The Stoned Swifties have reason to celebrate. On Tuesday night in New York City, Taylor Swift attended a party hosted by the iconic musician Questlove of The Roots. Given that Swift is the Bob Dylan of our era when it comes to songwriting skills, of course, she’d want to spend time with fellow legends. But this wasn’t just any party. The “Welcome to New York” singer seemingly embraced the city’s newfound status as a place to enjoy cannabis freely, as the party was held at The Astor Club, aka “The Highest Club In High Society.” Located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, The Astor Club is a New York Times-approved cannabis speakeasy. The Chef behind the infused cuisine at the event was food and cannabis educator Nikki Steward.
Swift has been seen out and about enjoying New York City more and more (ever since she left her relationship with Joe Alwyn, who, if the rumors are true, preferred the quiet pandemic era with the international superstar over the spotlight), both hanging with friends and working hard recording at Electric Lady Studios in between her Eras shows. This writer attended one of her MetLife performances, which was such a powerful experience that the day after brought a comedown worse than one after taking MDMA. Swift killed it for three hours straight. There’s no way one can see her perform and not leave a full-fledged Swiftie.
Tuesday night at The Astor Club, Swift wore a snake print slip dress by L’AGENCE. As any Swifties reading this likely already know, the snake imagery invokes her sixth studio album, Reputation. Not to mention, the Garden of Eden theme is ideal for a cannabis party, so cheers to your styling skills, Tay Tay. Back in 2017, when Reputation came out, Kim Kardashian had infamously insinuated Swift was a “snake” on Twitter as part of the drama with her former husband, Kanye West, and thousands upon thousands of haters flooded Swift’s socials with the snake emoji as a result. Instead of running and hiding, she reclaimed that reptile. As Swift sings on “Long Story Short,” from her ninth studio album Evermore, “Your nemeses will defeat themselves before you get the chance to swing,” which West did with his recent antisemitic behavior.
However, much kinder rappers adore her. Flavor Flav is a proud Swiftie, and now she can add Bun B, a rapper hailing from Houston, Texas, to the roster, who she won over with casual conversation at The Astor Club. Bun B posted a photo with Swift, writing that she couldn’t have been more kind and personable. “I’ve only ever met 2 other people who make you feel this seen and heard in an interaction before and that’s @barackobama and @beyonce My question is does this make me a Swiftie?”
Yes, Bun B, it does, and welcome aboard. There are friendship bracelets and stoned listening parties.
As our viral article from late March of this year states, we don’t know if Taylor Swift is a stoner, but stoners sure love Taylor Swift. “I don’t know if you could truly understand the mastery of Taylor Swift’s songwriting without cannabis,” Melissa A Vitale, publicist and founder of Melissa A Vitale Public Relations, the first plant and intimacy wellness PR agency, told High Times. “None of her songs are on the surface; you have to explore between the lyrics to fully grasp the meaning of each ballad. It’s euphoric when you finally piece together all the hidden meanings in her choruses. I don’t know if I’d be able to experience her words as deeply as I do without cannabis.”
Vitale is not alone. “I especially love meeting other fans who, like me, you may not expect to be Swifties based on our appearance,” Sohum J Shah, who spent the last decade working in the cannabis industry, told High Times in the same article, penned by this author. Swifties shared how her music helped them embrace their sexual orientation, work through the grief of their mother passing, and how songs like “Ivy,” which clocks in at precisely 4 minutes and 20 seconds, sure sound like cannabis may be a muse. When Swift released “Lavender Haze” off her tenth studio album, Midnights, even Vogue wondered if the track was as heady as it sounds, with lyrics such as “I feel the lavender haze creepin’ up on me.” While Swift shared that the phrase “lavender haze” is a 1950s expression, which she learned from watching Mad Men, about the euphoric feeling of new love, there’s even a strain of cannabis called Lavender Haze, which is also called G13. Thirteen is Taylor’s lucky number, so we’re on to you, blondie.
However, High Times readers, when we posted the original Swift story on our Instagram, most of you were crueler than Kim K in the comments section. When this writer wrote the original Stoner Swiftie piece, I was worried that the Swifties would come after me, but it was the opposite. The stoners did. So, for all of those reading this fuming that I compared her songwriting to Dylan earlier (honestly, as a whole package, she’s even more talented), before you get too emotional, please listen to one of her albums from start to finish, while nice and stoned, and then you can form an educated opinion. Here’s a handy guide:
If you’re into indie rock: Folklore, and the sister album Evermore
If you like pop music and gay club shit: 1989
If you like some good ole’ country songwriting: Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
For the punks and emos: Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
For the midnight toker who loves to dance: Midnights
For hip-hop fans and anyone who lives for a comeback: Reputation
If you want it all: Red (Taylor’s Version)
