Marketing savant Taylor Swift knows better than anyone that “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” So it’s only natural that the “Mastermind” singer had a backup ploy up her sleeve to announce her newest era if she had inexplicably walked away with no trophies at the 66th GRAMMY awards.
Videos by American Songwriter
Fortunately, Swift’s Plan A went off without a hitch when she announced the April 19 release of The Tortured Poets Department after accepting her 13th GRAMMY award for Best Pop Vocal Album. But the singer revealed Wednesday to her “Eras Tour” audience in Tokyo that they would have been the first to hear the news if she had gone home winless.
“I thought, ‘OK, if I’m lucky enough to get up there and win one thing tonight, I’m just gonna do it. I’m just gonna announce my new album,'” Swift told the crowd. “And luckily enough, that ended up happening… And now we can talk about it afterward, we can do like a debrief tonight.”
Tortured Poets Is Two Years In the Making
The Tortured Poets Department was a labor of love for Swift. The “Anti-Hero” singer said that she began work on her 11th studio album immediately after turning in Midnights. She continued polishing the lyrics throughout the entire U.S. leg of her “Eras” tour.
“When it was perfect, in my opinion,” Swift said, “when it was good enough for you, I finished it.”
Fans Believe This Album Is About Ex Joe Alwyn
Fan speculation is already rampant that Tortured Poets is where Swift will open up about her split from British actor Joe Alwyn. The pair confirmed they had officially called it quits in April 2023, after six and a half years of dating.
The rumor mill churns faster with every new revelation about the album, which will feature 17 tracks, including collaborations with Post Malone and Florence + the Machine.
“SHE RECORDED IT DURING US TOUR OHHHH WE WILL BE BETTING SOME HOT TEA,” one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Joe better RUN and not come out… well, EVER!” another fan agreed.
Featured image by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
