(Reuters) -Taylor Swift fans are flocking to The Black Dog, a pub in southwest London, after it was name-checked on the U.S. singer’s new album “The Tortured Poets Department.”
Lily Bottomley, the pub’s events and social media manager, said the buzz started online last week before the double album was released on Friday, with “The Black Dog” confirmed as the 17th track.
She had to call in 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 “(Taylor’s Version)” cocktails.
Bottomley could not be absolutely certain her Black Dog was the same one mentioned, but she said there had previously been a “certain blonde regular” at the pub.
Swift describes her 11th studio album on Instagram as: “An anthology of new works that reflect events, opinions, and sentiments from a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time.”
Fans largely believe it is about her former British boyfriend Joe Alwyn. Swift has referenced other London locations in her songs that sparked interest in where the couple had spent time in the British capital.
They split in April 2023 after six years of dating.
“We’re a very cosy small neighbourhood pub, so something like this happening is a dream,” Bottomley said. “We’re just so thankful to the fans because they’ve just been amazing.”
