Tick. Tick. Tick. When the clock strikes midnight ET, a meeting of “The Tortured Poets Department” will be called to order.
Taylor Swift will begin her 11th era with a new album, which is sure to feature stacks of poetry and quotable lyrics. As Swifties gear up for the meeting, the sepia toned department is abuzz with speculation, which is why reporters Austin Curtright (a sports reporter and Swiftie) and Bryan West (the full-time Taylor Swift reporter) are bringing you the department’s minutes complete with all of the information you need to know about the new album.
Grab your quills, typewriters and parchment as we prepare for the highly anticipated album “The Tortured Poets Department.”
Taylor Swift, Post Malone recreate 2019 AMAs hug in ‘Fortnight’ music video
Turns out, Post Malone has been a part of “The Tortured Poets Department” long before the album’s release, as Swift and Malone recreated their famous hug at the 2019 American Music Awards in the sneak peek of the music video “Fortnight,” a single from Swift’s new album that features Malone.
Track lengths in order of longest to shortest
Spotify announced the track lengths a week before the release. Bonus songs were not included.
- “But Daddy I Love Him” 5:40
- “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” 5:34
- “The Tortured Poets Department” 4:53
- “loml” 4:37
- “So Long, London” 4:22
- “Down Bad” 4:21
- “Guilty as Sin?” 4:14
- “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” 4:05
- “Fortnight” (ft. Post Malone) 3:48
- “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” 3:38
- “Clara Bow” 3:36
- “Florida!!!” (ft. Florence + The Machine) 3:35
- “Fresh Out the Slammer” 3:30
- “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” 3:23
- “The Alchemy” 3:16
- “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” 2:36
Five writers credited on the album
Per usual, Taylor Swift is credited as a composer on all 16 tracks. Two she did by herself: “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” and “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” Austin Post (Post Malone) helped with the song he is featured on, “Fortnight,” and Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine) is credited on “Florida!!!”
Jack Antonoff, a co-producer of Swift’s since her “1989” album, is credited on eight titles: “Fortnight,” “The Tortured Poets Department,” “Down Bad,” “Fresh Out The Slammer,” “Guilty As Sin?,” “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can),” “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” and “The Alchemy.”
Aaron Dessner, a co-producer of Swift’s since “Folklore,” is credited on five tracks: “So Long, London,” “But Daddy I Love Him,” “loml,” “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” and “Clara Bow.”
Credits for the bonus tracks have not yet been released.
Easter egg clues hiding in plain sight
Hours before the Grammys, TaylorSwift.com “crashed” showing an “Error 321 Backend fetch failed.” Error 321 is a communication error that would appear on a fax machine with a poor telephone line connection. Below, “hneriergrd:” appeared to be an unscrambled version of “red herring,” which is a clue or piece of information intended to be misleading or distracting. And underneath that was “DPT: 123.” DPT backwards is TPD, “Tortured Poets Department.”
Misheard lyrics: 10 funniest mix-ups from ‘Blank Space’ to ‘Cruel Summer’
Even the most ardent Swiftie can hear a lyric incorrectly, and, as the self-deprecating among us tend to do, can laugh (or would it be shake?) it off.
Maybe you still think Swift is singing about “Starbucks lovers” in “Blank Space” or her “good girl face” in “Style.” Or maybe you learned you were singing some of her lyrics incorrectly from watching The Eras Tour movie with subtitles.
Given Swift’s vast catalog – and her penchant for lyrical loquaciousness – there is a lot of room for error. From USA TODAY music writer Melissa Ruggieri, here are 10 of our favorite mondegreens (the official term for misheard lyrics).
Who could the new songs be about?
Swift, who has released some iconic for breakup anthems over the years, hasn’t explained – and likely never will – the real-life inspirations behind some of her heartbreaking songs. However, assuming at least some of the songs from “Tortured Poets” have meaning derived from her love life, Swift’s 11th album could include songs about three recent love interests.
Swift has dated, or been connected with, three people since the release of her last album “Midnights”: actor Joe Alwyn, musician Matty Healy and current boyfriend Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Deciding which, if any, she sings about will be for the lyric-analyzing Swifties to decipher.
All 11 of Taylor Swift’s No. 1 songs, ranked
In anticipation of “The Tortured Poets Department,” USA TODAY music writer Melissa Ruggieri ranked Swift’s 11 No. 1 hits (and yes, she probably would appreciate the numerical symmetry to her new album).
Swift drops merch, sneak peek of ‘Fortnight’ video
Just hours before the release of the album Swift officially released merch for it.
Along with the merch drop, Swift also released a sneak peek of the music video for “Fortnight,” the first single on her album that features Post Malone. The post on X, formerly known as Twitter, noted the music video will release at 8 p.m. ET on Friday.
“At this hearing, I stand before my fellow members of The Tortured Poets Department with a summary of my findings,” the post read. “Album tonight. Fortnight music video tomorrow at 8pm et.”
Swift starred alongside Malone in the snippet of her upcoming music video for “Fortnight,” which means 14 days or two weeks of time.
Swift’s merch includes an assortment of clothing, along with multiple pieces of jewelry and a “The Tortured Poets Department” vinyl case. Each item features the album’s “TTPD” logo.
‘Fortnight’ with Post Malone to be first single
The opening chapter to “Tortured Poets” is the lead single.
Swift shared the news on Instagram at 2 p.m. ET that her collaboration with Post Malone will hit radio stations. “Fortnight” will also be the music video that airs Friday night at 8 p.m. ET.
“The first single from The Tortured Poets Department is…………. Fortnight featuring @postmalone 🤍,” Swift said on Instagram. “I’ve been such a huge fan of Post because of the writer he is, his musical experimentation and those melodies he creates that just stick in your head forever. I got to witness that magic come to life firsthand when we worked together on Fortnight. Honestly can’t wait for you guys to hear this song at Midnight TONIGHT and see the video at 8pm ET TOMORROW.”
Announcing Swift’s newest chapter
Swift announced her new project at the Grammys after her 13th career win.
“I want to say thank you to the fans,” Swift said holding her Grammy for pop vocal album, “by telling you a secret that I’ve been keeping from you for the past two years, which is that my brand-new album comes out April 19.”
The first bonus track announced was “The Manuscript.” Two weeks later onstage in Melbourne, Australia, Swift announced a second variant including the bonus track “The Bolter.” The following week she unveiled a third variant in Sydney, Australia, with the bonus track “The Albatross.” And in Singapore, she revealed a fourth variant called “The Black Dog.”
‘The Tortured Poet’s Department’ drops April 19… are you ready for it? Catch Taylor Swift live with tickets atVivid Seats, shopmerchandise, and stream her latest onDisney+. Purchases you make through our links may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.
Follow Taylor Swift reporter Bryan West on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
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