Jack Antonoff needs a moment.
The 40-year-old Bleachers artist and longtime Taylor Swift collaborator took to social media to celebrate the release of The Tortured Poets Department, admitting that he wasn’t quite ready to tackle all the internet chatter head on.
“Love this album more than i can say …. love you all very much … more later very overwhelmed … love you taylor,” he posted on X (formerly known as Twitter)after the album dropped at midnight on Friday, April 19.
Antonoff also revealed two of his favorite songs from the album, name dropping “Fresh Out The Slammer” and “Down Bad.”
Swift and Antonoff’s professional history dates back to 2013 when they first co-wrote the song “Sweeter Than Fiction” together. They went on to collaborate on her official pop crossover album, 1989, and have collaborated consistently on writing and production ever since.
Antonoff is also well known for having Swift’s back in public. Most recently, he appeared on Tuesday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live and poked fun at Kanye “Ye” West — who has had a complicated and often contentious relationship with Swift.
“If I saw Kanye, I’d go up to him and be like, ‘Your diaper’s so full! We have to change your diaper. Your diaper needs to be changed. It’s a huge problem,'” Antonoff said, adding, “The truth is, I’m not that offended. I’m offended, but I’m not that offended. So I don’t like to play this character of overly offended. I prefer to sort of up the trolling.”
Before that, Antonoff abruptly hung up on a reporter after he was asked a question about Swift.
And, speaking with The Los Angeles Times earlier this year, he didn’t mince words when it came to defending Swift’s talents.
Questioning Swift’s songwriting know-how, Antonoff said, “Is like challenging someone’s faith in God. You just don’t go there.”
Referring specifically, again, to West, Antonoff added, “I’m so incredibly bored when someone doesn’t have the sauce anymore, so they go elsewhere to shock,” he said. “It’s just a remarkable waste of space.”
At the end of the day, Antonoff admitted, “I’m a little b**ch sometimes. But you come after my friend Taylor, you’re toast to me.”
The Tortured Poets Department dropped on Friday after months of anticipation from fans, with Swift delivering a surprise double album titled The Anthology just hours later.
