LONDON.– Taylor Swift fans are flocking to The Black Dog, a pub in southeast London, after her name appeared on the American singer’s new album The Tortured Poet’s Department.
Lily Bottomley, events and social media manager at the pub, said rumors began online last week before the double album was released on Friday, with The Black Dog confirmed as the 17th track.
It has had to hire staff to cope with demand, and the pub in the city’s Vauxhall district has capitalized on its newfound fame with a Swift burger and cocktails (Taylor’s Version).
Bottomley could not be absolutely sure that her pub was the one mentioned, but said she previously had the usual presence of a “certain blonde” in the pub.
Swift describes her 11th studio album on Instagram as “an anthology of new works that reflect events, opinions and feelings from a fleeting, fatalistic moment in time.”
Fans largely believe this is her British ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn. Taylor has referenced other places in London in her songs which sparked interest in where the couple had spent time in the British capital.
They separated in April 2023 after six years of public dating.
“We are a small pub in a very friendly neighborhood so it is a dream for something like this to happen,” Bottomley said. “We are very grateful to the fans, because they have been incredible with their visits.”
Katie, a web developer and “Swifty” who was visiting from Northern Ireland for her birthday, said she liked going to the places mentioned in the songs.
“I was in New York last year and I also did a little Taylor Swift walking tour of the places she mentioned there.”
Emilia, a master’s student from Vienna, said she could imagine Swift going to the pub. “I appreciate her, because lyrically she is a genius,” she said.
Spotify said Friday that Poets broke the record for the platform’s most streamed album in a single day this year, accomplishing the feat in less than 12 hours.
Go to mass with Tay Tay
The German church Heiliggeistkirche, in the city of Heidelberg, managed to attract young people to the Protestant religion and hired the singer Tine Wiechmann to perform some of Tay Tay’s songs during a religious service scheduled for next December 12. May.
Although the ceremony will be free, the temple led by Pastor Vincenzo Petracca opened the reservation of 423 places, which are already completely occupied, so it is expected that another homily will be organized for Swifties.
It is worth mentioning that this church is a precursor of this practice, since in the past they organized some services with music by The Beatles, Queen and, ironically enough, Madonna.
Anti-stress became fashionable
When Taylor Swift announced to the world that she was taking L-theanine, a “natural supplement to help with stress and anxiety,” Swifties weren’t the only ones who sat up and took notice.
Years later, even though research on the benefits of this substance is limited, online retailers offer a wide range of different L-theanine products in powder or capsule form for fans.
Most products promise a calming effect, less anxiety and stress, as well as better concentration and sleep. But does this amino acid, found mainly in green tea leaves, really mean a reduction in stress levels?
Previous research has suggested that this amino acid in green tea may help with anxiety and stress. “L-theanine significantly increases activity in the alpha frequency band, indicating that it relaxes the mind without causing drowsiness,” a 2008 study suggested.
And yet, the authors believe that more research is also needed to clinically demonstrate any potential benefits. Furthermore, no potential risks or side effects from prolonged use of the supplement have been clinically ruled out.
Advertising of health claims related to the amino acid is not permitted in the European Union and the European Commission (EFSA) has denied claims made about L-theanine, such as improving concentration and relaxation.
Interest in L-theanine has increased since Swift wrote about it in 2019. “I take L-theanine, which is a natural supplement to help with stress and anxiety,” she said in an article for Elle magazine.
The good news is that there are many other clinically proven ways to help with stress and anxiety. These include special breathing techniques and meditation exercises such as the body scan technique or the progressive muscle relaxation method.
And if you’re lucky, sometimes you’ll discover on your own how to get rid of all those fears, like Swift herself did in Out of the Woods, when she discovered that the monsters turned out to be just trees.
With information from DPA
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