine
It was all my design
‘Cause I’m a mastermindNo one wanted to play with me as a little kid
So I’ve been scheming like a criminal ever since
To make them love me and make it seem effortless
Is this the first time I feel the need to confess?
And I swear, I’m only cryptic and Machiavellian ’cause I careSo I told you none of it was accidental
And the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me
I laid the groundwork and then, saw a wild smirk
On your face, you knew the entire timeYou knew that I’m a mastermind
And now you’re mine
Yeah, all you did was smile
‘Cause I’m a mastermind
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.
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