Taylor Swift has spoken, and she can’t wait to welcome you to The Tortured Poets Department.
Swift, 34, shared a new message with Apple Music users who have already saved her upcoming album ahead of its release. “Hi, Apple Music, it’s Taylor,” she said in a voice note, which was shared via social media on Monday, March 18. “Thank you for pre-adding The Tortured Poets Department. I’m really proud to be able to share it with you on April 19th. I can’t wait for you to hear it!”
Fans were quick to celebrate the special shout-out, which arrived as Swift prepares to take a two-month hiatus from The Eras Tour. “FINALLY HEARD MOTHER’S VOICE AFTER A WEEK,” exclaimed one excited Swiftie when resharing the voice message, referring to Swift’s last show in Singapore on March 9.
“Spotify users found inhaling dirt (me),” added another social media user, while a third fan added, “Times like these, I love having access to Apple Music despite being a loyal Spotify user.”
Others noted that seven songs — “Down Bad,” “But Daddy I Love Him,” “IomI,” “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart,” “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,” “Florida!!!” and the title track — are listed as explicit on the album’s tracklist. Apple Music also classified the genre as “pop,” the same categorization as Red, 1989, Lover, Reputation and Midnights.
🤍| Taylor’s anouncement for TTPD on Apple Music –
“Hi, Apple Music, it’s Taylor! Thank you for pre-adding The Tortured Poets Department. I’m really proud to be able to share it with you on April 19th. I can’t wait for you to hear it!” https://t.co/sozNblfM27
— Taylor Swift Updates 🩶 (@swifferupdates) March 18, 2024
The Tortured Poets Department will hit streaming services next month, with 16 songs on the standard edition. TTPD will have four variations, each named after the bonus track they include: “The Manuscript,” “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog.”
Swift announced her 11th album while accepting the win for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2024 Grammys for her 2022 record, Midnights. She later revealed during a concert in Tokyo that her “backup plan” was to announce TTPD on her tour if she hadn’t been given the platform at the awards show.
“But thanks to you and your support, I was lucky enough to win a Grammy and tell you about it on stage at the Grammys,” she said on February 7.
Since news broke of the upcoming album, fans have speculated about the meanings behind every scrap of info they can get. Many have theorized that the songs were inspired by Swift’s split from Joe Alwyn. (Us Weekly confirmed in April 2023 that the twosome ended their six-year relationship.)
“I needed to make [TTPD],” said Swift during her February 16 concert in Melbourne, Australia. “It was really a lifeline for me. It sort of reminded me of why songwriting is something that actually gets me through life and I’ve never had an album where I’ve needed songwriting more than I needed it on Tortured Poets.”
