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Track 20 of 31 is not where hits usually live. But “Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus,” an Aaron Dessner-produced piano song tucked deep into The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology, is getting the kind of attention normally reserved for singles.
The numbers are modest by Taylor Swift standards and real for a deep cut. According to Luminate figures cited by Rolling Stone, the track’s U.S. on-demand streams rose 37 percent from the week of Sept. 18 to the week of Sept. 25. Its average daily streams climbed from about 48,600 to 60,900 last week, with a one-day peak near 70,000. When the 2024 extended edition came out, the song only reached No. 36 on the Hot 100.
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The spark, Rolling Stone reports, is a creator who goes by Bald Ann Dowd. The account, run by New York-based Alison Sivitz, is built around a photoshopped bald image of the actress Ann Dowd. It began as a niche joke a couple of years ago and has since collected fans such as Rachel Zegler and Charli XCX. Earlier this year, Sivitz interviewed the real Dowd.
Lately, her 70,000 followers have been getting one topic. By Rolling Stone’s count, Sivitz posted about the song nearly 30 times on X and made six TikTok videos, mixing reaction clips with her own readings of the lyrics. Some followers sent worried messages, and she answered them in public: she’s fine, and the song makes her feel like she could run through a wall.
It’s like sicko mode to me.
Alison Sivitz (Bald Ann Dowd), on X, Rolling Stone
That comparison is to Travis Scott’s 2018 hit, and it captures the appeal: the song is devastating, about a relationship that never fully happened, and it turns out people enjoy being devastated together. Other accounts joined in, including a My Chemical Romance fan account that credited Twitter with showing it how bleak the song really is. One TikTok of a person breaking down while singing along passed 2 million views, and Bald Ann Dowd reposted it.
Rolling Stone’s case for the song: it squeezes the whole Tortured Poets story into about three minutes, and its bridge builds until it snaps. It was never built for the charts, the outlet notes. It’s a slow burn.
Swift’s own news cycle is elsewhere: “Patient Zero” just landed at No. 1 on the Hot 100. This one is on the fans. Whether the numbers hold once the joke moves on will show up in next week’s Luminate data.
Chloe or Sam or Sophia or MarcusTaylor SwiftListen on Apple Music
