Jack Antonoff isn’t giving any spoilers about Taylor Swift‘s new album The Tortured Poets Department, including whether or not he’s involved in the project. One Dutch outlet learned that the hard way in a recent interview with the producer, who abruptly ended their conversation in response to a question about his work with the “Anti-Hero” singer.
While speaking about his latest Bleachers album with NRC, a newspaper based in the Netherlands, Antonoff was frank when asked if he has any credits on Tortured Poets, which is slated for an April 19 release. The former Fun guitarist has been producing for Swift since 2014’s 1989, and he recently won producer of the year at the 2024 Grammys thanks to his work on the pop star’s Midnights LP.
“You know I don’t talk about that,” he told the publication before hanging up. “If you’re looking for clickbait, you’ve come to the wrong place. Thank you for this conversation.”
Shortly afterward, one reader on X criticized the musician for having a “bad attitude” in the new interview. However, other fans pointed out that Antonoff may have been looking to keep the conversation focused on his own work; he and his band dropped their self-titled Bleachers record earlier this month, and it debuted at No. 62 on the Billboard 200.
Another person joked of the incident, “trying to cancel jack antonoff for being a man from new jersey is so bold.”
Though he’s staying tight-lipped about Tortured Poets for now, Antonoff has long been vocal about how much he loves working with Swift. “There’s a lot of magic there,” he told Apple Music 1‘s Zane Lowe of their dynamic in the studio in a March 6 interview. “It’s almost like, the more we do, the less I expect it. Because I often think to myself, well, how much longer could we really keep having this spark? And I’m just grateful that it’s there.”
In a February interview, Antonoff was also candid about why he feels protective of the pop star. “You come after my friend Taylor, you’re toast to me,” he told the Los Angeles Times, adding that questioning Swift’s songwriting skills “is like challenging someone’s faith in God … you just don’t go there.”
