Taylor Swift's Song "London Boy" Has Brits Confused
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Taylor Swift released her whopping 18-track album, Lover, on Friday, and we’ve been over-analyzing each and every lyric in the hours since.
In a particularly buzzed-about song, “London Boy,” the singer describes her current boyfriend Joe Alwyn’s hometown. “You know I love a London Boy,” she sings, noting the places and activities that make up their experiences together across the pond.
The song was the source of much uproar on Twitter among the Brits, many of whom seemed to think Swift’s characterization of the city was misleading and romanticized.
what Taylor Swift thinks a London boy is vs what a London boy actually is #Lover pic.twitter.com/pRV3ydPihW
— lauren 🇬🇧🇮🇪🇪🇺 (@laureneleyx1) August 23, 2019
London Boy is a bop but the bit about her enjoying watching rugby with his school friends is ridiculous, no woman present when rugby boys are together has ever had a good time
— Abby Tomlinson (@twcuddleston) August 23, 2019
Taylor Swift's "London Boy' is super-nice, but the idea of doing Shoreditch in the afternoon, Brixton in the evening and then back to Highgate is giving me major London Underground anxiety #TaylorSwift #Lover pic.twitter.com/0WHoi9R59R
— Neil Studd (@dustlined) August 23, 2019
If Taylor Swift’s London song wanted to be truly authentic, she’d moan about having to get from Brixton to Shoreditch and then say ‘sorry, City Mapper says it’s going to take 79 minutes’
— Jessie Thompson (@jessiecath) August 23, 2019
Any guy who enjoys walking through Camden market and introduces you to his mates at a pub in Highgate where they're watching the rugby is a MONSTER!!!!! https://t.co/sANPl95LR7
— Jessica Bateman (@jessicabateman) August 23, 2019
haha I'm just a🇬🇧 LONDON BOY
I ❤️getting the central line and
going to the 🍳breakfast club 💖💗
buying lucky charms from Selfridges
driving around in a rickshaw🔥— David Wyllie (@journodave) August 23, 2019
Taylor as she’s writing London Boy #Lover pic.twitter.com/tt9x9ukeUQ
— Tyler (@Imtyleredwards) August 23, 2019
footage of taylor swift writing "london boy" pic.twitter.com/RuHm0SqKoo
— gabe bergado (@gabebergado) August 23, 2019
Others saw the song as a direct attack on Estelle and Kanye West’s 2008 anthem “American Boy,” which has endured 11 years of West’s antics and still holds up. (Estelle, like Alwyn, hails from London.)
“Lover” is her best in a while and has some great tracks but “London Boy” is terrible ESPECIALLY since we already have the literally perfect “American Boy” by Estelle and you do NOT want to invite that comparison.
— Nicole Cliffe (@Nicole_Cliffe) August 23, 2019
also consider it an attack on estelle's 'american boy', both the perfect karaoke song and the exemplar of american citizens singing about england
— the guendouzi bobblehead desirer (@joelgolby) August 23, 2019
The only acceptable song about Transatlantic dating is 'American Boy' by Estelle and I won't settle for anything less. #LondonBoy
— Alys Key (@alys_key) August 23, 2019
Is “London Boy” the next shot fired in the years-long Taylor vs. Kimye face-off? Y/N?
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I mean, at least Joe is probably happy?
Joe Alwyn when he heard London Boy #Lover pic.twitter.com/QHAN3kxKQB
— MICHU (@MichuEmenalo) August 23, 2019
And, like, maybe Harry Styles and Tom Hiddleston, too?
Tom Hiddleston, Harry Styles and Joe Alwyn after listening to London Boy
pic.twitter.com/krYDCkgDS8— 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮, Taj 💗 (@falsegodmp3) August 23, 2019
harry styles, joe alwyn, and tom hiddleston after hearing london boy pic.twitter.com/6hDqvQNybr
— 𝓭𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓵𝓪★free palestine (@harrynthejets) August 23, 2019
