Taylor Swift made history at the 66th Grammy Awards when she became the first artist to boast four Album of the Year awards. As if that wasn’t enough, she sent Swifties into a frenzy by announcing her 11th original studio album: The Tortured Poets Department.
Swift does have a tendency to announce new music at awards shows, as she announced her latest album, Midnights, during an acceptance speech at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards. However, few were expecting her to announce a new album so soon after Midnights‘ release, while she is still re-recording her older music and on the Eras Tour. If anything, fans were anticipating the announcement that she was re-recording Reputation. Somehow, though, she managed to record an entire new album and its release date is surprisingly close. Swift left the audience looking stunned after her announcement as she promised her fans she would go backstage immediately to upload the album’s cover photo to Instagram.
It can’t be denied that Swift’s new album announcement—made on one of the biggest nights of her career—is the kind of token of appreciation to fans that Swifties will love. Meanwhile, they’re already deeply intrigued by the album’s unique name and black-and-white cover. Swifties are already compiling every clue possible that might provide insight into the new album. Here’s everything we know so far about The Tortured Poets Department.
Taylor Swift drops The Tortured Poets Department tracklist
According to Swift’s website, the album will include 16 tracks. However, if customers purchase the cassette, CD, or vinyl of the album rather than the digital album, they’ll have access to a bonus track titled “The Manuscript.”
Although “The Manuscript” was initially the only song title revealed, Swift quickly followed up by dropping the entire set list for The Tortured Poets Department.
It’s a bit hard to see, but next to a photo of Swift is a photo of a physical record that confirms all 16 songs in the album, plus the bonus track. It reads:
Side A: Fortnight (feat Post Malone) / The Tortured Poets Department / My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys / Down Bad
Side B: So Long London / But Daddy I Love Him / Fresh Out the Slammer / Florida!!! (feat Florence + The Machine)
Side C: Guilty as Sin? / Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? / I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) / loml
Side D: I Can Do It With a Broken Heart / The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived / The Alchemy / Clara Bow / Bonus Track: The Manuscript
The tracklist includes two collaborations, one with Post Malone and another with Florence + The Machine. Meanwhile, the internet is already buzzing over how these song titles might hint at some devastating breakup songs. Tracks like “But Daddy I Love Him” and “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” could be inspired by some of her past relationships. “But Daddy I Love Him” is actually a quote from The Little Mermaid. However, internet sleuths quickly connected the quote to Swift’s ex-boyfriend Harry Styles, who once wore a shirt with that same quote. Since the quote is also connected to a woman who lost her voice, though, the song might go deeper than a reference to an ex.
It’s also interesting that Swift has a song titled “Clara Bow.” Bow was a famous actor in the silent era of film who became known as the “It girl” after starring in the 1927 movie It. Despite her fame, she suffered from public scrutiny over her life and was treated like an outsider in Hollywood before retiring early. The song could compare Swift’s and Bow’s experiences as celebrities or could be another song that addresses being silenced or needing to find one’s voice.
The Tortured Poets Department is coming soon
While making her announcement at the Grammys, Swift also confirmed the album’s speedy release date: April 19, 2024. It’s not surprising the release date is so close, as Swift revealed she has been keeping the album secret for two years. As promised, she quickly shared the album’s cover art, along with a picture of a handwritten note, on Instagram.
The handwritten note appears to be lyrics from one of the songs on her album. It reads, “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 / All’s fair in love and poetry…”
Swifties may have uncovered a clue about the album’s subject. As reported by Elle, fans did some digging and resurfaced a 2022 interview with Joe Alwyn and Paul Mescal. In the interview, the pair talked about having a WhatsApp group with Andrew Scott named “The Tortured Man Club.” Given that Alwyn is Swift’s ex, whom she broke up with last March, some ponder if her new album title is throwing shade at Alwyn and teasing that the album is about their relationship. Still, “tortured poet” or “tortured artist” is a common trope in pop culture, so the album title could be a coincidence.
More information about the album’s songs and subject should be forthcoming as the release date approaches and as Swifties comb every corner of the internet for clues.
(featured image: Republic Records)
