Even if we now know that Taylor Swift’s enigmatic co-writer William Bowery is actually her actor boyfriend Joe Alwyn, it’s still a remarkable accomplishment. Alwyn’s new activity accidentally wound up on a Grammy-nominated album, unlike the majority of regular individuals who took up pandemic hobbies like making Dolgana coffee or knitting sweaters.
Joe Alwyn wrote songs in both her albums ‘Folklore‘ and ‘Evermore‘. Alwyn also has to his credit one song from Swift’s tenth studio album ‘Midnights’. Here’s a ranking of the top five songs that William Bowery and Taylor Swift have penned down together.
Read More: Is Taylor Swift engaged to Joe Alwyn?
What’s The Inspiration Behind ‘William Bowery’?
It wasn’t long before many fans theorized that Alwyn was the person behind the alias William Bowery. William Alwyn, who also happened to be a musician, was the name of Alwyn’s great-grandfather.
Alwyn and Swift were spotted in the Bowery Hotel around the time they began dating, hence the name “Bowery.” Swift revealed this on the November 25 Disney+ special ‘Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions‘ that she had overheard her boyfriend of four years humming the chorus of ‘Betty‘ at random and subsequently produced the “entire piano part” of ‘Exile.’
“There’s been a lot of discussion about William Bowery and his identity. He’s not a real person,” Swift tells Folklore and Evermore co-writer and producer Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff in the film. “William Bowery is Joe, as we know. And Joe, Joe plays piano beautifully, and he’s always just playing and making things up and kind of creating things.”
Even though Alwyn enjoys music, she never thought they should work together until the chance arose during the pandemic. She said “This was the first time we had a conversation where I came in and I was like, ‘Hey, this could be really weird and we could hate this, so could we just, because we’re in quarantine and there’s nothing else going on, could we just try to see what it’s like if we write this song together?’”
At this point, we are looking forward to the power couple releasing a duet.
Read More: Joe Alwyn opens up about co-writing songs with Taylor Swift
‘Exile’ – Taylor Swift Ft. Bon Iver
The song portrays an imagined scene of two separated lovers speaking mournfully to one another. Exile is a stunning ballad that addresses longing and perhaps sorrow following a breakup. Because of the lyrics and the vocal chemistry between the two performers, the song received high praise from critics. In all the nations where it was charted, the song was also Bon Iver’s highest-charting song and first top-ten song. At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, ‘Exile’ was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
‘Betty’ – Taylor Swift
‘Betty’ is a song with Americana influences that combines guitar pop, folk rock, and country. The lyrics speak about a romance between James and Betty, two made-up characters. ‘Betty’ is part of the Folklore love triangle that consists of three songs from the point of view of three people. Due to the lyrics’ omission of James’ gender, some media outlets initially read the song in an LGBT context, however, Swift clarified that James is a 17-year-old guy.
‘Betty,’ which is told from his point of view, is about him apologizing to Betty for cheating on her. The other two in the love triangle are “Cardigan” (from Betty’s pov) and ‘August’ (from Augustine’s perspective), who are each characters in three Folklore tracks.
‘Coney Island’ – Taylor Swift Ft. The National
Alternative rock and indie folk combine in the song “Coney Island.” The National, including vocals from frontman Matt Berninger, is featured in the song. Berninger claimed that his time spent working with Swift was “similar to a dance with Gene Kelly.
The lyrics discuss the hollow sensations of losing oneself in a broken relationship. It is about the recollections of the relationship and how it ended for a separated couple.
‘Champagne Problems’ – Taylor Swift
‘Champagne Problems’ is about a troubled girlfriend who declines her lover’s sincere marriage proposal because of her own mental health issues. The song portrays the narrator accepting blame for the breakup and regretting the faded love. She accepts blame for the pain she caused and laments the breakup of the relationship while seeing him find new love.
Critically, fans have claimed that ‘Champagne Problems’ is the saddest song on ‘Evermore’ with the best bridge ever.
‘Evermore’ – Taylor Swift Ft. Bon Iver
Taylor Swift sings about her depression in this thoughtful piano song, which she believes might continue “evermore.” The song is not entirely depressing. Swift begins to feel better in the redeeming conclusion as she reflects fondly on a loved one.
“This pain wouldn’t be for evermore,” she says in her conclusion. “Where Joe wrote the piano, I based the vocal melody on the piano, and we sent it to Justin, who then added that bridge. And Joe had written the piano part so that the tempo speeds up, and it changes. The music completely changes to a different tempo in the bridge. And Justin really latched onto that, and just 100% embraced it and wrote this beautiful sort of… The clutter of all your anxieties in your head, and they’re all speaking at once, And we got the bridge back, and then I wrote this narrative of, ‘When I was shipwrecked, I thought of you.’ That sort of thing, where there was this beacon of hope, and then in the end, you realize the pain wouldn’t be forever.”
Honorable Mention: Sweet Nothing – Taylor Swift
Saxophone, electric piano, and a laid-back love ballad make up “Sweet Nothing.” It is a tribute to Swift’s tranquil love life at home as compared to her frenetic fame outside. The song is about how Taylor finds unbearable scrutiny and expectations placed on her shoulders.
However, she finds peace in her romantic relationship because her partner asks “sweet nothing” of her. The lyrics speak about Taylor’s honest appreciation for and appreciation of the relationship she has with her partner.
Read More: Joe Alwyn opens up about why he keeps his relationship with Taylor Swift private
