Grand finale to her record-breaking Eras Tour, Taylor Swift performed her song “So Long, London” for the first time at her eighth and final show at Wembley Stadium on August 20, 2024. The US pop star’s performance captivated her audience, marking the end of her UK and European tour leg.
Fans had long speculated whether Swift would debut the track, which is thought to be inspired by her recent breakup with actor Joe Alwyn. The lyrics, reflecting on their past relationship, include poignant lines such as: “I left all I knew, you left me at the house by the Heath/ I stopped CPR, after all it’s no use/ The spirit was gone, we would never come to/ And I’m pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free.”
Swift and Alwyn’s six-year relationship ended in early 2023, and the couple was known to have spent time in London during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Swift was often seen enjoying walks in Hampstead Heath while they rented a home in Primrose Hill.
Earlier in the tour, Swift surprised fans with a rendition of “London Boy” during a show on August 16. This song, from her 2017 album Lover, reminisces about her joyful experiences in London with Alwyn, from exploring Camden Market to enjoying nights out in Brixton and Soho.
Alwyn recently spoke about the breakup in an interview with The Sunday Times’s Style Magazine, expressing hope that people would empathize with their situation. He acknowledged the challenges of having a private relationship suddenly become public, stating, “What is unusual and abnormal in this situation is that, one week later, it’s suddenly in the public domain and the outside world is able to weigh in.”
Following her split from Alwyn, Swift briefly dated Matty Healy, the frontman of The 1975, with whom many of the songs on her latest album The Tortured Poets Department are rumored to be associated. Swift is now in a relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, with whom she has been seen at games and concerts.
As Swift wraps up her Eras Tour, she will head to the US and Canada for a series of shows, concluding with her final performance in Vancouver on December 8, 2024, just before her 35th birthday. Despite speculation about extending the tour into 2025, Swift confirmed during her 100th show in Liverpool that the tour will end as planned in December.
The Tortured Poets Department has recently achieved significant success, spending 15 weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 chart, tying with Carole King’s Tapestry for the third-most weeks at No. 1 for female artists. Only Adele’s 21 and Whitney Houston’s The Bodyguard have spent more time at the top.
Critics, including Helen Brown of The Independent, have praised the album for showcasing Swift’s storytelling prowess, cementing her status as a leading force in the music industry.
