Taylor Swift is making sure Phoebe Bridgers knows just how much her new album is resonating with her, and she picked a fitting occasion to do so.
On Monday (Aug. 17), Swift took to her Instagram story to celebrate Bridgers’ birthday. Instead of simply sending her friend some birthday wishes, the pop superstar also provided an applauding review of Bridgers’ newly released album, Lost Weekend.
“It’s her birthday but she gave us a gift,” Swift wrote. “Haven’t been able to stop listening. This album is an absolute triumph in every way. To write about grief with such vulnerability and detail, to trust the listener with this much honesty.”
She continued, “Happy Bday @phoebebridgers I love you!!”
Lost Weekend is Bridgers’ first solo album release since 2020’s Punisher, and the praise from critics, fans and friends shows that every minute was worth the wait. The 16-track album (released Aug. 14) finds Bridgers diving headfirst into some of her most personal pieces thus far, exploring grief, heartbreak, love and complicated family history.
Swift is hardly a stranger to Bridgers’ work. The two artists have collaborated before, with Bridgers appearing on the track “Nothing New (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” which debuted at No. 43 on the Billboard Hot 100, from Swift’s 2021 album Red (Taylor’s Version). Bridgers also served as an opening act during the Eras Tour, even performing the collaboration onstage at several shows.
Now, with Lost Weekend officially out, it seems Swift has been spending some quality time with the album — and apparently getting emotionally wrecked by it just like the rest of us.
Bridgers, for her part, has had quite the comeback year. Lost Weekend follows her Grammy-winning run with boygenius and marks her return to solo music after a six-year wait. The album has already drawn praise for pushing her signature confessional songwriting into more experimental territory while retaining the emotional precision that made Punisher such an impactful release.
Happy birthday to Bridgers. If Taylor Swift saying an album is an “absolute triumph” isn’t enough of a reason to press play, well… what are you waiting for?
