‍"The Tortured Poets Department" is a term coined by Taylor Swift in her song ‍

Taylor Swift, who humorously refers to herself as the "Chairman of the Tortured Poets Department," is preparing to unveil her latest album. While Swift has kept many details about the album under wraps, she has shared some cryptic hints about "The Tortured Poets Department." One confirmed detail is that the album will be released on Friday at midnight Eastern Time, or Thursday at 9 p.m. for those on the West Coast. Additionally, Swift will debut the first music video, though the corresponding song remains a mystery, on Friday at 8 p.m. EDT following the album's release.

The Songs

The album comprises 16 tracks along with one bonus track titled “The Manuscript,” and showcases collaborations with Post Malone on a track titled “Fortnight” and with Florence + The Machine on a track titled “Florida!!!”

Furthermore, three vinyl variants will be offered for purchase, each featuring a distinct bonus track: “The Bolter,” “The Albatross,” and “The Black Dog.”

The Timetable

When Swift initially announced the album in February while accepting a Grammy award for best pop vocal album for 2022’s “Midnights,” she disclosed that she had been keeping this album a “secret” for the past two years.

Subsequently, during an “Eras Tour” concert in Tokyo a few days later, Swift informed her audience that she began working on “Tortured Poets” immediately after completing “Midnights.”

“I kept working on it throughout the US tour, and when it was perfect, in my opinion, when it was good enough for you, I finished it,” she conveyed at the time, as per footage from the show shared on social media.

The Theme

During an “Eras Tour” concert in Melbourne in February, Swift also expressed the significance of this album, stating that “Tortured Poets” is an album that “more than any of my albums that I ever made, I needed to make it.”

“It was really a lifeline for me. Just the things I was going through, the things I was writing about it was like, it kind of reminded me why songwriting is something that actually gets me through my life,” video footage from the concert shared on social media depicted. “I’ve never had an album where I needed songwriting more than I needed it on ‘Tortured Poets.’”

Although she didn't divulge specifics about the musical style, indications suggest that the album revolves around themes of heartbreak, which can manifest in various ways.

The Mood

Earlier in the month, Swift crafted a series of playlists on Apple Music themed around the five stages of heartbreak. Each playlist corresponds to a stage: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, featuring tracks from her discography that resonate with each emotional phase.

The playlist titles derive from lyrics Swift had previously teased in various Instagram posts. While Swift's albums, apart from 2020’s “Folklore,” typically reflect her personal experiences, particularly in romantic relationships, her current relationship with three-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce appears steady. Preceding Kelce, Swift was romantically linked with actor Joe Alwyn, with CNN reporting their six-year relationship concluded in April 2023.

Considering the timeline Swift shared about when she worked on this album, the theme of heartbreak may extend beyond romantic relationships to encompass various forms of emotional upheaval. Ultimately, the interpretation remains open-ended, acknowledging that heartbreak can manifest diversely.

Source: CNN‍