'I Miss When Joe Was Her Muse': Taylor Swift Fans Compare 'Cleveland!' to Her Alwyn-Era Love Songs

Taylor Swift fans are revisiting her Joe Alwyn-era love songs after the release of 'Cleveland!' with some saying they miss the songwriting period they associate with the British actor and comparing it with Swift's new material about husband Travis Kelce.

The song, released on 25 September as one of four new tracks on The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, centres on Kelce and his Cleveland Heights roots while addressing criticism aimed at Swift.

But reactions on TikTok and in the comments have turned into a wider debate about Swift's romantic songwriting, with fans comparing 'Cleveland!' and 'Wood' with songs including 'Call It What You Want,' 'Dancing With Our Hands Tied' and 'Sweet Nothing.'

Swift's 'Cleveland!' Puts Criticism Into Her Love Story

'Cleveland!' is explicitly tied to Kelce, who grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Swift uses the song to reference criticism of her appearance, fashion and dancing before contrasting those comments with Kelce's acceptance of her.

The song repeatedly centres on Kelce's affection, while references to Cleveland and The Heights connect the romance to his background. Its closing section also references Swift wearing white, a nod to the couple's 3 July wedding.

That direct approach has become a major part of the online reaction. One TikTok creator characterised the song's message as essentially a 'fuck the haters' response, while another mocked its repeated focus on Swift's 'man.'

One commenter summed up the criticism by writing: 'she sound so mad for a woman so in love.'

Fans Say They Miss Joe Alwyn as Swift's 'Muse'

The reaction has gone beyond criticism of 'Cleveland!' itself, with some fans explicitly revisiting Alwyn's role in the songwriting associated with their six-year relationship.

One TikTok used the caption 'when you are the muse,' while another asked: 'is this a safe space to say i miss when joe alwyn was her muse.'

The comments also used the word 'muse' when discussing Swift's former partners. One fan wrote: 'Her best muse was matty as much as I hate to say that,' while another said: 'Even Matty was a better muse.. there I said it.'

Those comments are fan interpretations rather than evidence that Swift officially regarded Alwyn as her 'muse.' Alwyn was, however, a credited songwriting collaborator under the pseudonym William Bowery, including on songs from Folklore and Evermore.

Fans Compare 'Cleveland!' With 'Call It What You Want'

The clearest comparisons focus on the romantic songs fans associate with the Alwyn era.

One commenter wrote: 'i'd be so pissed if i was travis cuz wdym i got cleveland and wood and there's joe having ciwyw, dwoht and sweet nothings.'

Another listed 'Daylight,' 'Dress,' 'Lover,' 'So It Goes...,' 'Call It What You Want,' 'Cornelia Street' and 'London Boy' before contrasting those songs with 'Cleveland!' and 'Wood.'

For fans making the comparison, the Alwyn-era songs represent intimacy, privacy, commitment and vulnerability, while 'Cleveland!' makes public criticism and Swift's relationship with Kelce part of the song's central narrative.

The comparison has also fuelled jokes about 'Wood,' another The Life of a Showgirl track, with one TikTok reaction calling 'Cleveland!' 'Wood part two.'

'I Miss Her Lyricism': Fans Mock the Songwriting Shift

Some fans have focused less on Alwyn himself and more on what they perceive as a change in Swift's writing.

One commenter wrote: 'this is the woman who wrote Love Story, Enchanted, Lover, invisible string, Daylight, Call It What You Want, You Are In Love & Paper Rings... and now we're at Cleveland!?'

The fan added: 'i truly cannot wrap my mind around the shift. she's not even singing in these songs, she's talking, and it just isn't my cup of tea. as a die hard swiftie i love her sm but i miss her lyricism.'

Another contrasted Swift's earlier romantic imagery with the simpler refrain 'he likes what he likes and he likes me,' arguing that the new material did not match the songwriting they remembered from the Alwyn era.

A TikTok creator similarly argued that 'Cleveland!' was the kind of song Swift could have performed privately at her wedding but said it 'shouldn't' have been included on the album.

Not Every Fan Thinks Swift's Happier Writing Is Worse

The reaction is not unanimous. Some fans have defended the deliberately uncomplicated approach to 'Cleveland!' arguing that happiness does not have to produce the same kind of writing as heartbreak.

One commenter wrote: 'misery is not the only thing that is poetic. sometimes the mundane also is.. and even the satire.' The fan said the album was for happy people and that they would enjoy dancing to it.

Another added: 'she is happy!! So let's be happy for her! Her songs reflect her feelings and we can't always be hoping for sad songs.'

The disagreement has nevertheless brought renewed attention to Swift's Alwyn-era catalogue, with fans using songs such as 'Call It What You Want,' 'Sweet Nothing' and 'Lover' as reference points while debating the tone of her current relationship songs.