Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour landed in Houston this weekend for three nights at NRG Stadium. In recent weeks, the news broke that Swift and her longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn have split, which has devastated fans who want nothing but a happy ending for the pop star. Much of Swift’s music is rumored to be about Alwyn, especially recent albums and especially Lover.
During one of her Houston shows on Saturday night, Swift made some performance choices that her fans are interpreting as subtle comments on the break up. In one moment during the concert, as Swift sings, she approaches the performers representing her different album eras on stage. In a clip caught by a fan in the audience, she walks up to Lover and gives the “loser” gesture of an “L” held up to her forehead.
Then she decided to share her “surprise” track for the night, which rotates every performance. Swift sang her 2008 track “You’re Not Sorry” from the album Fearless, which is about a break up and terrible former partner.
It should be noted, however, that Swift has made the “L” gesture to other album eras in other performances, include Red and Fearless. Which makes the real meaning of the gesture something of a mystery.
Just before her shows in Houston, Swift revived her girl squad for a night out in New York City, captured by paparazzi photographers. Shortly after pics of Alwyn out in London were posted by celeb photographers, Swift was seen with Blake Lively, the Haim sisters Alana, Este, and Danielle, and Gigi Hadid having a girl’s night. Just before that, all three Haim sisters, Swift’s brother, and Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds unfollowed Alwyn on Instagram. After the get together, Hadid followed suit.
While the break up was initially reported to be amicable, people are still looking for signs of contention, on social media and definitely in Swift’s musical performance.
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.