Taylor Swift spokesperson responds to rumours The 1975’s Matty Healy features on new version of ‘1989’

Matty Healy of The 1975, Taylor Swift

Matty Healy of The 1975 will not feature on Taylor Swift‘s reworked version of ‘1989‘, a spokesperson for the pop star has confirmed.

The 1975 singer was reported by The Sun to have contributed a collaboration with Swift to her forthcoming album ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)‘. The LP is a re-recording of the star’s 2014 release.

It had been claimed by The Sun that Swift and Healy, who dated for a couple of months earlier this year, had recorded a track together and that Swift would release the song regardless of their split.

Now, DailyMail.com has confirmed that no such collaboration will be released for ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’. “Neither Matt Healy nor The 1975 are on this album,” they said.

Matt Healy of The 1975
Matt Healy of The 1975 performs on Day 3 of Leeds Festival 2023 at Bramham Park on August 27, 2023 in Leeds CREDIT: Katja Ogrin/Redferns

An insider had claimed to The Sun earlier this week: “They’re not even in contact any more, but there’s no hard feelings and Taylor will still release the tune. Taylor was a big fan of The 1975 way before she and Matty hooked up. The band worked with her on her ‘Midnights’ album but the songs they made never came out.

“She has a few tracks with the band to choose from but she’ll release the tune they made while they were together.”‘

‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’, like Swift’s other revised works, is likely to feature bonus tracks and “from the vaults” inclusions to offer fans something fresh in addition to the re-records. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the Healy-Swift collaboration won’t ever surface.

Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift. Credit: Hector Vivas/Getty

In 2020 Swift confirmed that she had started re-recording her first six albums after the ownership of her back catalogue changed hands for the second time within less than two years. The move has to been in a bid to reclaim ownership of her work.

Last November, Healy revealed that The 1975 worked on Swift‘s latest album ‘Midnights’ but said those songs “never came out”.

During an interview with Kroq’s DTS Sound Space, Healy recalled how Swift had heard some of his band’s latest record ‘Being Funny In A Foreign Language’ via producer Jack Antonoff prior to its release.

Antonoff worked as a producer on that record as well as ‘Midnights’, and has helmed many of Swift’s other studio projects.

Asked whether the star “returned the favour” and let Healy and co. have an early preview of ‘Midnights’, the singer replied: “Yeah. We actually worked a bit on that. But then [that] version of it never came out.”

Some audience members then booed in response to the revelation, to which Healy said: “No, no, no – that’s not how it works. It [didn’t work out] for reasons that are not to be criticised. She’s amazing.”

While Swift and Healy were dating, streams for The 1975 rose by 14 per cent between May 3-11, 2023.

Meanwhile, earlier this year Swift made a surprise appearance at The 1975’s O2 show to give her hit ‘Anti-Hero’ its live debut and cover The 1975’s ‘The City’.

In more recent news, Swift won a host of gongs last night (September 12) at the MTV VMA’s – check out the full list of winners here.

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