There’s a brick wall in the English village of Chesire that has become an unlikely tourist spot. For over a decade, crowds — of mostly young women — have been visiting this improbable Mecca simply to write on the brick walls of Twemlow Viaduct. Why? Because it’s supposedly where heartthrob Harry Styles had his first kiss.
The infamous Twemlow Viaduct is 183 years old and now covered in graffiti. Names, well-wishes, and kisses decorate this spot. It’s like the British version of Juliet’s balcony in Verona, where women put their love letters on the walls that ignited the most famous love story ever told. Styles’s own love story is a little less complex. Legend has it, he took a walk to this place as a kid and had his first kiss by the brick wall. Guys really say “I know a spot” and take you to a viaduct…
When he visited the site for the One DirectionThis Is Us documentary, he signed his name on the brick. Since then, fans have traveled across the world to leave their own mark on this unlikely altar of pop culture. The viaduct, now boasting its own TikTok hashtag (because of course it does), has become the centerpiece of the "Harry's Home Village Tour" in Holmes Chapel.
The tour takes Styles fans around the quaint town where the singer grew up. The landmarks aren’t remarkable, but they help paint a picture of the artist’s life before he became a superstar. Here’s the railway station where he used to buy train tickets, here’s the bakery where he famously earned a meager £6 GBP an hour. It even stops at a hardware store that sells Harry merch.
But the most famous landmark of the Harry’s Home guided Chesire tour is this viaduct. As a Grade-II listed structure — which marks its national and historic significance — the viaduct is famous for more than just Styles’s first kiss. It’s an old Victorian structure, which carries trains from Manchester to Crewe via Holmes Chapel on the West Coast main line. However, the damage to its exterior was so potentially ruinous that the government had to step in.
Network Rail, the structure's less-than-thrilled owner, has been forced to fence off the viaduct to protect it from overzealous fans scratching their names into its weathered bricks. It's a classic case of loving something to death, with the very adoration threatening to destroy the object of affection.
On one hand, there's something oddly touching about fans seeking a tangible connection to their idol — as if leaving their mark might somehow bring them closer to Styles himself. It's a physical manifestation of fandom in a crushing digital world, a way of saying "I was here" that feels more permanent than a tweet or an Instagram story. On the other hand, the damage to a historical structure highlights the self-centered nature of fan culture. The desire for personal validation — that selfie, that name in scratchitti — outweighs consideration for the site itself or the local community that’s been forced to deal with the influx of visitors.
Network Rail's solution — blank panels where fans can leave messages without harming the viaduct — is a clever compromise. It acknowledges the fans' desire for expression while protecting the structure. But it also feels like smacking a Band-Aid on a larger issue: the sometimes problematic relationship between celebrities, their fans, and the places caught in between.
Chappell Roan, who recently went from niche “gay famous” singer to a megastar drawing mega-crowds at mega-festivals, has recently been posting about the downside to her commercial success. In desperate pleas across social media, she asks fans to respect her boundaries: stop acting like they know her, stop stalking her and her family.
Some say she’s asking for too much, that she chose this life. But this is starting a necessary conversation about fandom and the people who become the objects of their obsession. We live in the age of the Swiftie, where we’ve normalized a culture where some celebrities get deified, but their privacy comes at an exorbitant price.
Swifites essentially bullied Taylor Swift into breaking up with Matty Healy (but the Swifties were onto something there, he’s gross). But apart from this one positive moment, they mostly use their powers for evil — tormenting anyone who says anything less-than positive about Taylor Swift and beefing with A$AP Rocky.
Swifties are also known for their analytical obsessions, pouring over every Taylor lyric for clues about her life and her relationships. As an artist who writes achingly personal lyrics, Swift leaves tons of breadcrumbs for Swifties to find — from places she goes to people she’s with.
Thus, Taylor has inspired her own list of places often visited by fans hoping to get closer to the star — or perhaps even catch a glimpse of her. It’s why tickets to Chiefs games started selling out when she became the ultimate WAG. Or why people go to London and New York City with her lyrics and paparazzi shots as a reference to places where they might accidentally run into her?
But Taylor and Harry aren’t the only stars who reveal their favorite spots in their songs. Musicians often blend specificity with abstraction to accurately set the scene in their songs.
Here are some great places to visit inspired by your favorite artists and their music (and some other spots to go if you’re a Harry or Taylor fan):
- Harry Styles
The Harry’s Home Village Tour isn’t the only place Harry Styles has been. When not selling out stadiums, Harry has been living in Los Angeles for the past few years. So, it’s no surprise that LA spots like The Beachwood Cafe appear in his music. Now, this once-sleepy local spot in the secluded Beachwood Canyon is overrun with crazed Harry fans paying homage to the song “Fallen,” where Harry quite somberly sang about the place.
- Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift's lyrics are famously abundant with specific locations, turning her songs into virtual travel guides for devoted Swifties. In London, fans seek out the pubs and bars mentioned in her songs, hoping to recreate scenes from her music. After years with a “London Boy,” all of London is fair game for Swifties — especially after she Sold Out ten nights at Wembley. One particular bar, The Black Dog in London, has recently become famous thanks to the song with the same name on The Tortured Poets Department. The owners are most definitely pleased by the influx of business.
The Cornelia Street townhouse — which she rented for $38K a month from 2016 to 2017 — is a landmark for fans even though Swift moved out in 2017. Nashville, where Swift began her career, remains a popular destination, with fans visiting the Bluebird Cafe and other locales associated with her early days.
More recently, Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium has become a pilgrimage site for Swifties, thanks to Swift's relationship with Chiefs player Travis Kelce. Other notable locations include Rhode Island, where Swift owns a seaside mansion and various NYC venues where Swift hosts her infamous girls’ nights. Via Carota, an Italian restaurant in the West Village — already impossible to nab a reservation there — is now synonymous with Swift. Perhaps it’s why she’s taken to hanging out at Zero Bond, a private members club with an exclusive guest list.
- Lana Del Rey
The people’s princess. When she’s not taking shifts at Waffle House, Lana Del Rey is always pulling inspiration from the normal, mundane experiences of the rest of us down here on Earth. From the beginning of her career, she’s been Queen of Relatability. And despite her massive fame, she's kept her perspective honed in on everyday people in places around the world. When not writing about gas stations and motorbikes, she’s singing about the places she’s been in the world — from Los Angeles to Alabama.
Her song titles mention places like Florida, Tulsa, and Brooklyn. She slides seamlessly from allusions to country clubs to anecdotes about less glamorous places. And that’s her talent. While we can all relate to sitting and watching boys playing video games, we can’t all relate to frequenting country clubs or the Chateau Marmont. But through Lana’s songs, we can dream.
If you want to visit some of the more aspirational places mentioned in Lana’s discography, you’ll have the best luck in Los Angeles. From Beverly Hills and Bell Air to Big Sur and Brentwood, the City of Angels is an ode to the Lana lifestyle. Take a trip to Hollywood, specifically Hollywood and Vine, to mourn the loss of that old Hollywood charm alongside Del Rey. Then head to neighborhoods and shopping streets like Larchmont Village, Melrose Avenue, and Sunset Boulevard. Eat at Sugarfish and Delilah, then head to the beaches in Venice or Santa Monica.
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{% endif %} {% endif %} {% endif %} {% endif %}New York is also a major source of inspiration for Lana. Look for old-money glamor in East Hampton or timeless Brooklyn fun on Coney Island. Specific places like the Rainbow Room (the Cipriani basement) are mentioned, as are Upstate escapes like Lake Placid. Places not worth visiting but mentioned in Lana songs? Rikers Island and Wall Street. Good idea to skip those on your fan tour.
- Chappell Roan
One of Chappell Roan’s most popular bangers is "Pink Pony Club." This rousing queer anthem about finding belonging in a West Hollywood bar has led fans to wonder: “Is the Pink Pony Club a real place?” No, The Pink Pony Club is not a real place. However, it is rumored to be inspired by a real bar called The Abbey in West Hollywood. WeHo is a notoriously queer section of Los Angeles, so many queer people looking for acceptance made this journey before Roan’s time.
But now, I recommend taking a trip to WeHo to satisfy your urge to be close to Roan rather than … stalking her.
- Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo's music, while often focused on emotions and relationships rather than specific locations, has still managed to yield a geography of fandom. The Los Angeles DMV might be the most famous place associated with her most famous song, "driver's license," but most people don’t want to go there even if they have to.
More of a tourist destination is Malibu Pier, a classic beachside spot on the, you guessed it, Malibu Pier. At the takeout window, they offer ice cream cones that Rodrigo fans flock to in order to indulge in the romantic ritual of “strawberry ice cream in Malibu” mentioned in “Deja Vu” (a song about Sabrina Carpenter) from her first album SOUR.
- Gracie Abrams
Ultimate nepo baby Gracie Abrams (daughter of Star Wars director J.J. Abrams) recently shot to fame thanks to her opening spot on the Taylor Swift Eras Tour. As a result, she’s been spending tons of time in London for Swift’s Wembley dates and enthusiastically participating in London Boy Fall with Irish actor Paul Mescal. The two have been spotted traipsing through London — the street where she bit his finger in the new infamous paparazzi pic should be a UNESCO World Heritage site.
But the locations on her earlier albums are the most prominent. Her fan-favorite song “Camden,” is named for a town in Maine where Gracie goes with her family in the summer. Other Maine towns featured in her songs include Augusta and Rockland. Los Angeles, where Abrams grew up, offers several potential pilgrimage sites for fans, from the neighborhoods she's called home to the venues where she first performed. New York City, where Abrams has spent significant time, might also feature on fans' travel itineraries.
- Jaden Smith
Jaden Smith is one of the most unpredictable and eclectic artists of our time. Known just as much for his music as his larger-than-life persona, he’s been an “Icon” since his starring role in The Karate Kid and the song “Never Say Never” alongside Justin Bieber.
But his own music — especially his singles and his debut album SYRE — are like maps of his childhood, specifically his home in Calabasas, Los Angeles. He makes references to Hidden Hills, the neighborhood where he and the Kardashians live, as well as the PCH and other LA destinations.
In songs like “Ninety,” he mentions the exclusive member’s club Soho House, and in the song “SOHO” he clues fans into his love for skating through this NYC neighborhood. He also mentions Coachella, the music festival where he’s performed, and other musical landmarks.
- Phoebe Bridgers
Phoebe Bridgers' hauntingly beautiful music often paints vivid pictures of specific locations, turning her songs into melancholic travel guides for devoted fans. But her fascination with mundane places like the Holiday Inn, Goodwill, and the Gap are also mentioned in her lyrics — not suitable places for a pilgrimage.
Still, fans might visit Los Angeles, Bridgers' hometown, which features prominently in her life and work. Homestate — a popular Mexican food chain — has a taco named after Bridgers. They might take a trip to Elvis’s Graceland as Bridgers and boygenius have a song by that name. Outside of California, Japan has become associated with Bridgers due to her song "Kyoto." While the lyrics suggest a complex relationship with the place, fans might still be curious to visit and see it through her eyes.