Sending a message? Matty Healy got emotional on stage following his split from Taylor Swift.
Healy, 34, and The 1975 performed in Austria on Monday, June 5, as the rocker’s breakup from Swift, 32, made headlines. The group surprised fans with a change in their previously established setlist, with Healy singing the final song of the night — “102” — solo with an acoustic guitar.
In footage from the concert shared via Twitter, Healy appeared mellow as he sat by himself beneath a spotlight. At one point, he held up his hand to signal to the crowd to stop cheering.
While “102” is a fan-favorite tune, it’s only been performed live twice over the span of the band’s career. Healy previously sang the emotional track during a December 2022 gig in Denver.
“Said, ‘Well I, I like the look of your shoes, I like the way that your face looks when I’m arguing with you,'” he sings in the first verse. “And so when, when we all grow old / I hope this song will remind you I’m not half as bad as what you’ve been told.”
Elsewhere in the song, Healy croons: “But on this shirt I found your smell / I just sat there for ages contemplating what to do with myself / I called you up at 102 / We just sat there for ages / Talking about that boy what was getting on to you.”
The song initially appeared online in 2013, with a studio version seemingly being leaked three years later. In 2018, “102” was included on the Japanese edition of the band’s third record, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships.
“This song is about a girl[friend] that I had. She was beautiful, absolutely beautiful. I loved her, but she didn’t feel the same way. I don’t even think she knew I loved her,” Healy previously explained in an interview with BBC Radio 1. “This song is about the times I had with her. As she and I became close friends, we had traditions. … Now whenever I’m awake at 1:02 a.m., I think of her and I let her go.”
Us Weekly confirmed on Monday that the “Robbers” singer and Swift called it quits. “They had fun together, but it was never serious,” a source explained.
The twosome were linked in May shortly after news broke of Swift’s split from Joe Alwyn. Healy was spotted at a number of the Cats actress’ Eras Tour concerts in the weeks that followed, and the pair were often photographed together in New York City between her performances.
Swift and Healy previously sparked dating rumors in 2014. An insider told Us earlier this year that the duo were “having fun together” and were excited to “give things a second chance” following their “brief” fling years prior.
“They both respect and admire each other’s talent. They have a lot of mutual friends, including Jack Antonoff,” the source noted last month.
The pair’s relationship, however, was quickly criticized by fans due to Healy’s controversial past. As news broke of their split, a third insider told Us that Swift’s inner circle wasn’t “surprised” that the whirlwind romance came to an end so soon.
“She wasn’t ready for another serious relationship just yet,” the source added.
Healy’s emotional performance on Monday came after the Miss Americana star’s three-show residency in Chicago. During her concert on Saturday, June 3, Swift was visibly emotional as she performed “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” in the acoustic section.
“I’m sitting eyes wide open and I got one thing stuck in my mind / Wondering if I dodged a bullet or just lost the love of my life,” she sang.
