This week’s episode of The Softer Side with Carl Rossi brings a soulful mix of love, respect, and reflection—just in time for the dog days of summer. At the heart of the playlist is a hauntingly beautiful track from Taylor Swift: her song “The Black Dog.”

Originally released as a bonus track on her 2024 double album The Tortured Poets Department, “The Black Dog” is a post-industrial power ballad that showcases Swift’s lyrical vulnerability and emotional precision. The song paints a vivid picture of heartbreak and longing, imagining an ex-lover at a familiar bar with someone new. Sparse piano lines build into a dynamic chorus, capturing the ache of memory and the sting of moving on.

Swift’s rendition—featured in Show #329 of The Softer Side—echoes the show’s theme this week: honoring the emotional weight of summer’s final stretch, where nostalgia meets resilience. Alongside classics like Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” Paul Anka’s “Puppy Love,” and The Everly Brothers’ “Crying in the Rain,” Swift’s track adds a modern layer to a timeless conversation about love and loss.

Carl Rossi curates this week’s episode with care, weaving in Top 40 hits from the ’60s and contemporary gems that speak to the heart. Whether you’re reminiscing about a summer romance or simply soaking in the season’s last golden rays, The Softer Side offers a soundtrack that’s both comforting and cathartic.

🎧 Catch the full episode today at 5PM on KNCT FM 91.3 or stream it anytime at myKNCT.com. Let the music carry you—and maybe, like Swift, find a little healing in the melody.