All the Clues and Easter Eggs About Taylor Swift’s New Album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department’

Taylor Swift’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department, is dropping in just a few weeks, and news/theories/Easter eggs are breaking faster than you can scream HER MIND at random members of your family who are beseeching you to calm down. Here is literally everything we know about the album so far, and yes: We will be updating this as more intel breaks.

A Quick Refresher on Taylor Swift’s Complete Dating History and Exes

Does the Tom Hiddleston era really count at this point??? Help.

A Handy-Dandy Timeline of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Relationship for Ya

Alexa, play “...Ready for It?”

Just Calculated Taylor Swift’s Net Worth and Now I’m Crying

Correction: screaming!

The Album Drops April 19, and the Date Is...Significant

Taylor confirmed the release date while collecting her 13th Grammy Award, saying, “My brand-new album comes out April 19. It’s called The Tortured Poets Department. I’m gonna go and post the cover right now backstage.”

The April 19 release date has multiple reference points and appears to be connected to Taylor’s ex Joe Alwyn due to it being the day Taylor went to dinner with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds and they proceeded to unfollow him.

April 19 is also considered the date the American Revolution began (reminder that Taylor—aka Miss Americana—and Joe spent time in England and one of her tracks is “So Long, London”) as well as “Poetry and the Creative Mind Day.”

The Album Title Might Be a Reference to Joe Alwyn’s Group Chat

It took Swifties literally five minutes to realize The Tortured Poets Department could be a reference to Joe Alwyn’s WhatsApp group with Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott called “The Tortured Man Club.” Unconfirmed, but lol if true.

We Have Some (Potential) Lyrics

Taylor posted lyrics (or possibly a note?) on Instagram the day she announced the album that read the following:

The Track List Has Everyone Thinking This Is a Breakup Album

’Kay, so Taylor dropped the track list on Instagram after it leaked on TikTok. Ahem:

Side A

Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)
The Tortured Poets Department
My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys
Down Bad

Side B

So Long, London
But Daddy I Love Him
Fresh Out the Slammer
Florida!!! (Florence + the Machine)

Side C

Guilty as Sin?
Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?
I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)
loml

Side D

I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
The Alchemy
Clara Bow
Bonus Track: The Manuscript

Fans obvi almost immediately jumped to conclusions that the album is about Joe based on some of the song titles:

FYI, the Daily Mail spoke to a source who said, “If it is a dis album, that is shady. He helped her with song writing on her past album so it will really come as a shock to him if she talks about their breakup, as it is something he has not spoken of at all. Regardless of what she does, he will still not respond because he has removed himself from her narrative and is very glad he did.” Yikes!

There Are Also Two Bonus Tracks That Could Potentially Be Tied to Joe

During one of her Eras Tour shows in Melbourne, Australia, Taylor revealed some new info about The Tortured Poets Department, including a new cover for the album and a bonus track called “The Bolter.” Fans immediately took to Twitter with their theories, and most of them pointed back to Taylor's relationship with Joe thanks to a clip of them *literally* sprinting from paparazzi into a black car.

Others theorized that the track's title could tie back to folklore (like, actual stories, not Tay's 2020 album lol):

Then in Sydney, Taylor dropped the news about another bonus track called “The Albatross” on a The Albatross vinyl variant:

Also, can we please talk about the back?!

Fans *also* happen to think this one is about Joe thanks to an albatross being defined by Merriam Webster as “something that causes persistent deep concern or anxiety” and “something that greatly hinders accomplishment.”

Oh and there's also this:

“But Daddy I Love Him” Might Be About Harry Styles

Obviously, “But Daddy I Love Him” is a line from Disney’s original animated film The Little Mermaid, but it also happens to be the phrase from a shirt Harry Styles wore once upon a time...

...Which had fans thinking the song is either about (or features) the fellow musician:

There's a Theory That the Album Is About the Five Stages of Grief

Fans noticed the shifting variant background hues and began theorizing that The Tortured Poets Department's colors represent the five stages of grief:

• Denial

• Anger

• Bargaining

• Depression

• Acceptance

And FWIW, Tay's since dropped her final variant cover called "The Black Dog Edition" which also seems to be linked to grief.

You Can Pre-Order the Album, Cassette, and CD

Depending on how you choose to purchase The Tortured Poets Department, you’re in for some fun treats. Example? The record comes with a collectible 24-page book-bound jacket, unique handwritten lyrics, and never-before-seen photos.

Taylor Is “So Proud” of the Project

While accepting her Artist of the Year award at the 2024 iHeart Radio Music Awards, the singer thanked her fans and teased that “we have so many exciting things ahead of us,” The Tortured Poets Department. “I’m so proud of it,” Tay added before gushing, “I cannot wait to share it with you.”

Watch the celeb's speech in full below:

Idk about you, but we're legit counting down the days until April 19!!!

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