Joe Alwyn has opened up for the first time about co-writing songs with Taylor Swift.
The actor and musician contributed to Swift's albums "Folklore" and "Evermore" under the pseudonym William Bowery.
Swift, who is dating Alwyn, later revealed his true identity. Alwyn now takes credit for co-writing songs "Betty" and "Exile" for Swift's "Folklore" album as well as "Champagne Problems," "Coney Island" and the title track on the album "Evermore."
Despite his contributions, Alwyn remained silent until earlier this month, when he spoke about the collaboration with Vulture, explaining that the first verse to "Exile" came about while he was "messing around" on the piano and singing. Swift then asked him to help her finish the song.
"It was completely off the cuff, an accident," Alwyn said. "She said, ‘Can we try and sit down and get to the end together?’ And so we did. It was as basic as some people made sourdough."
When pressed on how he wrote an entire verse to a Swift song without even trying, Alwyn responded, "Who doesn’t walk around the house singing?"
At the time, Alwyn had been listening to music by The National (with whom Swift collaborated on "Evermore") and said he had not intentionally been trying to write music that was according to Swift's personal sound. He just as casually helped to write the chorus for Swift's "Betty."
"I’d probably had a drink and was just stumbling around the house," he told Vulture. "We couldn’t decide on a film to watch that night, and she was like, ‘Do you want to try and finish writing that song you were singing earlier?’ And so we got a guitar and did that."
Alwyn also spoke about rumors that he and Swift are engaged. They have remained private about their relationship, but that has not stopped speculation. In January 2020, fans were convinced they were engaged after Swift wore a massive diamond ring on her left hand in her Netflix documentary, "Miss Americana," and in December rumors emerged that she and Alwyn had already exchanged vows when Swift wore a wedding dress in her "Willow" music video.
"The truth is, if I had a pound coin for every time someone told me I’ve been engaged or I’m getting engaged, I would have a lot of pound coins," Alwyn told Vulture. "If the answer was yes, I wouldn’t say. If the answer is no, I wouldn’t say."