“All’s fair in love and poetry…” On February 4, pop star Taylor Swift announced her 11th studio album called The Tortured Poets Department. This announcement was made after she won her [lucky number] 13th Grammy. 

This announcement was a total surprise to the Swifties as everyone, including myself, was expecting an announcement for the rerelease of her album Reputation from 2017. There were quite a few “easter eggs” that pointed towards a Reputation (Taylor’s Version) announcement such as her and many of her celebrity friends turning their Instagram profile pictures to black and white to match the Reputation color scheme. She also wore a white and black dress to the Grammys that was reminiscent of something she would have worn during her Reputation era. It’s safe to say that Swift knew what she was doing when dropping these easter eggs but wanted to give her fans a big surprise. 

As for the new album– The Tortured Poets Department, it will be released on April 19th. This album will contain 16 new tracks plus a special collectors edition containing a bonus track called “The Manuscript”. Swift announced that this album has been in the works for two years so Swifties think it will be an album with the same aesthetics as Folklore and Evermore. In her note to the fans, she signed herself as “The Chairman of The Tortured Poets Department”. This suggests that the album will be about her personal experiences after the COVID lockdown.

Personally, I’m very excited for this album. The albums Folklore and Evermore prove how talented Swift is at slower and poetic music. I was kind of hoping for another upbeat summer album, kind of like Lover or 1989, but I’m still excited about these new songs.