Taylor Swift's 11th Album: Everything We Know About The Tortured Poets Department
Potential Easter Eggs
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Taylor Swift is officially the queen of Easter eggs. It all started when her website crashed on the night of the 2024 Grammys and an error code message that unscrambled to “red herring.” Given that fans expected her to announce “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” — and Swift showed up in a Reputation-coded outfit — the songstress’s plans were executed perfectly. When the April 19th release date was revealed, even more Easter eggs were uncovered. April 19th is National Cat Lady Day, a tribute to the feline lover. And let’s not forget the appearance of Benjamin Button in the TIME Person Of The Year shoot! Notably, April is also National Poetry Month, which fittingly aligns with Swift’s signoff “All’s fair in love and poetry.”
Travis Kelce
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Power couple Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have been making headlines. In the same week that Swift broke the record for Album of the Year wins, the Kansas City Chiefs won their second Super Bowl in a row. But when it came to Swift’s upcoming album, there was one question that people were really dying to know: how is Travis Kelce involved? Since Swift reportedly has been working on the album for two years, it’s not likely that her recent relationship will make the cut for these tracks. However, the tight-end did share that he has listened to the album already and has nothing but good things to report!
Track Stylization
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Throughout her career, Taylor Swift has explored various styles when it comes to her albums. From traditional capitalization on her earliest albums to the all-lowercase type of her sister albums, “Folklore” and “Evermore”, the songstress is no stranger to experimentation. Most importantly, the stylization of her tracklist typically says something about the themes of the songs. For instance, the “Lover” track, “ME!” purposely emphasizes Swift’s self-confident anthem. For “The Tortured Poets Department”, we’re seeing more punctuation than ever before. Fans pointed to the interesting use of a question mark in “Guilty As Sin?” whereas “Florida!!!” was an instant eye-catcher with not one, but three exclamation points. With Swift, nothing is unintentional and we can’t wait to see what these artistic choices mean for the tracks.
The Vibe
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Taylor Swift’s tenth studio album was an ode to midnight musing. But what hour is sad girl o’clock? Arriving at the 2024 Grammys in a white strapless Schiaparelli gown and black opera gloves, it was clear that Swift marked a big shift moving into her forthcoming era. The album cover reveals more about the aesthetic with a soft-lit black and white still of the songstress on a white-sheeted bed. Many have noted similarities to the “Folklore” and “Evermore” albums and their accompanying eras, particularly in the poetic and academic style of the promotion. As Swift has been vocal about her interest in trying new things, there’s no telling what to expect in this album’s sound — but there’s no doubt the singer will deliver!
Production
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Taylor Swift truly is the woman who never stops. Since 2020, Swift has released three studio albums and four re-recorded albums. So it likely comes as no surprise that the songstress has another album on the way. At the Grammys, she hinted that she’d been hard at work on the album for the past two years. Additionally, the release of the “Midnights” bonus track, “You’re Losing Me” may reveal more about the timeline. Jack Antonoff disclosed that the late addition to the album was written in December 2021. The song was even performed in the surprise song section of Swift’s stop in Melbourne after announcing “The Bolter”. Could “You’re Losing Me” signal the end of an era? Only time will tell!
Lyrics
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While we might not know the sound of the album, there have been hints to the lyrics. For one, the announcement note was mysteriously signed by “The Chairman of The Tortured Poets Department” which is more than likely a nod to some of the album’s content. It’s not certain if the letter contains any lyrics, of course, but Swift’s follow-up posts revealed more. In two separate posts announcing bonus tracks “The Manuscript” and “The Bolter”, she included short lines that appear to be stripped from the respective songs. Swift is pretty much renowned for her riddles and clues at this point, so we’ll have our eyes peeled for more excavated details in the upcoming months!
The Title
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As the first album following the colossal “The Eras Tour”, “The Tortured Poets Department” marks a pivot in Swift’s discography. Not only does the monochromatic aesthetic stand in stark contrast to its colorful predecessor, “Midnights,” but it also diverges from Swift’s standard. Whereas her prior album titles have been on the short side, her eleventh clocks in at four words, doubling the length of her longest publication. Eagle-eyed fans also noticed a similarity in the title to “The Tortured Man Club,” the group chat between actors Joe Alwyn, Paul Mescal, and Andrew Scott. Only when the files are released will the reference be confirmed!
Collaborations
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When you think of Taylor Swift, do you think of Post Malone? Well, after April 19, you definitely will! Upon the release of the album tracklist, it was revealed that the rapper will be featured on the opening track, “Fortnight.” In addition, there’ll be a team-up with Florence + the Machine on “Florida!!!” While no further details have been divulged yet, fans suspect the return of fan favorite collaborators Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner. With so much mystery surrounding the release, we wouldn’t discount the possibility of even more surprise appearances yet to be revealed!
Album Release
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The archives of “The Tortured Poets Department” will be officially declassified on April 19. Until then, there are multiple ways for fans to prepare. Vinyl, cassette and CD enthusiasts alike will rejoice in being able to add to their collections. Additionally, Swift has already announced two variants, which respectively include “The Manuscript” and “The Bolter” as exclusive bonus tracks. That makes for a total of seven different variations available for preorder, including the standard digital version available for pre-save on Spotify and pre-add on Apple Music. Knowing the “Mastermind”, though, there is no doubt that there will be more surprises along the way!
The Tracklist
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As a songwriter, Taylor Swift never fails to deliver artistic and often tongue-in-cheek song titles. Luckily, fans didn’t have to wait long for the big reveal as Swift posted the tracklist to “The Tortured Poets Department” just a day after the announcement. The 16 tracks (plus the bonus songs affiliated with special edition releases) reveal much about the themes of the album, with references to her previous home in London and even her Tampa, Florida tour stop which came just after the announcement of her public breakup. Needless to say, we’ll be making sure we have tissues on hand for our first listen! Which song are you most excited for the chairman of “The Tortured Poets Department” to release? Let us know in the comments!
