Entertainment Awards Shows and Events Grammys Taylor Swift Thanked by The Starting Line for Name-Dropping Them in Song: 'Flattered and Humbled' Swift name-dropped the band in her song "The Black Dog" on her new album 'The Tortured Poets Department' By Gabrielle Rockson Gabrielle Rockson Gabrielle Rockson is a staff writer-reporter for PEOPLE. She joined PEOPLE in 2023 and covers entertainment and human interest stories. She's interviewed David Beckham, Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet and many others. Her previous work can be found in OK! Magazine, MyLondon, GRM Daily, and more. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 22, 2024 10:35AM EDT Taylor Swift; Kenny Vasoli of The Starting Line. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images; Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images Taylor Swift is being thanked by pop-punk band The Starting Line. Swift, who released her 11th album The Tortured Poets Department on April 19, released her new song “The Black Dog” and included the lyrics, “When someone plays The Starting Line/And you jump up/But she's too young to know this song/That was intertwined in the magic fabric of our dreaming.” “Re: ‘The Black Dog’ Dear Taylor, We heard the song, thank you for name checking our band. We feel flattered and humbled by the reverberations of love that have come back to us as a result,” The Starting Line wrote in a post on Instagram on Friday. “It’s an honor to have TSL memorialized on such a lovely song. You didn’t have to do that, but you did, and we appreciate it wholeheartedly. Respect!” They then penned the post with, “Love The Starting Line PS #4OTW.” “Thank you @taylorswift,” their caption read. The post included a slide of lead singer Kenny Vasoli smiling onstage. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Everything Taylor Swift Seemingly Reveals About Her Relationship with Matty Healy on Tortured Poets Department It's believed the shout-out is in reference to The Starting Line being another of ex Matty Healy's favorite bands. The 1975 covered the band's 2002 song "The Best of Me" in concert in April and May 2023, days before Swift and Healy were first seen holding hands. "The Best of Me" tells the story of two lovers who spent time apart, but eventually found their way back to one another after "missing each other too much to have had to let go." The Starting Line were formed in Churchville, Pennsylvania in 1999. Their songs include “The Best of Me,” “Leaving” as well as 2007’s “Something Left to Give.” “What song do we think she’s referencing? My guess is ‘the best of me!’ ❤️,” one person commented under The Starting Line’s post, while a second wrote, “That moment when you realize you’re a musical influence to one of the biggest stars on the planet.” Kenny Vasoli of The Starting Line performing in Nashville in August 2023. Jason Kempin/Getty Images Taylor Swift Makes Swiftie Cassey Ho's 'Dream Come True' by Wearing Lilac Skirt She Designed in YouTube Clip Meanwhile, another user left a hopeful comment, “Taylor next tour: ‘What if I told you Kenny Vasoli was here to sing The Best of Me for you guys!?!?’ " The Starting Line’s post comes after Swift celebrated positive reviews of The Tortured Poets Department on her Instagram Stories on April 21. She first reposted Rolling Stone’s review, titled "Come for the Torture, Stay for the Poetry" with an "Instant Classic" stamp added. Swift then reshared a five-star review of TTPD from U.K. newspaper The Times and quoted her song “The Alchemy” with her caption, which read, “🤍These chemicals hit me like whiiiiite wiiiiine🤍."