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The Starting Line on Getting a Taylor Swift Shout-Out in ‘The Black Dog,’ 22 Years After Pop-Punk Band’s Breakout: ‘It’s an Unexpected Showering of Love’
The Starting Line, a band that broke out on the emo scene in 2002, is 'very grateful' for getting name-checked twice in Taylor Swift's 'Black Dog.'
(Actually, it could be three times, since, beyond the two mentions in “The Black Dog,” the phrase “the starting line” also pops up separately in the song “Fresh Out the Slammer,” but it isn’t used as a band reference there, just a figure of speech… or is it?) And even though the song was a national hit with emo fans, establishing the Starting Line as Warped Tour material, the group remains hometown heroes in the Philadelphia area, not far from where Swift grew up, which may solidify a nostalgic appeal for her. (Arguing against the theory that “The Black Dog” is about Healy, though: Based on photographs Jack Antonoff posted of studio sessions from last year, fans believe the song was recorded in mid-May 2023.
Or read this on Variety