The Real Reason Taylor Swift And Matty Healys Midnights Songs Were Never Released

July 13, 2024

Highlights

Taylor Swift didn't release her collaborations with Matty Healy because they didn't match the theme of her album Midnights.
Taylor Swift and Matty Healy stopped working together after Healy insulted Midnights collaborator Ice Spice.
Taylor Swift reportedly cut another Matty Healy collaboration from her rerecorded version of 1989.

Like most people, Taylor Swift has complicated dynamics with her exes. The pop musician has dated some of the most famous men on the planet, and those who were less famous than her were subsequently elevated by the association. Matty Healy is an example of the latter.

Healy made his name as the lead singer of the band The 1975, but he went into a different stratosphere of celebrity when he started dating Swift in 2023. The couple collaborated on several songs during their time together, but when it came time for Swift to drop her album Midnights, the songs were nowhere to be found. What gives?

Well, there's a specific reason they were cut, and it has nothing to do with quality...

Taylor Swift Didn't Release Her Collaborations With Matty Healy Because They Didn't Match The Theme Of Midnights

Taylor Swift and Matty Healy have been fans of each other's music since 2014. They often work with the same producer, Jack Antonoff, and they even performed together during a 2023 concert in London. Swift was brought on stage as the band's special guest, and covered their hit single "The City", according to Rolling Stone. A collaboration seemed like a no-brainer.

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Taylor Swift was rumored to be dating Matty Healy, but it did not sit right with Swifties.

Matty Healy finally confirmed the hopes of fans during an interview with the radio show DTS Sound Space in November 2022. He revealed that The 1975 had been working on different songs from Swift's album Midnights, and were even slated to appear on the title track.

Unfortunately, none of the songs Healy and the band worked on made the cut.

"We actually worked a bit on that," he told the DTS Sound Space hosts. "But then [that] version of it never came out." When the crowd started to boo, Healy assured fans that it was not due to personal issues between him and Swift. "No, no, no – that’s not how it works," he explained. "It [didn’t work out] for reasons that are not to be criticized. She’s amazing.”

The reasons in question turned out to be thematic. Swift had a very specific theme in mind for Midnights and ultimately felt like Healy's contributions didn't match. She discussed the theme during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show:

"It’s a concept album and the main question is: 'What keeps you up at night?' You could be up at night because you’re reeling from just having met someone and you’re falling for them or you could be plotting revenge. You could be thinking about what could have been. You can think of it as a creative writing prompt, which is what I did. That’s where the album came from."

Swift only had one other artist on the standard version of Midnights, and the artist in question, Lana Del Rey, has barely audible backing vocals on the song "Snow On The Beach." It's clear that Swift wanted a focused album, and focus meant reducing the efforts of people like Healy.

Taylor Swift And Matty Healy Stopped Working Together After Healy Insulted Midnights Collaborator Ice Spice

Taylor Swift expanded the parameters of her Midnights theme when she released a "Late Nights" version of the album. This version included several new songs, and collaborations with the likes of Lana Del Rey (whose vocals were more prominent) and Ice Spice. Notably absent from the guest list, however, was Matty Healy.

A lot transpired between the release of the standard and "Late Night" versions of Midnights. Swift and Healy struck up a romance, and Healy came under scrutiny for comments he made during a stint on The Adam Friedland Show.

He mocked the appearance of Ice Spice, insulted her intelligence, and mimicked a Japanese accent within the span of a few minutes, which led to fans turning on both him and Swift.

Albums	Release Date (According To
Midnights (Standard Edition)	October 21, 2022
Midnights (Late Night Edition)	May 26, 2023

Swift's inclusion of Ice Spice on the "Karma (Remix)" was viewed by some as "performative activism", according to The Washington Post, and a transparent attempt to repair the damage that was caused by her 1975 collaborator. Regardless of Swift's intention, the damage done to her relationship with Healy, both personal and professional, was profound.

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Not only were the Healy collaborations left off the deluxe version of Midnights, but the alleged romance between him and Swift ended in June 2023 (a month after "Karma (Remix)" was put out). "They are no longer romantically involved," a spokesperson told Entertainment Weekly.

Taylor Swift Reportedly Cut Another Matty Healy Collaboration From Her Rerecorded Version Of 1989

Despite the messy dissolution of their relationship, rumors of a Taylor Swift and Matty Healy collaboration persisted. An anonymous music insider issued a bombshell to The Sun on Sept. 12, 2023, claiming that:

Swift and Healy recorded another song while they were dating
Swift and Healy are "not even in contact" anymore following their split
Swift will "still release the tune" as a bonus on her rerecorded 1989 album

The rumors reached such a fever pitch that a representative for Swift put out a statement clarifying Healy's involvement with 1989. Or rather, his lack of involvement. The statement, obtained by Daily Mail, simply read: "Neither Matt Healy nor The 1975 are on this album."

Despite their seemingly messy split, Matty Healy has been effusive in his praise of Taylor Swift's musical talent. He even told NME that he would love an opportunity to produce an acoustic album for Swift at some point in his career:

“I can’t think of a record that would sell more than that. Like, Taylor's intimate return to country. Of course, you’d wanna produce that! She’s [probably] gonna sit on that idea, but Taylor, if you ever want someone to help you set up the mics for your acoustic record, just so you know, I’m there."

Matty Healy Calls Kanye West His "Hero" As Taylor Swift Hopes Fans Forget Their Relationship

Taylor moved on quickly with Travis Kelce after her relationship with Matty Healy caused intense backlash.

A recent online theory claims that Healy wrote the song "American Girl" about Swift. The Sun pointed out the similarities between the titular girl and Swift, and the timelines add up, with the song being written in 2016. If the theory is true, though, then it looks to be the only Healy and Swift crossover fans will be getting for a long time.

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