“The Mystique of Philly’s Heavy Slime in Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ Conspiracy Theory”
A T-shirt created by a Philly-based artist is at the center of the latest Taylor Swift conspiracy theory.
The well-known TikTok creator @V_Swiftie_, who has gained over 2 million views for his speculations about the pop star, shared a post this week featuring a shirt by Heavy Slime.
In the video, which has garnered over 800,000 views, the TikToker delved into a theory that Swift’s upcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department, will be a double album that includes the highly anticipated re-recordings of her 2017 album, Reputation.
The video is complex and full of speculation, with a lot of mathematical analysis.
As for Heavy Slime’s connection to all of this, Swift was photographed before a show with Mark Hoppus, Blink-182’s bassist. The photo showed Hoppus wearing a shirt with a design by Eric Kenney, the creator of Heavy Slime, featuring Mickey Mouse pushing a shopping cart with a tombstone that reads “can’t wait to die.”
@V_Swiftie_’s video suggests that Hoppus’ shirt was not a coincidence, linking the phrase on the shirt to Swift’s song “Look What You Made Me Do.” Kenney, however, stated on Instagram that it’s just a T-shirt and the design is almost a decade old.
It seems like Kenney’s shirt has caught the attention of Swift fans, causing a stir among them.
It’s not the first time a celebrity has drawn attention to Kenney’s work, nor is it the first connection to Swift. Jason Kelce, prior to the Eagles’ game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, also wore a Heavy Slime crewneck.
For those interested in the conspiracy theory shirt worn by Hoppus, it can be purchased for $36 on Heavy Slime’s website.