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What is Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department?

Taylor Swift's new album (which is also referred to as TS11) is called The Tortured Poets Department. Taylor Swift announced the album while accepting the award for Best Pop Album at the 2024 Grammys. While we don't know the exact vibe of the album, over the last year, we've gotten quite a few clues about what we can expect! Just like "Daylight" at the end of Lover sets up Midnights, I think "Dear Reader" sets up The Tortured Poets Department.

And in honor of the eclipse on April 8, Taylor Swift posted the first lyrics from TS11! "Crowd goes wild at her fingertips // Half moonshine // Full eclipse," the lyric post reads. While some fans think this could be a line from "Florida!!!" (which we're expecting to reference her Florida Eras Tour shows), others say it could be from "Clara Bow."

"The first line makes you think of someone who’s famous (Clara Bow was an actress) and...moonshine was a type of alcohol that was popular during prohibition during the 1920s which is when Clara Bow was famous," one comment reads.

Taylor's official announcement features even more beautiful language that evokes the same emotion "The Lakes" does, which makes me believe TTPD will be similar to Folklore and Evermore (maybe it'll even serve as the third sister album Swifties thought we'd get in 2021?). Some fans are also convinced TTPD connects to Reputation, and TBH, I'm hopping on this train!

"I think the two albums are sisters albums, but in like an opposite way," one Reddit user says. "Reputation is all black, this one is going to be all white and softly coded." Another agrees: "Reputation is presented as a dark album but is truly a love album...This one is presented as soft and white but I bet the lyrics will be devastating."

I'm expecting TS11 to have the same lyrical prowess as songs like "Would've, Should've, Could've," The National's "The Alcott" (on which Taylor's a featured artist), and "You're Losing Me." Taylor is all about looking past appearances and telling a complex story, and The Tortured Poets Department will be no different. Just like Reputation is an edgy, glittery, emotionally-charged version of the beginning of her relationship with ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn, I totally agree that TTPD could look grounded, airbrushed, and dreamy from the outside, but the lyrics will be SAD.

There's also been some discussion that TS11 could be another pop album that's even more nuanced than Midnights. Well, during her Eras Tour show in Sydney, Australia, she played another round of suspicious surprise songs. While sitting at the piano, Taylor Swift takes her earpiece out and calls attention to the keyboard. "Do you hear that?" she says (via TikTok). "My damn keyboard's playing a synth sound." She then does what she almost always does when dropping an Easter egg: she smirks.

"That sound is how the album starts, mark my words," one comment reads. Another says, "That smirk tells me everything I need to know."

When is The Tortured Poets Department release date?

The Tortured Poets Department is dropping April 19, 2024. At the Eras Tour shows in Tokyo, Taylor Swift explained when she started working on TTPD. “I’ve been working on Tortured Poets since right after I turned in Midnights,” she said onstage. “So, you turn in an album months in advance…and I’ve been working on it for about two years. I kept working on it throughout the U.S. tour and when it was perfect, in my opinion, when it was good enough for you, I finished it.”

"Soon you'll get to hear it, soon we'll get to experience it together," she continued. "I'm over the moon about the fact that you guys care about my music...Everyone’s like, ‘Why do you make so many albums?’ And I’m like, ‘Man, because I love it! I love it so much! I’m having fun, leave me alone.'”

The brand new album follows Speak Now (Taylor's Version) and 1989 (Taylor's Version). When Midnights was announced after Fearless (Taylor's Version) and Red (Taylor's Version), I wondered whether she'd have a two rerecordings, one new album pattern and it looks like that's what we're getting!

How do I presave The Tortured Poets Department?

Before The Tortured Poets Department's release on at midnight on April 19 (we're less than a month away!), go ahead and pre-save it. It'll make streaming the album a little bit easier because when you pre-save, the album will pop up for you as soon as it drops! Go to Taylor Swift's official website and click on the "Pre-add/Pre-save" button. It'll take you to a new page where you can save it on Spotify or Apple Music (depending on which service you use), and you can also pre-order at stores like Target!

How many songs will be on The Tortured Poets Department?

Taylor Swift dropped The Tortured Poets Department song list February 5, and we already have theories about what each track could reference. IMO, "I Can Do It With A Broken Heart" is totally referencing Taylor Swift's performances of "Lover" following her split from Joe Alwyn (you can see her crying during the set), while there's a good chance "Florida!!!" is referencing her first Tampa concert, which was the first show she performed after the breakup became public knowledge. Taylor Swift's dad Scott Swift recently told fans he's most excited for Swifties to hear the title track and "Florida!!!" Here's the full tracklist for TS11:

1. Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)
2. The Tortured Poets Department
3. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys
4. Down Bad
5. So Long, London
6. But Daddy I Love Him
7. Fresh Out the Slammer
8. Florida!!! (feat. Florence + The Machine)
9. Guilty as Sin?
10. Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?
11. I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)
12. loml
13. I Can Do It With A Broken Heart
14. The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
15. The Alchemy
16. Clara Bow
17. Bonus Track: The Manuscript
18. Bonus Track: The Bolter
19. Bonus Track: The Albatross
20. Bonus Track: The Black Dog

Will The Tortured Poets Department be explicit?

There are 7 explicit songs on The Tortured Poets Department: "The Tortured Poets Department," "Down Bad," "But Daddy I Love Him," "Florida!!! (feat. Florence + The Machine)," "loml," "I Can Do It With A Broken Heart," and "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived."

What is The Albatross about?

During one of her Eras Tour shows in Sydney, Australia, Taylor Swift announced a new version of The Tortured Poets Department featuring exclusive bonus track "The Albatross." This new album already has some crazy track titles — all with pretty noteworthy meanings.

According to Collins Dictionary, if you call someone an Albatross, "they cause you great problems from which you cannot escape, or they prevent you from doing what you want to do," while a Bolter could refer to someone bolting out of a relationship (or bolting from a restaurant to a car like in this viral clip 🤨).

Meanwhile "The Alchemy" refers to the continual process of trying to turn something into gold — remember how Taylor Swift spent 6 years saying her relationship with Joe Alwyn was golden? Buckle up Swifties, TS11 is going to be a wild ride.

What does loml mean?

At first glance, the twelfth song on The Tortured Poets Department, "loml," means "love of my life." Some fans were wondering if the song was a nod to Harry Styles since his Harry's House finale track is "Love of My Life" (the album also features a track named "Daylight" which is another funny connection to Taylor Swift). But Bonnie & Emily from ChatsAndReacts have got me thinking about the track in a whole new way.

Emily says that while Taylor might sing about the love of her life at the beginning of the song, she also has the potential to switch it up each verse. "Lie of my life" and "loss of my life" are HEART WRENCHING, and totally something Taylor would write.

How can I buy The Tortured Poets Department?

You can pre-order a bunch of different versions of The Tortured Poets Department on Taylor Swift's website right now, includingThe Tortured Poets Department CD + Bonus Track "The Manuscript", The Tortured Poets Department CD + Bonus Track "The Manuscript" andThe Tortured Poets Department Cassette + Bonus Track "The Manuscript".

What is a tortured poets department?

Taylor Swift has spent years talking about her anxiety, her sleepless nights, and her emotions. "My muses, acquired like bruises / My talismans and charms / The tick, tick, tick of love bombs / My veins of pitch black ink," she writes in her official Instagram post. "All's fair in love and poetry." My guess is that The Tortured Poets Department features a bunch of artists who all feel very deeply and have a similar ethereal, larger-than-life approach to their music.

As far as the name, it looks like The Tortured Poets Department could be referencing her ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn's group chat name — "The Tortured Man Club" with Paul Mescal (who starred in Normal People while Joe starred Conversations With Friends. Both series are based on Sally Rooney books).

Will The Tortured Poets Department have any featured artists?

Yes, The Tortured Poets Department will feature Florence + The Machine on the song "Florida!!!" and Post Malone on the song "Fortnight." And after Taylor Swift teased a variety of collaborations by posting handwritten lyrics from artists like Harry Styles and Lorde, Swifties are wondering if The Tortured Poets Department will be the "collab album" we never got.

Another clue that leads me to believe this is true is the fact that the title of this album is so much longer than her other titles — and she refers to herself as "Chairman" of the department. Who are all the constituents?! Are they all the same artists who left Scooter Braun's management last year? Only time will tell, because as far as I'm concerned, surprises aren't out of the question until the TS11 era is over!👀

What is the theory of Taylor Swift's double album?

Throughout her stay in Sydney, Australia for the Eras Tour, Taylor Swift has been dropping lots — and I mean lots — of twos. @v_swiftie_ points out that in addition to holding up the number two while announcing The Tortured Poets Department, she's been playing more surprise song mashups than normal, and Taylor Nation has been posting Instagram stories featuring the number 2 instead of the number 13. Suspicious, Tay, very suspicious.

What is the history of country music?

The Carter Family may be known as the first family of country music, but they didn’t create the popularized sound. Country music is heavily influenced by blues and gospel that their associate — Black guitarist Lesley Riddle — introduced them to. Riddle himself was taught by his uncle and simply put his own signature twist on what he’d learned. After meeting A.P. Carter, the two developed a friendship and Riddle even taught Maybelle Carter a few things. Besides Riddle, musicians such as Gus Cannon (“Banjo Joe”) and Rufus Payne (“Tee Tot”) also had an influence on country music’s sound. Time made sure to dig deeper and found that the banjo actually even derives from West African lutes which became a huge part of music in southern states.

Interestingly enough, harmonica player DeFord Bailey began playing what he called “Black hillbilly music” and — according to National Geographic — was the first person to perform on the Grand Ole Opry. National Geographic also mentioned how Black artists such as Ray Charles, Tina Turner, and Millie Jackson dabbled in country music, proving that Beyoncé is NOT using this genre as a quick cash grab. As a matter of fact, Black rappers like Snoop Dogg and Nelly have their own country songs. I mean, I’m still listening to Nelly’s song with Tim McGraw called “Over and Over.”

What inspired Beyoncé to write "Cowboy Carter?"

Beyoncé recorded "Daddy Lessons" for her album Lemonade in 2016 and even performed it with The Chicks at the CMAs, but not all country fans were happy about it. Los Angeles Times pointed out that someone went as far as to say that the entertainer didn't belong there. While that’s bad enough, Apparently she experienced more backlash behind the scenes. However, learning the brief history of the genre with a quick google search would dispel that sentiment.

Although she didn't explicitly refer to this experience, but it's heavily implied in a lengthy caption on Instagram that details her inspiration for creating this album stem from it. She wrote, "This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive...The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work."

Beyoncé's from Houston, Texas — home of The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo — with parents that are from Alabama and Louisiana. To tell a Black person who's from the south that they don't belong in country settings doesn't make sense. But, it still makes me smile knowing Black country artists continue building on the pillars of those who came before them. That they're making sure all voices are heard whether others want to validate it or not.

Black Country Artists Featured on 'Cowboy Carter'

Tanner Adell

I first came across Tanner Adell’s music via Instagram when I heard her catchy song “Buckle Bunny,” realizing it featured a familiar twang I love. As told to Utah Valley University, she shared how their commercial music program helped her hone her voice and performance skills. BET also learned that Adell attended many demolition derbys where she bore witness to her mom’s status as a rodeo queen.

She’s grown her fan base over the years with songs like “Honky Tonk Heartbreak” and “FU-150,” but it’s interesting that one line in “Buckle Bunny” seemed to serve as a manifestation tool. She went from singing, “Lookin’ like Beyoncé with a lasso” to literally being featured on “AMERICAN REQIUEM” and “BLACKBIIRD.”

She expressed her joy at going from attending one of Beyoncé’s concerts to being featured on the album with a heartfelt TikTok. She told W Magazine, “Everyone has the ability to manifest their dreams, and I don’t think I’m different. I’ve been working really hard the last couple of years to get my music and my presence to a place where I’d be ready when someone like Beyoncé gives me the green light…”

You won’t have to wait long to hear more of her music because her new single “Whiskey Blues” debuts April 12! Be sure to pre-save it on Spotfiy or Apple Music!

Brittney Spencer

Brittney Spencer is certainly no stranger to country music with her cover of The Highwomen’s “Crowded Table” and her song “Sober & Skinny.” She told Billboard, “Being Black, a woman, and not a size 2 has certainly presented additional obstacles on my musical journey here in Nashville.” Yet, she hasn’t let any challenges she’s faced deter her from sharing her musical gifts in the world of country music.

Vibe shared that she’s gone on to perform with artists like Reba McEntire which would make anyone’s journey feel worthwhile. As far as how she feels about being on Cowboy Carter, she wrote a genuine caption on Instagram that says, “i’ve typed and deleted at least 10 captions. i don’t hv anything clever or curated to say. i’m on a beyonce record. the album is a masterpiece. ily @beyonce 🐝🌻.”

Tiera Kennedy

Tiera Kennedy describes her music as “an earnest storytelling-based country laced with the influence of R&B.” Her single “Found It In You” is the perfect example of this as she sings about the love she has for her husband and creative director Kamren Kennedy. She’s the host of Apple Music Country and has been named as Nashville Scene declaring that she’s the “total package.”

Her new single “I Ain’t a Cowgirl” debuts April 26, 2024!

Reyna Roberts

One of the other black country artists that should definitely be on your radar is Reyna Roberts, an Alaskan native with a sound that’s equal parts sugar and spice. She released “Raised Right” in 2021 and it echoes this sentiment with lyrics like, “I'm a little bit of whiskey in my sweet tea.” She was featured in Amazon Prime’s documentary about black country artists called For Love & Country and went on to release her debut album Bad Girl Bible, Vol. 1 last year.

She also captured a sweet moment where she told one of her besties that she’s featured on Cowboy Carter on Instagram. She captioned the video, “Episode 1: Telling one of my best friends that I’m on Cowboy Carter! We’ve been dreaming about this day since we were 8 years old!!💙🥹🎉”

Shaboozey

Known for fusing the sounds of hip-hop and country, Shaboozey lends his flow to parts of “SPAGHETTII” and “SWEET HONEY BUCKIIN’” on Cowboy Carter. One of my favorite lyrics of his in the latter song is, “It don’t matter what nobody says. Country boy ‘til the day that I’m dead.” But what the artist is most known for is his own body of work.

His released his EP Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die in 2022 and garnered popularity with the single “Beverly Hills.” If you need more of his music in your life, his new album Where I’ve Been, isn’t Where I’m Going debuts May 31!

Willie Jones

Louisiana born country artist Willie Jones may be featured on “JUST FOR FUN,” but his voice flowed through our phones via TikTok before this. After he wowed judges and the audience of The Voice in 2012, he went on to release songs like “Back Porch” and “Down by the Riverside” that also blend the sounds of hip-hop and country.

It just goes to show that country can still maintain the sounds of what it’s known for, but it can also complement other genres.

Linda Martell

Last but not least, queen Linda Martellis featured talking on “SPAGHETTII” & “THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW,” which briefly shed light on how much she contributed to country music. According to her website, she was the “first commercially successful Black female artist in country music.” She was also the first black woman to hit the stage at the Grand Ole Opry.

It’s great to see that she’s finally getting her flowers in such a mainstream way. It’s also telling that people are discrediting an album that she’s featured on.

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