Music

Charlie Puth subtly reacts to Taylor Swift’s name-drop in ‘The Tortured Poets Department’

By
Social Links for Stephanie Webber
Published April 29, 2024, 9:08 a.m. ET
Charlie Puth performs during the 2024 Gershwin Prize for Popular Song presentation to Elton John and Bernie Taupin by the Library of Congress at DAR Constitution Hall on March 20, 2024 in Washington, DC. WireImage

He really should be a bigger artist.

Charlie Puth subtly reacted to Taylor Swift name-dropping him in her 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department.”

The “Attention” singer, 32, reposted a slide from Swift’s carousel post that she shared with Swifties on Sunday.

“My mind is blown. I’m completely floored by the love you’ve shown this album. 2.6 million ARE YOU ACTUALLY SERIOUS??” the songstress, 34, captioned behind-the-scenes photos from creating the new music.

Charlie Puth attends the 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in LA on April 13, 2024.
Charlie Puth attends the Scientists Changing the World Breakthrough Prize ceremony at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in LA on April 13, 2024. Getty Images
Taylor Swift will kick off the European leg of her Eras Tour in May.
Taylor Swift will kick off the European leg of her Eras Tour in May. Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

“Thank you for listening, streaming, and welcoming Tortured Poets into your life. Feeling completely overwhelmed,” she continued via Instagram. “I was already so fired up to get back to the tour but you doing THIS?? May 9th can’t come soon enough 🤍.”

Puth reshared the sixth photo on his Instagram Story, which showed the “Midnights” singer staring at the camera while wearing headphones in the studio.

Puth’s name quickly went viral once Swift’s title track, “The Tortured Poets Department,” debuted on April 19. The tune is seemingly about her ex Matt Healy.

“You smokеd, then ate seven bars of chocolate,” she sings on the song. “We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist / I scratch your head, you fall asleep/ Like a tattooed golden retriever.”

Swift and the 1975 frontman, 35, briefly dated last summer after her six-year relationship with Joe Alwyn ended. She has been dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce since September.

Taylor Swift dropped her 11th studio album on April 19.
Taylor Swift dropped her 11th studio album on April 19. Instagram / @charlieputh
Taylor Swift surprised her fans with a double surprise album on "The Tortured Poets Department," which included 31 tracks.
Taylor Swift surprised her fans with a double surprise album, which included 31 tracks. Instagram/taylorswift

Puth, for his part, has been a fan of Swift’s for years. In 2021, a video of him playing her breakthrough hit “Teardrops on My Guitar” for a New York City crowd circulated on TikTok.

“This is why she’s such a genius, man. These are the chord changes. It’s wonderful. I think it’s wonderful,” he said at the time.

Here's what to know about Taylor Swift's new album 'The Tortured Poets Department':

  • The 14-time Grammy winner released her highly anticipated 11th studio album “The Tortured Poets Department” on Friday.
  • Swift sent her fans into a frenzy at 2 a.m. after revealing the record is a double album. Titled “The Anthology,” Swift’s late-night surprise includes 15 bonus tracks, bringing the total song count to a whopping 31.
  • Swift initially unveiled her 16-song album at midnight, including collaborations with Post Malone and Florence Welch on two tracks. There are also four bonus tracks, “The Manuscript,” “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog” that are featured on various vinyl versions of the album. The four tracks, as well as 11 new songs, are included in “The Anthology.”
  • A poem about heartbreak that serves as a prologue for the album was written by Fleetwood Mac alum Stevie Nicks.
  • There are several celeb names peppered throughout the album’s lyrics. The mention of singer Charlie Puth’s name took some Swifties by surprise.
  • While some of Swift’s exes aren’t spared on “TTPD,” the singer, 34, does seemingly reference her current beau Travis Kelce on the new album’s track “The Alchemy” in a loving way.
  • As for her exes, 1975 frontman Matty Healy is reportedly referenced throughout the 31-song-strong record. In fact, Healy — who, before their summer split, was a rebound romance for the pop superstar following her breakup with British actor Joe Alwyn after six years — appears to be the subject of the vicious takedown “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.” Other fans, however, may speculate the “sparkling summer” line is about Alwyn. There are also hints that “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” — gotta love that title — might be about 35-year-old Healy.
  • As for Alwyn, Swift dropped hints about the pair’s ill-fated six-year romance for a good — or for him, not so good — part of the album. Check out the 10 Alwyn-related references we’ve spotted.
  • Read The Post’s review of “The Tortured Poets Department” here.
  • Shop special-edition vinyls of Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” at Target.
  • Buy “The Tortured Poets Department” Ghosted White 2 LP special edition set now.

That same year, they interacted on TikTok after Swift joined the platform.

After Puth welcomed his “fellow Sag,” she replied, “I’ve lurked your account for ages! Thanks for the welcome, piano prince 👑.” The pair, however, have yet to collaborate together.

Swift name-dropped several others on her latest album, including late poet Dylan Thomas and musician Patti Smith, 77. She collaborated with Post Malone, 28, and Florence Welch, 37, and Stevie Nicks, 75, even penned a passage for Swift for the physical copies.