Swifties Invade London Pub After Taylor MentionAlternative title: The Black Dog Takes Center Stage in Taylor Swift Frenzy

As an unseasonable rain pours down on a residential street in Vauxhall, south London, it’s business as usual for most. But at one redbrick Victorian pub draped with hanging flower baskets and mosaic tiling, there is unexpected activity. Despite the weather, people are sitting outside nursing pints of beer or cups of coffee while journalists circle around them holding microphones, cameras, notepads. Passersby stop to pose for photos as excited customers pour out of black cabs and head inside where every table is taken. Welcome to The Black Dog – a local London pub that has been thrust into the spotlight thanks to musician Taylor Swift’s latest album “The Tortured Poets Department”. Last Friday, Swift released her surprise 15-track anthology, described as chronicling an emotional and fleeting moment in time. Amidst the 31 tracks is a reflective, moody song called ‘The Black Dog’, where Swift sings about watching her ex walk into The Black Dog after their breakup. As soon as these lyrics hit the internet, fans began sleuthing to find out if this was a real London spot or just chosen for its symbolic significance. Maddie Essig and Jenna Spackey are two American college students studying abroad in London who heard about ‘The Black Dog’ on social media and immediately started Googling. “Joe (Swift’s long-term partner, British actor Joe Alwyn) and Taylor spent a lot of time here,” says Essig as she sits inside The Black Dog with Spackey enjoying their pub lunch in the company of other Swifties who have come to visit this unexpected tourist attraction. “We figured it would be around here somewhere.” As they finish up, CNN Travel chats with them about how Taylor Swift’s namechecking London locations has become a feature of her music and why The Black Dog is now on the hit list for fans following in ‘London Boy’s footsteps’. Lily Bottomley, events and social media manager for SC Soho, which owns The Black Dog, tells CNN Travel that she first heard about the song through personal social media channels. “I saw ‘Black Dog’, and I was like, oh… And then it just spiralled,” says Bottomley as she explains how since her pub’s unlikely link-up with Swift came to light over the weekend they’ve hired extra security, have gained a thousand followers on Instagram overnight (their previous total being around 500), and that their TikTok account has garnered more than 200,00 likes within three days of creation. Bottomley also reveals how The Black Dog is “a local pub” with an inviting interior, which before the Swift fans descended was generally known for its quiet cozy atmosphere most of the time”. But now it’s a joyous place to be as enthusiastic Swifties have brought about positive vibes and community spirit. The team at The Black Dog are working on organising a Taylor-themed karaoke night, while Bottomley tells CNN Travel how she wouldn’t mind meeting Swift herself one day – although the pub has “a certain blond regular” who could be interpreted as being referenced in ‘The Black Dog’. As for what will happen after the tourists move on from this local spot when Taylor finishes her eight sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium, Bottomley says they’re planning to open early and close late during these performances. It has been an interesting ride since the release of “Lover” in 2019 which saw Swift namechecking other London spots but “London Boy,” for many, took that fame to a new level as it was widely believed by fans to be about Alwyn (Swift’s long-term partner). The song references locations including Brixton Market and Camden Market while the lines: “Shoreditch in the afternoon/ Highgate with the lights down low” were particularly popular. “People will go to all these places that she lists,” says Spackey, who has also visited some of Swift’s other London spots named on ‘London Boy’. The two friends believe it is Alwyn referenced in ‘The Black Dog’, while Bottomley suggests there may be elements about both former partners hidden within the song. For fans like Avangeline Strasburg from Florida who came to London during their celebrations of reaching their 29th birthday, visiting this pub was a must-do on their itinerary as they celebrate Swift’s latest album release. “I would buy something (from The Black Dog) if they sold merch,” says Strasburg adding that having souvenirs from places mentioned in her favourite artist’s songs is really neat. While the influx of fans has been a joy, Bottomley tells CNN Travel how no one’s stolen any glasses yet – much to their relief – and while merchandise may be coming soon it seems some things are better left as they are for now. The two friends agree that what makes Swift’s songwriting so special is her ability to create an image using relatable, everyday details before the scene unfolds in your mind’s eye – something which has helped make her a Grammy-winning billionaire with songs that transcend time and place. “She always includes little details,” says Strasburg as she ponders over The Black Dog’s food menu deciding what to have for lunch, while Hageman agrees adding: “Sometimes they are vague or sometimes more specific.” Despite all these fine descriptions fans don’t really care whether ‘The Black Dog’ is about Alwyn or Matty Healy (the lead singer of 1975 and an alleged ex) – instead, they simply relish in the fact that this pub has become a focal point for Swifties across London thanks to one of their idol’s latest creations. And when Swift describes locations using specificity, as fans hear the poetics they feel something tug at the inside pulling out longings; while ‘The Black Dog’ is not based entirely in reality or about a real person it has become an integral part of many people’s collective dream – adding depth and details that leave more intrigues around this song.