As many Taylor Swift fans know, at the Feb. 4 Grammy celebration, the pop star announced the creation of her brand new album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” Fans had expected the release of the re-recorded album “Reputation”, but were shocked at the reveal of Swift’s new work. This album will be her first new original album since the release of “Midnights” in 2022.
The album includes 17 new songs: “Fortnight (feat. Post Malone),” “The Tortured Poets Department,” “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys,” “Down Bad,” “So Long, London,” “But Daddy I Love Him,” “Fresh Out the Slammer,” “Florida!!! (Florence + the Machine),” “Guilty as Sin?,” “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?,” “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can),” “Loml,” “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,” “The Alchemy,” “Clara Bow” and “The Manuscript.”
Many fans have made speculations about the theme of the album. However, the most convincing theory is that the songs will describe the end of Swift’s six year relationship with British actor Joe Alwyn. Similarities between the star’s ex and the album reveal that this record might be Swift’s newest breakup album.
For example, Alwyn is known to have been in a group chat named “The Tortured Man Club,” paralleling the album’s title. Also, the song title “So Long, London” references Alwyn’s hometown and may be a response to her previous Lover album track, “London Boy.” Fans have also noticed that the black and white album cover shares a similar aesthetic to Swift’s “Reputation” album, where the first songs depicting her and Alwyn’s relationship were released.
Swift’s latest show in Melbourne, Australia also supports the theory. Swift sang her “Midnights” bonus track “You’re Losing Me” with an image of the new album displayed behind her. Since “Midnights” is assumed to be a breakup album surrounding Swift and Alwyn’s relationship, fans believe Swift sang this heartfelt song to convey the emotion of her new album.
The Internet will continue to be full of theories until the album release date on April 19. Until then, the suspense will continue to build among all Swift fans.
