Post Malone says he’s ‘honored’ to be a part of Taylor Swift's ‘Fortnight’ song: ‘Once in a lifetime’

Post Malone is sharing his gratitude for being a part of Taylor Swift's release “Fortnight,” the song for which he also starred in the new music video.

The day after Swift released her 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” as well as the music video for the album’s opening song, Malone took to social media.

“It’s once in a lifetime that someone like @taylorswift13 comes into this world,” Malone shared April 20, along with a polaroid shot of the pair. “I am floored by your heart and your mind, and I am beyond honored to have been asked to help you with your journey. I love you so much. Thank you Tay.”

In the predominately black-and-white video, Swift and Malone seem to play lovers in some kind of experimental mental institution.

And in a meta-moment, the two "tortured poets" also encounter famous fictional "dead poets."

Actors Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles, both of whom starred in the 1989 film “Dead Poets Society,” make a special appearance in the Easter-egg filled "Fortnight" video.

On Instagram, Hawke shared photos of himself in the music video and in "Dead Poets Society." Hawke played protagonist Todd Anderson, and Charles brought the gregarious and romantic Knox Overstreet to life in the 1989 film.

“'Todd' & 'Knox' from DEAD POETS SOCIETY are now PhDs in THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. It’s quite an honor," Hawke captioned the post. "Thank you @taylorswift for the opportunity to be in the music video for your song FORTNIGHT feat. @postmalone."

Post Malone commented a clinking beers emoji.

Charles also posted a photo of himself in "Fortnight."

"I’ve admired Taylor for a long time, but meeting her in person took my fandom to a whole new level. Genuine, kind, approachable, and just an all around stellar human being — Not to mention a kick ass director to boot! #TSTTPD," he penned in the caption.

In a post thanking the team that helped her make the music video happen, Swift said the concept for the video was to “show you the worlds I saw in my head that served as the backdrop for making this music.”

“Pretty much everything in it is a metaphor or a reference to one corner of the album or another,” she said. “For me, this video turned out to be the perfect visual representation of this record and the stories I tell in it.”

What Easter eggs are in the 'Fortnight' music video?

Swift continued her tradition of including multiple Easter eggs in the video. We'll start by noting that Swift's aesthetic for both the album and the "Fortnight" video seems to vacillate between dark academia and an old-fashioned asylum.

“I was supposed to be sent away/ But they forgot to come and get me,” she sings. “I was a functioning alcoholic/ ‘Til nobody noticed my new aesthetic.”

'Dead Poet’s Society'

"The Tortured Poets Department" has been compared online to the iconic 1989 film, "Dead Poets Society," starring Robin Williams. It was fitting then, that Swift cast Hawke and Charles in the video.

The two men wore white lab coats with the last names of their characters from "Dead Poets Society." Hawke's says "Anderson" while Charles' reads "Overstreet."

The white dress

In the opening scene, Swift dons a similar sculpted white gown that she wore to the Grammys on Feb. 4, when she surprised fans with news of her upcoming album.

Eagle-eyed fans noticed this in the trailer for the music video released on April 18.

As revealed on April 19 when the full video dropped, when Swift exits to stage right from the scene, her white dress quickly becomes what appears to be an all-black Victorian mourning gown. According to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Queen Victoria wore such gowns for decades after her husband, Prince Albert, died in 1861 until she died in 1901.

Clara Bow

Another song on the album is titled "Clara Bow," after the original Hollywood "It Girl" who rose to prominence in the 1920s during the silent film era.

Bow often wore her eyebrows in thin lines and Swift's look seems to echo that influence.

The typewriter

In one scene, Swift's typewriter is missing the No. 1, possibly an ode to her song "The 1" from her album "Folklore."

“The One” is about a former love, and the narrator reminisces that if the relationship had worked out, then they would have been the proverbial "one."

We should probably mention that the first song of the album, also titled "The Tortured Poets Department," also mocks an unnamed ex for using a typewriter.

Fans have speculated that she's referring to Matty Healy, the lead singer of The 1975, as he has gone on the record in 2018 saying he "can't live" without his typewriter.

Book of "US"

In one of the scenes of the video, Swift and Malone are resting on the ground on top of white papers arranged in a giant silhouette of Swift’s head. He’s looking at her while she reads from a book labeled “US.”

It appears to be the same book from the Spotify pop-up library event earlier this week in Los Angeles. It’s not entirely clear what the “US” book is referencing but it could be an homage to her song “The Story of Us,” originally from her 2010 album, “Speak Now.”

Large silhouette of Swift's head

Speaking of that scene, the giant silhouette of Swift's head made out of papers seems to reference the music video for her song "Style" off the "1989" album. That music video opens with a similar silhouette of Swift and then reveals a man looking out at an ocean, as noted by @tswifterastour on X.

'The Black Dog'

One of the songs on Swift's new album is titled "The Black Dog," presumably after a bar in London. However, there's a literal black dog visible in the foreground when Swift's character is electrocuted.

Handcuffs

At the beginning of "Fortnight," Swift is wearing a white, nearly bridal gown and chained to a bed in a medical setting.

As @mimistayedthere pointed out on X, the handcuffs could be a reference to "imgonnagetyouback," another song on the album.

"Even if it's handcuffed, I'm leaving here with you," Swift sings in the track.

'Forget him' pills

Also in the beginning of the video, Swift is only allowed to be unchained from the bed if she takes a pill from an orderly. Zooming in on the label of the pills, you can see they're labeled "FORGET HIM," and have both her birthday and the album release date as the prescription number.

Cats

Swift is a huge fan of cats, both hers and as pets in general. The opening card seems to pay tribute to that, with four cats and a ball of yarn hidden in the border.

Phone booth

At one point, Malone calls someone in the rain from an old telephone booth. It's unclear where he is meant to be located, but, as @GGBpBlink pointed out, the telephone booth could be another reference to London's iconic red ones.

How did Swift announce the 'Fortnight' video?

The pop icon, who kept most of the details about the LP a secret leading up to its release, announced the music video premiere on social media on April 16.

She uploaded a video that began with a clock on a wall and panned out to show her most recent album, “Midnights.” Crumbled pieces of paper and records were strewn across the floor in the room, as well.

Then, the camera entered another room with a “The Tortured Poets Department” placard on the door. Inside the second space, there was a typewriter sitting on a white desk and a bulletin board hanging on a wall. The board included an itinerary that revealed the music video would arrive at 8 p.m. ET.

A day before the release, she shared more information with Swifties.

She uploaded a photo of the black-and-white cover art for “Fortnight,” which showed Swift and Post Malone sitting together side-by-side and staring at the camera, to Instagram.

“The first single from The Tortured Poets Department is…………. Fortnight featuring @postmalone,” she wrote in the caption.

She complimented Post Malone and recalled creating the song together.

“I’ve been such a huge fan of Post because of the writer he is, his musical experimentation and those melodies he creates that just stick in your head forever. I got to witness that magic come to life firsthand when we worked together on Fortnight,” she said.

Swift added, “Honestly can’t wait for you guys to hear this song at Midnight TONIGHT and see the video at 8pm ET TOMORROW.”

“Fortnight” is one of 16 tracks on the standard version of Swift’s new album. At 2 a.m. on April 19, she announced "Tortured Poets" is a "double album" and released 15 more sings, bringing the song total to 31.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com