The Secret Identities of Taylor Swift: Nils Sjöberg, Jack Leopard, & William Bowery

Share:

Taylor Swift is a mastermind. We’re not saying this ourselves; she’s openly talked about her plans and tactics in both her personal life and career, and she’s done it in one of the tracks on «Midnights.» She says something like, «What if I told you none of it was accidental? […] What if I told you I’m a mastermind?» 

We don’t need a handwritten letter to realize that nothing she does, says, or plans is left to chance. Every move, no matter how small, sets off a chain reaction that leads to something significant. These subtle hints are what people call Easter eggs. They’re like clues that hint at what’s coming next—things like future projects, announcements, and music-related news for those who pay close attention. 

But there’s more to her story. She’s also been quietly releasing music throughout her career, away from the public eye and the image that’s been built around her. Fans and the media have seen her one way, but behind the scenes, she’s been working on music under different names. She mentioned in 2020, “It’s actually fun to create fake names and write as someone else.” So today, on her birthday, December 13th, let’s explore three of these pseudonyms.

Nils Sjöberg 

Back in 2016, DJ Calvin Harris, together with Rihanna, released the single «This Is What You Came For.» Among the credits, there was a lesser-known Swedish composer named Nils Sjöberg. Interestingly, this persona wasn’t actually a Swedish man but rather a pseudonym. Sjöberg revealed, “I chose this pseudonym because Nils and Sjöberg are the two most common male names in Sweden,” as he explained in an interview with Rolling Stone. 

Jack Leopard & The Dolphin Club

The legal battle over regaining control of her song copyrights, which began after Taylor Swift handed over the master recordings to her former record label, Big Machine, not only resulted in re-recording her older albums but also in a temporary collaboration with a music group for a cover of «Look What You Made Me Do.» This rendition was featured in the opening of an episode of the British series Killing Eve and was performed by Jack Leopard & The Dolphin Club. 

All eyes were on Taylor in May 2020 when she acknowledged this rendition, especially since the songwriting and production credits included notable figures like Jack Antonoff, the frontman of Bleachers, who played a significant role in crafting albums like Folklore and Evermore. Interestingly, the vocals for this song were provided by none other than Austin, Taylor Swift’s own brother. 

William Bowery 

A more recent development involves William Bowery, which isn’t a pseudonym of Taylor Swift but rather Joe Alwyn, her partner of six years. Alwyn’s talent for poetic songwriting came to light during the pandemic as he contributed to several compositions. 

In addition to these collaborations, we’ve also seen Alwyn’s lyrical abilities in «Sweet Nothing» by Midnights. The name ‘William Bowery’ was chosen by combining his paternal grandfather’s first name with the name of a New York hotel where the couple was first spotted during the early days of their relationship. 

In total, this creative duo has collaborated on six songs since ‘William Bowery’ first appeared in the credits of Folklore, co-writing hits like «Exile» and «Betty.» 

Original Article in Spanish by Ana Escobar Rivas for LOS40.