Taylor Swift Unveils Schedule for ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ Music Video and Album Premiere

Every Taylor Swift Song About Cheating

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Taylor Swift has unveiled her strategy for the release of her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department.

In a promotional video shared on social media on Tuesday, April 16, the 34-year-old singer gave fans a sneak peek into the album, set to be released on Friday, April 19. The video began in a '70s-inspired room, reminiscent of the Midnights era, featuring crumpled paper, a collection of records, and a clock showing the time as 2:00.

The teaser took fans through an all-white hallway and into a room named “The Tortured Poets Department.” Inside, two typewriters and cups of coffee were placed on empty desks. The camera then focused on a bulletin board with April 19 marked as “The Tortured Poets Department Release Day.”

Below, a note mentioned “8 p.m. ET. Music video release?” followed by fourteen slashes. Taylor Swift captioned the Instagram post as “The TTPD Timetable.”

On Tuesday, Taylor Swift dropped another major hint in a video, following the library pop-up she revealed earlier in Los Angeles. Teaming up with Spotify, the pop star set up an outdoor library at The Grove for fans to visit. The library will be open until Thursday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Spotify mentioned that fans can explore a poetry library specially curated to reflect the theme of Taylor's upcoming album. The shelves will be filled with books and visual surprises for fans to enjoy during their visit.

Swifties quickly noticed hidden clues at the library, such as new lyrics found in an open book that Taylor Nation confirmed. The first set of lyrics read, “Even statues crumble if they’re made to wait.” Another set of lyrics was discovered later, saying, “One less temptress, one less dagger to sharpen.”

Similar to Taylor's Instagram post, the library had a clock set to 2:00, a peace sign figurine on a bookshelf, a daily calendar display, and books with titles of songs from the upcoming album.

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Swift revealed TTPD during her 13th Grammy acceptance speech in February. Despite minimal promotion, she shared her inspiration for the album during her Eras Tour last month.

“I felt compelled to create it. It was like a lifeline for me,” she shared with fans in Melbourne, Australia. “It made me remember why songwriting is so important to me, and I've never relied on it more than I did for Tortured Poets.”

Fans began to speculate that Taylor Swift's latest album could be about her breakup with ex Joe Alwyn after she started releasing playlists corresponding to the five stages of grief. The playlist titled "I Love You, It’s Ruining My Life," focusing on denial, especially caught attention as it was believed to be inspired by Alwyn. Swift described these denial tracks as songs about ignoring red flags and falling into delusion.

The Tortured Poets Department hits shelves Friday, April 19.

Editor's P/S:

Taylor Swift's upcoming album, "The Tortured Poets Department," promises to be an introspective and emotionally charged exploration of love, loss, and the creative process. The album's title and promotional materials suggest a departure from her recent dance-pop era, with a return to a more raw and personal songwriting style. The clues hidden within her recent library pop-up and Instagram post tease cryptic lyrics that hint at themes of heartbreak, resilience, and the transformative power of art.

Swift's fans, known as Swifties, are eagerly anticipating the album's release on Friday, April 19th. The album's promotional campaign has been shrouded in mystery and intrigue, with Swift gradually revealing snippets of information that have fueled speculation and excitement among her followers. The album is sure to be a highly personal and cathartic work that will resonate deeply with Swift's loyal fans.