A classical composer’s reaction to hearing a Taylor Swift song for the first time

When the Queen of Pop (also known as Taylor Swift) released her latest album, The “Tortured Poets” section (TTPD), on April 19, fans around the world experienced a range of emotions upon first hearing them.

There was everything from heartbreak to grief to recovery. Of course, Swifties felt it all, including classical composer Steve Hackman, who took to social media to share his reaction when he first heard fan favorite “So Long, London.”

Hackman, 44, said Newsweek that he has long been a “huge fan of Taylor” and admires her ability to tell stories, which he believes is unmatched by other artists.

“I am blown away by the impeccable craftsmanship and palpable soulfulness. Her ability to convey emotion through song is unmatched,” he said.

Hackman recorded the moment he heard “So Long, London” and posted it on Instagram (@stevehackmanmusic). The video delighted Swifties everywhere and resonated, garnering over 1.2 million views and more than 66,300 likes.

“Apart from the choral introduction, which sets the dramatic stage once again in such an impressive way, I like how the final choruses pick up the choral elements from the beginning and contribute to an incredible wave of emotion,” he said.

“It’s a brilliant juxtaposition that sets the dramatic stage so elegantly. The song starts with what could easily be a classical choral madrigal and then goes straight into the contemporary soundscape with an electronic kick that made me feel instantly connected to it.”

Since its publication TTPD was hailed as a masterpiece and set records within its first week. In the first 12 hours of its release, the album became Spotify’s most streamed album in a single day and became the first album to record over 300 million streams in a day on the platform.

On April 20, Apple Music announced that the album had broken the platform’s record for the biggest pop album of all time (based on first-day streams).

If you thought the hype would die down after the first few days, you are wrong. Records are being broken all over the place, TTPD was the first album on Spotify to reach over 1 billion streams in one week.

Swift fans around the world apparently can’t get enough of it, as many of the tracks were included in the setlist of her Eras tour.

While Hackman loves all 31 songs TTPDhis favorite album in Swift’s discography is still folklorewhich came out in July 2020. He said that many of Swift’s songs from throughout her career feel like “a diary entry,” making them deeply personal and emotional.

“She is the Bruce Springsteen of our time,” he joked.

Since the video went viral on Instagram last month, Hackman has been reaching out to countless Swifties to hear their thoughts on the new album. He’s working on a Taylor Swift orchestral fusion piece, so it’s helpful to start conversations and share ideas.

He said Newsweek: “The reactions were so funny. What I’m so grateful for is that through this video I can now have a dialogue with so many of her fans as I write. We discussed which songs to record, what approach to take and how to tie themes together. I’ve never been able to have such a dialogue while writing a piece before.”

Many social media users were delighted by Hackman’s honest and raw reaction as he processed “So Long, London,” which resulted in more than 300 comments under the Instagram post.

One comment states: “The fact that you can just listen and play is so beautiful, and that’s why all music is great.”

Another replied: “Yeeeeeeeah. This is my favorite song on the album because of that intro and how it carries the whole song.”

Another user joked: “I nod and agree with what you say as if I knew classical music.”

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