This puzzle consists of a series of Instagram posts. Each post has a unique image as well as a hashtag-filled description. The images each correspond to one track from Taylor Swift’s “1989” album. To make this connection clear, taking the first letter of every hashtag spells out the phrase MATCH EACH PIC WITH SONG FROM ALBUM.
The descriptions for each post contain a number and a substance. Substance here means “thing that has an acidic pH.” Solvers will need to subtract the pH of the acidic substance from the number given in the description. All pH values are sourced from a chart at arrowscientific.com and rounded to the nearest tenth. This is clued as the name of another instagram user (@arrowscientific) in the post corresponding to the song “How You Get the Girl.” The resulting number is an index into the track name associated with the post image. When the posts are ordered by number of likes, the letters give the answer OVERSUBSCRIBE.
Data table:
| Number of Likes | Taylor Swift Song | Number in Post | Acidic Substance | Acidic pH | Index Into Song Title | Answer Letter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | All You Had to Do Was Stay | 11.5 | anchovy | 6.5 | 5 | O |
| 200 | This Love | 12.3 | milkfish | 5.3 | 7 | V |
| 300 | How You Get the Girl | 13.2 | baby corn | 5.2 | 8 | E |
| 400 | Welcome to New York | 19 | pear nectar | 4 | 15 | R |
| 500 | Style | 7.3 | peanut butter | 6.3 | 1 | S |
| 600 | Out of the Woods | 7.4 | walnuts | 5.4 | 2 | U |
| 700 | Bad Blood | 7.4 | sherry wine | 3.4 | 4 | B |
| 800 | I Wish You Would | 9.7 | yeast | 5.7 | 4 | S |
| 900 | Clean | 4.1 | vinegar | 3.1 | 1 | C |
| 1000 | Wildest Dreams | 15.5 | Boston brown bread | 6.5 | 9 | R |
| 1100 | Shake It Off | 8.3 | grenadine syrup | 2.3 | 6 | I |
| 1200 | Blank Space | 7.3 | kelp | 6.3 | 1 | B |
| 1300 | I Know Places | 14.9 | basil pesto | 4.9 | 10 | E |