The moment Taylor Swift fans have been eagerly waiting has finally arrived. The 34-year-old singer confirmed at the 2024 Grammy Awards on Sunday that her upcoming album will be titled "The Tortured Poets Department." Swift her acceptance speech at the Grammys to announce that the upcoming album will be released on April 19.
Swift earned her 13th Grammy Award on Sunday, winning the highly sought-after Best Pop Vocal Album for "Midnights." She beat out formidable contenders, including Ed Sheeran with "(Subtract)," Kelly Clarkson with "Chemistry," Miley Cyrus with "Endless Summer Vacation," and Olivia Rodrigo with "Guts." She also uploaded the cover of the album to X after leaving the stage.
Winner and the Big Surprise
"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," the singer said, before announcing The Tortured Poets Department. At the end of her speech, Swift chuckled and mentioned that she would be heading backstage to share the album's cover on her website.
She also uploaded the cover to X, with a photo of lyrics that read: "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." The image was signed by "The Chairman of the Tortured Poets Department".
The black-and-white image features Swift in a sensual pose on a bed covered with white sheets, donning shorts and a crop top.
The "Look What You Made Me Do" singer however attended the show without her boyfriend Travis Kelce. Fans initially speculated that she might announce the release of "Reputation (Taylor's Version)" during the awards show.
"Reputation (Taylor's Version)" would mark Taylor Swift's fifth re-recorded album. The original "Reputation" album was initially released in 2017.
However, as noted by Deadline, Swift's announcement of a new album aligns with her pattern of releasing a new album, followed by two re-records, and then more new music.
Swiftly to Her Next
Since 2021, Taylor Swift has released new versions of her albums, including "Fearless," "Red," "Speak Now," and "1989." These re-recorded versions are part of her ongoing effort to regain control of her master recordings.
In 2019, the "Cats" actress got entangled in a dispute over the ownership of her back catalog, which was released by Big Machine Records. The label retained the masters of her first six studio albums.
This conflict motivated her choice to embark on the process of re-recording her albums, enabling her to regain complete ownership of her work and music.
"Reputation" was filled with hits, including popular tracks such as "Look What You Made Me Do," "Delicate," "End Game," and "Getaway Car."