Everything to Know About Taylor Swift's New Album 'The Tortured Poets Department'
The singer-songwriter is just a few days away from entering a new era.
New era incoming! The release of Taylor Swift's new album is just a few days away.
The singer is no stranger to making big announcements at award ceremonies. On February 4, she celebrated her Grammy win for Best Pop Vocal Album for Midnights by announcing her newest album, The Tortured Poets Department. Ever since then, the singer has been teasing fans on social media with the album's cover and bonus tracks to keep an eye out for. The album is now available for presale on Swift's website—the standard edition will consist of 16 tracks, with "The Manuscript" as the bonus track on the deluxe edition.
The announcement came after months of speculation of a Reputation (Taylor's Version) debut, with Swifties occupying their time with theories and easter eggs they gathered on social media. However, Swift is known for her surprises. As she said, "All's fair in love and poetry."
This will be her 11th studio album, and one that Swift has kept a secret for some time. "I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret I've been keeping from you for the last two years," Taylor teased in her acceptance speech. "Which is that my brand new album that comes out April 19, called The Tortured Poets Department."
The album is already officially approved by Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce. In an interview, the NFL player revealed he was one of the first listeners, saying “I have heard some of it, yes, and it’s unbelievable. I can’t wait for her to shake up the world when it finally drops.”
The Title
Fans are already debating the meaning behind the title of the album, The Tortured Poets Department. The singer tends to incorporate few words into the titles of her albums, such as Lover, Speak Now, Red, Midnights, etc, but chose a longer title this time. Her fans think the title may be a reference to her ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn, who she dated for aproximately six years. Alwyn previously stated he was in a group chat with actors Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott with the name 'The Tortured Man Club.'
The Tracklist
Swift's new album includes 16 songs and one bonus track, 'The Manuscript.' Two talented guests will also be featured in The Tortured Poets Department—Post Malone and Florence and the Machine. In an Instagram story posted by Swift, she shared what seems to be lyrics from the new anticipated record. "And so I enter into evidence my tarnished coat of arms my muses, acquired like bruises my talismans and charms. The tick, tick, tick of love bombs. My veins of pitch black ink."
1. Fortnight [ft. Post Malone]
2. The Tortured Poets Department
3. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys
4. Down Bad
5. So Long, London
6. But Daddy I Love Him
7. Fresh Out the Slammer
8. Florida!!! [ft. Florence and the Machine]
9. Guilty as Sin?
10. Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?
11. I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)
12. LOML
13. I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
14. The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
15. The Alchemy
16. Clara Bow
17. The Manuscript (Bonus Track)
The Cover
After revealing the album's cover via Instagram, fans were quick to notice half of Swift's face doesn't appear, similar to the cover of her 1989 album released in 2014. The singer poses in a black cami tank top and matching high-rise briefs, as announced by stylist Joseph Cassell. The The Tortured Poets Department seems to be based on a fully muted, black-and-white aesthetic, and fans think she'll return to her incredible storytelling similar to her studio album Folklore.
Release Date
If you're as excited as we are for Swift's new era, you'll be happy to know this brand new album is coming out just days away on Friday, April 19. We're counting down the days to hear what Swift has in store for us.
Teased Lyrics
Timed perfectly with the solar eclipse, she teased fans with a sneak peek into her upcoming 11th album through an Instagram story. The video, set against a typewriter's rhythmic keys, unveiled a glimpse of her April 19 release with three lines, one cleverly referencing the celestial event: "Crowd goes wild at her fingertips / Half moonshine, Full eclipse," leaving fans wondering which song they're from.
