The Tortured Poets Department

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The Tortured Poets Department
Black-and-white image of Swift lying on a bed. The album title is displayed on the image. The image is surrounded by a thick white border.
Standard cover
Studio album by
Taylor Swift
ReleasedApril 19, 2024 (2024-04-19)
Recorded2022–2023
Length65:08
LabelRepublic
Producer
Taylor Swift chronology
1989 (Taylor's Version)
(2023) 		The Tortured Poets Department
(2024)
Singles from The Tortured Poets Department
  1. "Fortnight"
    Released: April 19, 2024

The Tortured Poets Department is the eleventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on April 19, 2024, via Republic Records. Swift wrote and produced the album with Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner.

Swift announced the album at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024, after winning Best Pop Vocal Album for her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). She conceived The Tortured Poets Department shortly after finishing work on Midnights and continued developing the former during the Eras Tour (2023–2024), her ongoing sixth concert tour.

Self-described as her "lifeline" album, The Tortured Poets Department was perceived by Swift as a culmination of imperative songwriting. It consists of sixteen songs, featuring collaborations with the American rapper Post Malone and the English indie rock band Florence and the Machine; the former collaboration, "Fortnight", was announced as the album's lead single. The physical editions of the album include bonus tracks.

Background

Swift released her tenth studio album, Midnights, on October 21, 2022, to widespread commercial and critical success.[1] In 2023, she released two re-recorded albums, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) and 1989 (Taylor's Version), as part of her re-recording project.[2] On February 4, 2024, the day of the 66th Annual Grammy Awards where Midnights had been nominated, Swift teased the release of a new album by changing the profile pictures across her social media accounts to black-and-white. Fans speculated online that she was preparing to release Reputation (Taylor's Version), a forthcoming re-recording of her sixth studio album, Reputation (2017).[3] Swift's website also appeared as if it had malfunctioned, reporting an unusual non-standard HTTP status code 321, as well as error code "hneriergrd", which fans deciphered to be an anagram spelling "red herring."[4] The source code of the website contained non-English words.[5]

On February 4, 2024, Swift won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album and Album of the Year for Midnights; in her acceptance speech for the former, she announced a new studio album that she had worked on since 2022,[6] titled The Tortured Poets Department, set for release on April 19, 2024.[7][8] The album cover artwork was posted to her social media accounts, along with a photograph of a handwritten note, which incorporated English translations of the words from the source code:[5][9]

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...

Sincerely, The Chairman of the Tortured Poets Department.[10]

Conception

Swift characterized The Tortured Poets Department as a "lifeline" album—one that she "really needed" to make.[11] She began conceiving the album immediately after submitting Midnights to her record label, Republic Records, and continued working on it in secret throughout the U.S. leg of the Eras Tour in 2023.[12] According to Swift, creating the album proved to her the integral role of songwriting in her life. She stated, "I have never had an album where I needed songwriting more than I needed it on Tortured Poets."[13]

Music and lyrics

The Tortured Poets Department consists of sixteen standard songs and features two guest acts—the American rapper Post Malone on the lead single "Fortnight" and the English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, led by singer-songwriter Florence Welch, on the song "Florida!!!".[14] The album was primarily written by Swift with longtime collaborators Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner; Welch and Malone also co-wrote their respective collaborations with Swift.[15] Billboard opined that The Tortured Poets Department is modeled after the five stages of grief, a psychological theory proposed by Swiss-American psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in 1969, as speculated by a number of fans.[16]

Title and artwork

The album's official logo features its abbreviated title.

The lack of an apostrophe in the official title, as in The Tortured Poets' Department, was the subject of a debate over grammatical correctness. Scholars stated that Swift employed Tortured Poets as an attributive noun, as in the case with the 1989 drama film Dead Poets Society, and not as a possessive noun that warrants an apostrophe.[17]

The cover artwork, photographed by American photographer Beth Garrabrant, is a black-and-white glamour photo shot of Swift lying on a bed wearing black lingerie: a see-through top and high waist shorts,[18][19][20] from the fashion labels The Row and Yves Saint Laurent.[19][21] Both the artwork and title were parodied by numerous brands, organizations, sports teams, and franchises, and inspired numerous memes.[22][23][24]

Promotion and release

The Tortured Poets Department is set for release on April 19, 2024.[8] Swift revealed the track list and guest features on her social media on February 6, 2024.[14] Four physical editions of the album, each titled after and containing a bonus track, namely "The Manuscript", "The Bolter", "The Albatross", and "The Black Dog", will also be made available for purchase; Swift announced the latter three editions during the Asia-Pacific leg of the Eras Tour, her sixth headlining concert tour.[25] One of the collector's edition deluxe CDs of the album sold out on her website in its first two hours of availability.[26][27]

The album was promoted by digital service providers such as Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, and Threads. It included five Swift-curated Apple Music playlists inspired by the stages of grief and an Easter egg hunt for new lyrics within the playlists' songs;[28][29][30] a pop-up library of curated articles at The Grove, Los Angeles, hosted by Spotify;[31] QR code murals in various cities worldwide that lead to unlisted YouTube shorts on Swift's channel;[32][33] a countdown to the album's release revealed upon refreshing Swift's Instagram profile; and special shimmer effects on Threads posts tagged with hashtags related to Swift and the album.[34] Radio platforms iHeartRadio, which temporarily rebranded as iHeartTaylor, and Sirius XM also announced special programs in tribute of the album, featuring exclusive content from Swift.[35][36][37] NBC provided live updates on the album's release.[38]

The album was alleged to have leaked in its entirety on April 17, 2024, two days before its official release, and received negative responses from fans and critics,[39] which resulted in the phrase "Taylor Swift leak" being temporarily banned from searches on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).[40]

On April 18, Swift announced "Fortnight" as the lead single, released in tandem with the album.[41] Later during the day, Swift posted a teaser trailer of the upcoming music video, set for release on the album's release day.[42]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Rolling Stone[43]

Rob Sheffield described the album as "wildly ambitious and gloriously chaotic" in his five-star review for Rolling Stone.[43]

Commercial performance

On April 18, a day before the release, Spotify announced that The Tortured Poets Department has broken the record for the most pre-saved album in platform history.[44]

Track listing

The Tortured Poets Department track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Fortnight" (featuring Post Malone)
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
3:48
2."The Tortured Poets Department"
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
4:53
3."My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys"Swift
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
3:23
4."Down Bad"
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
4:21
5."So Long, London"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
4:22
6."But Daddy I Love Him"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
  • Dessner
5:40
7."Fresh Out the Slammer"
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
3:30
8."Florida!!!" (featuring Florence and the Machine)
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
3:35
9."Guilty as Sin?"
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
4:14
10."Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?"Swift
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
5:34
11."I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)"
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
2:36
12."Loml"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
  • Swift
  • Dessner
4:37
13."I Can Do It With a Broken Heart"
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
3:38
14."The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
  • Swift
  • Dessner
4:05
15."The Alchemy"
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
  • Swift
  • Antonoff
3:16
16."Clara Bow"
  • Swift
  • Dessner
  • Swift
  • Dessner
3:36
Total length:65:08
The Manuscript Edition
No.TitleLength
17."The Manuscript"3:44
The Bolter Edition
No.TitleLength
17."The Bolter" 
The Albatross Edition
No.TitleLength
17."The Albatross" 
The Black Dog Edition
No.TitleLength
17."The Black Dog" 

Release history

The Tortured Poets Department release history
Region Date Format(s) Edition(s) Label Ref.
Various April 19, 2024
  • Standard
 Republic [45]
CD
  • Collector's deluxe
United States
  • CD
  • vinyl LP
[46][47]
Japan April 20, 2024 CD
  • Standard
  • Japan deluxe
 Universal Japan [48]

References

  1. ^ Bugel, Safi (October 28, 2022). "Taylor Swift: Midnights becomes biggest album of 2022 after one week". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on November 23, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  2. ^ Wickman, Kase (February 4, 2024). "Taylor Swift Arrives at the Grammys 2024". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  3. ^ Smyth, Tom (February 4, 2023). "The Ties Were Black, the Lies Were White...and Now So Is Taylor Swift's Profile Picture". Variety. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  4. ^ West, Bryan (February 4, 2024). "'Error 321' Taylor Swift website crashes, sending fans on frantic hunt for 'red herring'". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  5. ^ a b West, Bryan (February 4, 2024). "Taylor Swift announces brand-new album at Grammys: 'Tortured Poets Department'". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  6. ^ West, Bryan (February 4, 2024). "Taylor Swift announces brand-new album at Grammys: 'Tortured Poets Department'". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  7. ^ Kuo, Christopher (February 4, 2024). "Taylor Swift announces new album during Grammy win". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Singh, Surej (February 5, 2024). "Taylor Swift announces new album, 'The Tortured Poets Department'". NME. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  9. ^ Mendez, Moises (February 6, 2024). "What to Know About Taylor Swift's New Album". Time. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  10. ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (February 4, 2024). "Taylor Swift Announces New Album 'The Tortured Poets Department' During Grammys Acceptance Speech". Variety. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  11. ^ Bonner, Mehera (February 16, 2024). "Taylor Swift Reveals Bonus Track Title and New Album Cover for 'The Tortured Poets Department'". Cosmopolitan. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  12. ^ Blistein, Jon (February 7, 2024). "Taylor Swift Reveals 'Tortured Poets Department' Back Up Plan In Case She Didn't Win a Grammy". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  13. ^ Dailey, Hannah (February 16, 2024). "Taylor Swift Unveils 'The Bolter' Edition of 'Tortured Poets Department' With Exclusive Bonus Track". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Garcia, Thania (February 5, 2024). "Taylor Swift Shares Tracklist for 'The Tortured Poets Department,' Featuring Post Malone and Florence + Machine". Variety. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  15. ^ Brow, Jason (April 16, 2024). "Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' Songwriting Credits Reveal Familiar Collaborators". US Magazine. Retrieved April 16, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ Dailey, Hannah (April 5, 2024). "Taylor Swift Shares 5 'Stages of Heartbreak' Playlists Ahead of 'Tortured Poets Department' Album Release". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  17. ^ Sources on the apostrophe:
    1. Mather, Victor (February 7, 2024). "Tortured Poets' or Poets? Taylor Swift Meets the Apostrophe Police". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
    2. Rutigliano, Olivia (February 6, 2024). "Is the phrase The Tortured Poets Department grammatically correct?". Literary Hub. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
    3. Chang, Joshua (February 8, 2024). "Why Taylor Swift's new album name is (probably) grammatically correct". National Post. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
    4. Menon, Vinay (February 8, 2024). "The apostrophe debate over Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' proves why we must never defund the grammar police". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  18. ^ Sen, Mallika (February 4, 2024). "Taylor Swift announces new album: The Tortured Poets Department". Associated Press News. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Morin, Alyssa (February 5, 2024). "How Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Played a Role in Taylor Swift's Tortured Poets Department Cover". E!. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  20. ^ Vasquez, Ingrid. "Taylor Swift Shares the Sexy Cover of New Album 'The Tortured Poets Department': 'All's Fair in Love and Poetry'". People. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  21. ^ Dailey, Hannah (February 6, 2024). "Everything We Know About Taylor Swift's New Album 'The Tortured Poets Department' So Far". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  22. ^ Ahlgrim, Callie. "All the best reactions to Taylor Swift's surprise album announcement at the Grammys". Business Insider. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  23. ^ Leishman, Rachel (February 5, 2024). "Did Taylor Swift Know Her New Album Name Would Inspire This Many Memes?". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  24. ^ Follett, Gillian (February 7, 2023). "See How Brands Recreated Taylor Swift's New Album Cover". Ad Age. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  25. ^ Kreps, Daniel (March 3, 2024). "Taylor Swift Announces Fourth and Final 'Tortured Poets Department' Variant: 'The Black Dog'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 3, 2024. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  26. ^ Lustig, Hanna (February 6, 2024). "Taylor Swift Released the Track List for 'The Tortured Poets Department'—And It's So Telling". Glamour. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  27. ^ Gibson, Kelsie (February 6, 2024). "Everything to Know About Taylor Swift's New Album, The Tortured Poets Department". People. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  28. ^ West, Bryan (April 13, 2024). "How Apple Music prepares for releases like Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department'". USA Today. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  29. ^ Iasimone, Ashley (April 13, 2024). "Taylor Swift Is Revealing a Hidden Message on Apple Music Ahead of 'The Tortured Poets Department': Here's How to Figure It Out". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  30. ^ "Taylor Swift Curates Playlists Based on Stages of Heartbreak for Apple Music Ahead of 'Tortured Poets Department' Release". People. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  31. ^ Dailey, Hannah (April 15, 2024). "Taylor Swift to Launch 'Tortured Poets Department' Spotify Library Installation in Los Angeles". Billboard. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  32. ^ Christ, Giovana (April 17, 2024). "Taylor Swift escolhe loja em Pinheiros para divulgar seu novo álbum" [Taylor Swift chooses store in Pinheiros to promote her new album]. CNN Brazil. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  33. ^ West, Bryan (April 15, 2024). "'Error 321': Chicago QR code mural links to 'Tortured Poets' and Taylor Swift". USA Today. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  34. ^ Aniftos, Rania (April 15, 2024). "Instagram & Threads Are Celebrating Taylor Swift's Upcoming Album With Easter Eggs for Swifties". Billboard. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  35. ^ "Everything To Know About Taylor Swift Week On iHeartRadio". iHeart. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  36. ^ Dailey, Hannah (April 2, 2024). "Taylor Swift Is Getting Her Own SiriusXM Radio Channel: Here's How to Tune In for Free". Billboard. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  37. ^ "Taylor Swift announces 'Tortured Poets' music video and highlights 2 o'clock". USA TODAY. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  38. ^ "'The Tortured Poets Department' release live updates: Taylor Swift's album drops at midnight". NBC News. April 18, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  39. ^ Nanji, Noor (April 18, 2024). "Taylor Swift: Fans react as new album is apparently leaked". British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  40. ^ Pettibone, Kat (April 17, 2024). "'Taylor Swift Leak' Is Banned Search Term on X Amid Suspected 'Tortured Poets Department' Leak". Us Weekly. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  41. ^ Paul, Larshia (April 18, 2024). "Taylor Swift and Post Malone Were in the 'Tortured Poets Department' Together Way Before 'Fortnight'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  42. ^ Mier, Tomás (April 19, 2024). "Taylor Swift Drops Dystopic, Post Malone-Featuring Trailer for 'Fortnight'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  43. ^ a b Sheffield, Rob (April 19, 2024). "Come For the Torture, Stay For the Poetry: This Might Be Taylor Swift's Most Personal Album Yet". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  44. ^ Dailey, Hannah (April 18, 2024). "Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets' Breaks Spotify Record for Most Pre-Saved Album Countdown". Billboard. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  45. ^ The Tortured Poets Department release formats:
  46. ^ Tingley, Anna (March 12, 2024). "Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets Department' Gets Target-Exclusive Phantom Clear Vinyl, Including 24-Page Jacket and Rare Photos". Variety. Archived from the original on March 16, 2024. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
  47. ^ "Taylor Swift - The Tortured Poets Department + Bonus Track "The Albatross" (Target Exclusive, CD)". Target Corporation. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  48. ^ "ニューアルバム国内盤『ザ・トーチャード・ポエッツ・デパートメント』の先着特典が決定! (追記3/21) ＜通常盤＞購入特典「ポストカード」の店別デザイン決定!" (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. March 18, 2024. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
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