Entertainment

Both Of Taylor Swift's "Delicate" Videos Include Sneakily Sweet References To Her BF

Taylor Swift/Spotify; Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images; shookswiftie/Twitter

In case you didn't catch the references the first time around, a certain Reputation singer is getting a lot clearer in her latest music video. Taylor Swift referenced Joe Alwyn in her new "Delicate" video in a big way, one that's nearly impossible to miss. (Because it's hanging around her neck.) Oh and by the way, if this is sounding familiar right up top, it's because these aren't the first references the singer has made to her boyfriend, or even the first video for "Delicate" that Swift released. Just weeks after the premiere of her first video for the Reputation track, the 28-year-old dropped another, this time a Spotify-exclusive, at midnight on Friday, March 30.

Aside from the song that backs them, the two videos are different in almost every way, from tone, to style, to imagery. The first, which dropped on March 11, was a smooth, ultra-produced offering with a plot, costume changes, multiple sets, and rain-soaked scenes. The second was a simplistic, one-take wonder suffused with sunshine and lens flares that appears to be shot by Swift herself on a selfie-stick, and that appears to take place in a single location. In fact, the only things that seem to connect the two videos are the multiple nods to Alwyn, the artist's boyfriend of just under a year hidden in both.

Being longer and more elaborate, the first video contained a slew of Alwyn-centric Easter eggs that fans delighted in poring through (those will come into play later). But the simplicity of the second video didn't preclude Swift from adding a nod to her British love. The Pennsylvania native hints at the importance of her relationship with a piece of jewelry fans have noticed her wearing before: a necklace with the letter "J" stamped into it that she even points to at one point in the video. (Right as she sings, "you must like me for me" — cue the waterworks.) So would that be "J" for Joe, by any chance?

The 1989 singer hasn't confirmed the rumors directly, but it's not much of a reach to imagine that the piece is intended as a statement. Not only has Swift acknowledged boyfriends past in such a way, like when she wore a paper airplane necklace in "Style" that Harry Styles was known to own the mate to. But she's also released lyrics of her own that suggest this simple silver necklace's connection to her current love.

As Glamour pointed out in November 2017, Swift had been seen wearing the stamped silver necklace since summer of that year. So when she released "Call It What You Want" in the fall, fans were immediately drawn to a few lyrics in particular:

"I want to wear his initial
On a chain round my neck, chain round my neck
Not because he owns me
But 'cause he really knows me"

Doesn't leave much room for interpretation, does it? And not as if you needed more proof, but it's been speculated since the song's release that "Delicate" is about Alwyn. As referenced above, there were scores of Easter eggs hidden in the video's first iteration.

They ranged from more subtle clues, like Swift spelling out Alwyn's name — J-O-E — with her body during one dance sequence, all the way to a sign that appeared in the background as the singer struts down the street, advertising "Joe's Deli." Which, since it's short for "Joe's Delicatessen," really couldn't be a clearer indication that the song is about the 27-year-old. Joe's Delicate(ssen). You get it.

Or fans do at least, because they've flooded Twitter with posts making it clear that they are picking up what their idol is putting down.

Whether they understand exactly why a new video for "Delicate" was released or not, fans seem to appreciate the extra look into Swift's life and her relationship. And if this video is any indication, both seem to be going pretty well.