Matty Healy throws shade at past ‘casual romance’ with Taylor Swift

Matty Healy ditches heartbreak ballads: ‘Writing about casual romances feels disingenuous’

Matty Healy appears to have taken a subtle dig at his brief romance with Taylor Swift, as he reflected on his approach to songwriting in a recent interview.

The 1975 frontman dated Taylor, briefly last year before their split in June 2023.

In her latest album The Tortured Poets Department, released in April, Taylor is believed to have referenced their short-lived romance, particularly in the song The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.

However, during an appearance on Joshua Citarella’s Doomscroll podcast, Matty explained why he no longer writes about past relationships or heartbreak, calling it “an obvious thing to draw from.”

He said, “Last year, I became a way more well-known public figure for loads of different reasons… but the only reason that mattered to me was what I was doing.”

Healy added that while many artists feel compelled to address their personal lives in their music, he prefers to focus on his art itself, saying, “Fair enough if others want to, but for me, it’s more about what I’m creating rather than my public lore.”

Reflecting on his earlier work with The 1975, he noted, “Maybe on my first record, when it was very much a series of journal entries, I wrote about relationships a lot more.” However, he feels that writing about his “casual romantic liaisons” now would be disingenuous.

“I’d be lying if I made a record about all the stuff that was said about me just because I was famous,” Matty stated.

He emphasized that drawing from personal experiences simply for the sake of fame doesn’t interest him anymore.

“The idea of making a record about something that personally happened to me, that by the time I put it out is gonna be like two years old, is just not interesting,” he explained, highlighting his desire to fight against maintaining the status quo in his music.