On February 4, after Taylor Swift won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album for " Midnights" , she announced the release of her 11th studio album "The Tortured Poets Department" , bringing fans An unforgettable surprise.
Shortly after the news was announced, Swift confirmed the album's release date (April 19) and its full 16-song tracklist. Ministry of Tormented Poets is available for pre-order on Swift's website.
On February 16, Swift gave fans another update, announcing that an exclusive bonus song, "The Bolter," would appear on a special edition of the album for a limited time. Another bonus track, "The Manuscript," also appears on the forthcoming album, which will also be released on CD, cassette, and two vinyl records.
Surprise announcement
Swift initially shared the news on stage at the Grammys. She noted that she had just won her 13th Grammy Award (as Swifties know, 13 is the singer's lucky number). Then, she said she had a surprise.
“I want to say thank you to the fans and tell you a secret that I’ve been keeping from you for the past two years,” she said. “That’s my brand new album coming out on April 19th. It’s called Influenced Tormented Poets Department" . I'm going backstage now to put up the cover. Thank you, I love you! Thank you!"
Swift made good on her promise, confirming the big announcement on social media immediately after her win and unveiling the album's cover art, which was shot by Beth Garrabrant. "All is fair in love and poetry..." she wrote in the post.
Alongside the cover, she shared a cryptic poem teasing the album. "So I enter into evidence my tarnished heraldry/my muse, gained like a bruise, my talisman and charm/the tick/tick of a love bomb/the veins of my inky ink," she writes. She signed the note as "President of the Ministry of Tortured Poets."
This isn't the first time Swift has showcased a new album at an awards show. In August 2022, she won the Video of the Year award at the MTV Music Video Awards for her short film "All Too Well" and announced the release of "Midnights" .
Heading into the Grammys, there was speculation that Swift was gearing up to announce Reputation (Tyler's Version) , her next expected re-recorded album. Before the show, she made her social media profile photos black and white, which fans viewed as a Reputation (TV) Easter egg since black was widely associated with her "Reputation" era. But apparently, Swift has a bigger plan.
