Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’: Everything we know

Taylor Swift not only made history at the Grammys and took Album of the Year, she announced a brand-new one.

Accepting one of her four awards at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Swift took the opportunity to reveal the name and release date for her upcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department — the longest title yet for the artist, whose albums are historically one word only (Lover, Red, 1989 etc., maximum two for Speak Now.)

“I want to say thank you to the members of the Recording Academy for voting this way, but I know that the way that the Recording Academy voted is a direct reflection of the passion of the fans,” Swift said onstage accepting Best Pop Vocal Album for Midnights.

“So I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret that I have been keeping from you for the last two years,” Swift said before announcing the title and release date. “I’m going to go and post the cover right now backstage. Thank you, I love you!”

When is the album out? What can we expect? Who are these tortured poets and what happens in their department? Here’s everything we know about Swift’s next album, which we’ll be adding to and updating as the Swifties hit the yarn wall and do their characteristically epic code-cracking on this one.

What’s the name of Taylor Swift’s next album?

Announced during her speech at the Grammys, Swift’s next album is titled The Tortured Poets Department. This lengthy title is giving campus emo and I’m into it. And with a title like that, if there are no boygenius cameos I’ll eat my scarf.

What do we know about Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department?

In a post on Instagram published (as promised) instantly after her Grammys win, Swift revealed The Tortured Poets Department album art, showing a black and white photo of the artist reclining on a bed, with the caption, “All’s fair in love and poetry…”

The cover was photographed by Swift’s constant collaborator Beth Garrabrant, who shot Swift’s folklore cover.

The second image in the post is a photograph of a handwritten note that reads:

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…

These emotionally charged words, which are probably lyrics, are signed off: “Sincerely, The Chairman of the Tortured Poets Department.” Who is this Chairman?

The Tortured Poets Department vinyl is up for preorder for $34.99 on Swift’s official website, and it looks like it will feature 16 tracks as well as a bonus track called “The Manuscript”. It’s a “ghosted white” vinyl with a “24-page book-bound jacket with three handwritten lyrics unique to this vinyl and never-before-seen photos”. There’s also a cassette, deluxe CD, and digital album on there too.

When is Taylor Swift’s next album coming out?

The Tortured Poets Department will be released April 19. Swift’s worldwide Eras Tour continues this year, but the album will notably launch between two dates — Singapore on March 9, and Paris on May 9.

You’d better believe Swift might preview some of The Tortured Poets Department onstage before its release and after, so global tour ticket-holders, be ready to speed-learn some new lyrics.

But what about Reputation (Taylor’s Version)?

ICYMI (how?), Swift has been on an ambitious quest to release re-recorded versions of her catalogue to take back ownership of her work and flip the damn bird to former manager Scooter Braun. The last chapter, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) was released in October 2023, following re-releases of Fearless, Red, and Speak Now. Now, the only albums left for Swift to re-record are her self-titled debut and her her sixth studio album, 2017’s Reputation.

Fans expected Swift to announce Reputation (Taylor’s Version) at the Grammys on Sunday, but instead were gifted the announcement for The Tortured Poets Department.

Expect more cryptic drops from Swift on this one, as is custom.