Taylor Swift surprised fans when she referenced musician Charlie Puth on the title track of her new album. "You smoked a cigarette and then you ate seven bars of chocolate/We declared that Charlie Puth should be a greater artist," she sings. More than a week later, on April 28, Puth publicly acknowledged the roll call.
This is very subtle. He shared Swift's Instagram post, which included behind-the-scenes photos of the album's recording process and a caption celebrating its chart success.
In Swift's post, she wrote: "My heart is blown away. I am completely blown away by the love you have shown for this album." She noted that Tortured , which was released on April 19 Poets Department" , 2.6 million copies were sold in the first week. "Are you serious?? Thank you for listening, streaming and welcoming the torture poet into your life. Feeling completely overwhelmed," she added.
By sharing Swift's post, Puth seemed to appreciate his mention on the album, even though the lyrics about him proved divisive.
This isn't the first time the two have complimented each other. In 2021, Puth covered Swift's song "Teardrops on My Guitar," telling fans: "That's why she's such a genius, man. These are the chord changes. It's awesome. I feel like this is so cool Bravo."
When Swift joined TikTok in 2021, Puth also welcomed his "fellow Sag" to TikTok. She replied: "I've been lurking on your account for years! Thank you for the welcome, Piano Prince."
TTPD tops the list
"Tortured Poets Department" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 2.61 million copies in the United States in its first week. The 31-song album marks the 14th No. 1 album of Swift's career and becomes the best-selling album of 2024 so far, breaking streaming and vinyl records.
"What do you mean?" the singer wrote in response to TTPD 's April 28 chart debut, adding that she's "so excited" to continue her global Eras tour, which kicks off on May 9 Paris, France recovers.
