Taylor Swift effect: London pub named in The Tortured Poets Department gets swarmed by Swifties

What’s the connection?

The 17th track of Taylor’s new album is called The Black Dog. The lyrics of that track go:

“I am someone who until recent events you shared your secrets with and your location.
You forgot to turn it off.
And so I watch as you walk into some bar called The Black Dog.”

Many speculate that the album is in reference to Taylor’s past relationships with British actor Joe Alwyn and The 1975 lead singer Matty Healy, given songs like So Long, London. So the internet wasn’t surprised to find out that “The Black Dog,” in reference is an actual bar in the Vauxhall area of the city.

Swifties swarm the Black Dog

Now, ever since the album dropped, scores of Swifties rushed to the London pub. The Independent quoted Amy Cowley, the marketing consultant for The Black Dog Pub, as saying, “Last night we were turning people away because we were at total mass capacity. We’re expecting a lot more. We’re all hands on deck, getting more team members in, getting security at the door to help manage the big crowds.”

She added, however, that the bar staff is still coming to terms with the “surreal” attention they’ve got through the song. “To now get that sort of international level of recognition is surreal but it’s lots of fun. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, but we’re enjoying it,” she added.

The pub is now offering deals for Swifties: the first 100 who can sing a lyric from Taylor’s song gets a new, customised drink called ‘Swift Half.’

“I was just thinking ‘if i were the owner of the black dog, i’d post on the pub’s socials that it’s not shitty here’ and i checked their insta and they actually had a deal for swifties thats so cute,” wrote a user on X.

“Sorry but not The Black Dog being the pub AT THE END OF MY ROAD of my old flat that i lived in with my ex bc, that i walked past EVERY DAY FOR A YEAR??? when i first heard the song title my heart did a flip and oh my goddd,” posted another.

“The black dog pub about to get so much business this week,” shared a third one. The Black Dog Pub is expecting as much or more footfall when Taylor comes to London in June and August as part of her record-breaking Eras Tour.