the tour 1989

• Entertainment

Taylor Swift's 1989 World Tour documentary is now streaming on Apple Music

By Dante D'Orazio

Source 1989 World Tour Live (Apple Music)

Share this story

Taylor Swift's Christmas gift for you is here. Well, if you're an Apple Music subscriber, at least. The pop star's world tour documentary for her massive hit album 1989 is now available to stream .

As Swift herself announced earlier this week , the special is exclusively available on Apple's streaming music service. The documentary is directed by Jonas Akerlund, who also helmed On the Run Tour: Beyoncé and Jay Z . If you're looking for some diversity, it's not just two hours of Taylor Swift — it features performances from Selena Gomez, John Legend, Fetty Wap, and others. The 1989 World Tour has been running since this May, and it came to a close just a week ago.

It's here! #1989WorldTourLive is now on @AppleMusic ! https://t.co/ujxT7ggxbS pic.twitter.com/1Y3nv4FVIl — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) December 20, 2015

The partnership between Apple and Swift shows just how far the two have come since the mega-star published an open letter criticizing the company's royalty policies during its three-month trial period. Both sides quickly made up , and now they're all making lots of money together. 1989 itself has been streaming on Apple music since June.

Tesla’s in its flop era

Apple announces may 7th event for new ipads, microsoft launches phi-3, its smallest ai model yet, sonos announces redesigned app that puts everything on your homescreen, anker’s 8-in-1 charging station is matching its lowest price to date.

More from Apple

The best Presidents Day deals you can already get

The shine comes off the Vision Pro

Apple unbanned Epic so it can make an iOS games store in the EU

Why does Apple make it so hard to share the Vision Pro?

• Statistics Stats
• You are here:

Setlist History: Taylor Swift Kicks Off The '1989' World Tour

• Setlist History
• Published: 5 May 2023, 15:00:05
• Written by: Ashly Nagrant
• Photography by: Jun Sato/LP5/Getty Images for TS
• Categories: Setlist History Tagged: Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour

1989 may have been Taylor Swift’s fourth album overall, but it was actually her very first pop album. Departing from her country roots, the singer-songwriter played around with synth sounds and pop friendly beats and it paid off. The album sold over a million copies in just its first week out. It dominated the Billboard charts and landed Taylor the Grammy for Album of the Year.

So it stands to reason that the tour that accompanied this album would be just as epic. Fans found out just how huge it was when The 1989 World Tour kicked off on May 2, 2015 at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.

The setlist was almost exclusively songs from 1989 , with 14 out of 18 songs from the album dominating the night. In Tokyo this meant there were plenty of live debuts: “New Romantics,” “I Wish You Would,” “How You Get the Girl,” “I Know Places,” “All You Had to Do Was Stay,” “You Are In Love,” “Clean,” “This Love” and “Bad Blood.”

The few previously released songs Taylor performed were remixed specifically for the tour to fit with the synth-pop feel of 1989 . “Love Story” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” notably were changed for the tour.

The actual show was broken up across eight “acts,” with a few songs featured in each. Back-up dancers, costume changes, floating platforms and more made up the stage show, though there was also time for Taylor alone on stage with a grand piano to perform a mash-up of “Enchanted” and “Wildest Dreams.” The show closed out with the album’s hit lead single “Shake It Off,” accentuated by fireworks and confetti.

That night in Tokyo was the start of something big. The tour went on to be a global success and was notable for featuring surprise songs and surprise guests at each of the dates. But none of it happens without Taylor herself setting the standard on that first date eight years ago at the kick off, with a brand new sound and a brand new show.

Latest News

Bruce Springsteen Duets Harmonicas with a 7-year-old

Phish's Vegas Sphere Run Had Celeb Say, "Bro I Met God Tonight"

Creed Reunites a Cruise for a Tour Kickoff

Girl In Red Begins Headlining Tour in Boston

Most played songs.

• Love Story ( 577 )
• You Belong With Me ( 466 )
• Our Song ( 417 )
• Fearless ( 349 )
• We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together ( 304 )

More Taylor Swift statistics

Gigs seen live by

7,130 people have seen Taylor Swift live.

GabxxCS danishdevoured Tsafstrom08 sachgosh yuzherr gbailey0128 malleekid lostbirthday sheilalala claynheidi Shahirfanswift leepnghui chachitiauzon biancake bmonroe145 MarvinLM76 nitakhecill mewjosh n0xy turtlet imgirlieee iamkennethlee ayuni barney1977 aishsivakumar fleurfur LoreleiR doughnadss TH3GalaxyKing IKRaeRae jaethreehech Stimu tinnanut Vix7 telly rachelraehoho enyaho krstxn Arrrto dragonoooid dantayls taylorhull lachdav fynnfe musicpuppies amyjessica Aimscaba ccc_74 Strangermouse mccartney4life

Showing only 50 most recent

More from Taylor Swift

• More Setlists
• Artist Statistics
• Add setlist
• Setlist Insider See the artists dive into their own setlist data.
• Live Debuts Witness the first time a song is performed live.
• Setlist.fm Exclusives Videos, photos and interviews - see it here first.
• Covers Better than the original? You decide.
• Guest Appearances Keeping track of the on-stage cameos.
• Setlist History Looking back on moments in music history.
• Tour Dates How to catch your faves: The who, what, where and when.
• Festivals News about the multi-artist, multi-day extravaganzas.
• General News Other music-related news.
• Apr 22, 2024
• Apr 21, 2024
• Apr 20, 2024
• Apr 19, 2024
• Apr 18, 2024
• Apr 17, 2024
• FAQ | Help | About
• Terms of Service
• Ad Choices | Privacy Policy
• Feature requests
• Songtexte.com

Advertisement

Supported by

Review: On Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ Tour, the Underdog Emerges as Cool Kid

• Share full article

By Jon Caramanica

• May 21, 2015

BOSSIER CITY, La. — Toward the end of Taylor Swift ’s concert at the CenturyLink Center here on Wednesday night, she strapped on an electric guitar for the first time of the night and began playing some tart riffs while singing hungry little fillips. She was setting the stage for “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” the 2012 song that became her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped turn her inexorably away from country and toward pop megastardom.

In the song, she’s lashing out at a dunderheaded ex: “You would hide away and find your peace of mind/ With some indie record that’s much cooler than mine.”

On the album, she delivers that self-referential line with an eye roll, but when she sang it here, she turned it into a defiant shout. Suddenly, the song wasn’t about fretting over someone’s opinion; it was about knowing you’ve been the cool one all along, and finally owning it.

Whatever underdog anxieties Ms. Swift might have had earlier in her career are mostly gone. With the release in the fall of “ 1989 ” (Big Machine), her fifth album, Ms. Swift neatly ascended to the top of the pop hierarchy, largely by bypassing and ignoring most of her peers. She used the same blend of guilelessness and savvy that made her a radical figure in country music, and applied it to 1980s-influenced sounds that made her one of the most conservative figures in pop.

So she’s still a kind of underdog, but a big dog, too. The “1989” album has gone platinum four times over, and this show was the first stand-alone date of the American leg of her “1989” world tour, which will mainly play stadiums. (This arena was far smaller, holding about 13,000 people.)

The album “1989” is what got her here, and “1989” is what she largely stuck to — newly grown-up songs about letdown, regret and letting go. “Out of the Woods” was booming and “Shake It Off” was cheeky and breezy. Even songs that felt like outliers on “1989” were here both integral and enrapturing, like “Clean,” which lost its spaciness; and “I Know Places,” notionally about hiding from prying eyes in a new relationship, which sounded like an action-movie soundtrack. For that song, her dancers wore drapey, futuristic jackets and shimmering full head masks similar to the ones Kanye West wore on his “Yeezus” tour — spies from the future sent to swarm Ms. Swift, who dodged them easily.

She largely didn’t meddle with the songs from “1989,” but when it came to older material, she bent the music in unexpected ways. She performed “Love Story” in the style of “1989.” On the catty, ecstatic “I Knew You Were Trouble,” she spent part of the song singing in a dusky, Lorde-like tone. And for “Enchanted,” one of her most starry-eyed and least convincing songs, she sat at a Thunderdome-esque piano and sang in a knowing manner, yanking the big notes hard and giving the song new depth.

Ms. Swift has always been comfortable onstage, but as she gets older (she’s 25), she is more willing to make herself awkward when it serves the moment. During “Blank Space,” she acted out that song’s angst, contorting her body and face and, at one point, wielding a golf club with casual menace.

Though her lyrics have gradually begun to acknowledge the sensual, she remains effectively chaste onstage, even when flanked by shirtless dancers on “I Knew You Were Trouble.” But her between-song chatter, always inspirational, now carries the weight of experience. “You are not damaged goods just because you’ve made mistakes,” she said. “You are not someone else’s opinion of you.”

This pep talk was for herself and for the crowd, which consisted mostly of girls, who might have been seeing Ms. Swift for the first time, and young women, who might have been seeing Ms. Swift since they were girls. At various intervals, Ms. Swift disappeared offstage and the huge screen showed clips of some of her well-known friends — Selena Gomez, Karlie Kloss, Lena Dunham, the sisters of the band Haim, and more — singing her praises. It was a public service announcement for the healing powers of female friendship.

Ms. Swift has been actively cultivating these friendships as part of her retreat from the tabloids in recent years. Rather than be known as a serial dater, she’d prefer to be thought of as a serial befriender. Even in “Bad Blood,” a song from “1989” about an intense rivalry with another female performer (most likely Katy Perry), Ms. Swift has found a way to turn it positive. The video is a feminist superhero fantasy, with oodles of famous guests — proof of the power and depth of Ms. Swift’s Rolodex and her desire to form alliances more than cast aspersions.

In an interview in the June issue of Elle magazine, Ms. Swift briefly alluded to the pop landscape she’s arrived at: “I don’t really have much of a queen complex,” she said. “There’s this feeling in music right now where you have to just stand on this castle turret and not come down and talk to anyone and not be approachable and not be excitable, and you should be sexy and edgy and all these things.”

No names were named — Beyoncé and Rihanna come to mind, though — but the comment highlights just how little Ms. Swift has in common with her new peers: almost as little as she had in common with her old peers. “I stalk you on a daily basis,” she told the crowd; it’s hard to imagine any other multiplatinum star doing that, much less admitting it.

Notably, there wasn’t even a hint of country here, unless you count the very young fans who still wore sundresses and cowboy boots, as Ms. Swift did a decade ago. She played acoustic guitar briefly, on “Wonderland,” a lesser-known song that wasn’t quite ready to be so exposed, but otherwise she’d fully decorated this new home, covering up all the traces of the old. (There were also some opening-night sound issues.)

If she can remake herself so thoroughly in just a couple of years, what changes are yet to come? Will she collaborate with Mr. West, her former adversary, as he has said he’d like to do? Will she go full Joni Mitchell? Could she become a romantic-comedy staple, a millennial Meg Ryan? Or will she stick with her current path, letting the arbiters of cool look at her with a side eye while she trounces them all?

Taylor Swift will perform at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on July 10 and 11; taylorswift.com/events.

Inside the World of Taylor Swift

A Triumph at the Grammys: Taylor Swift made history  by winning her fourth album of the year at the 2024 edition of the awards, an event that saw women take many of the top awards .

‘The T ortured Poets Department’: Poets reacted to Swift’s new album name , weighing in on the pertinent question: What do the tortured poets think ?  

In the Public Eye: The budding romance between Swift and the football player Travis Kelce created a monocultural vortex that reached its apex  at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Ahead of kickoff, we revisited some key moments in their relationship .

Politics (Taylor’s Version): After months of anticipation, Swift made her first foray into the 2024 election for Super Tuesday with a bipartisan message on Instagram . The singer, who some believe has enough influence  to affect the result of the election , has yet to endorse a presidential candidate.

Conspiracy Theories: In recent months, conspiracy theories about Swift and her relationship with Kelce have proliferated , largely driven by supporters of former President Donald Trump . The pop star's fans are shaking them off .

Taylor Swift’s Star-Packed ‘1989’ Tour: Relive Every Cameo

By Jon Blistein

Jon Blistein

Taylor Swift  has spent the better part of the past five months bringing her masterful 2014 album,  1989 , to the masses. Swift's gigantic pop production — winding down Saturday in Tampa, Florida — has criss-crossed the United States, as well as parts of Europe, but the star has taken pains to distinguish the trek from your run-of-the-mill stadium spectacle, sprinkling her shows with surprise guests from across the musical spectrum.

Swift has paired with everyone from rising stars like the Weeknd, Fetty Wap, Sam Hunt and Rachel Platten, to established peers like Lorde, Nick Jonas and Selena Gomez, and celebrated veterans like Miranda Lambert, Justin Timberlake and Mick Jagger. If previous Swift album cycles were marked by overwrought discussions about which ex a song was calling out,  1989 has been first and foremost about friendship. Swift and her audience are not separate entities, but fellow partygoers: She reacts to the presence of her guests with the same incredulity as the crowd.

Tracking Swift's revolving door of  1989 guests was as much a pastime this summer as baseball or trying to ignore Donald Trump. To date, 35 of Swift's 61 North American shows have featured at least one surprise guest, with some featuring two or three, plus an assortment of friends, who walked a lengthy catwalk alongside Swift during "Style." For those hoping to relive that magic moment — or for fans at guest-less shows still stricken by FOMO —  Rolling Stone has compiled a complete rundown of the cameo-crammed tour.

Dan Reynolds, “Radioactive” in Detroit

Taylor Swift's first North American show in Bossier City, Louisiana, was a guest-less affair. So was night two in Baton Rouge. Eight days — and one quick jaunt to Norwich, England for a spot at Radio 1's Big Weekend festival — later,  Swift served her first  1989 tour surprise: Dan Reynolds, who pumped his fists with Swift as they traded vocals on Imagine Dragons' 2012 track, "Radioactive."

Little Big Town, “Pontoon” in Pittsburgh

Despite a dramatic, all-encompassing turn to pop on 1989 , Swift is always ready for the country: In Pittsburgh, she brought out Alabama outfit Little Big Town for their 2012 Number One, "Pontoon," an ode to on-the-water revelry with a delightfully cheeky hook — "Out here in the open/Mmmmm-motorboatin'." Swift's backup dancers even came out in swim trunks and goggles, and some were wrapped in unicorn inner tubes.

Echosmith, “Cool Kids”; Rachel Platten, “Fight Song” in Philadelphia

Over two nights in Philadelphia, Swift shone the spotlight on the next crop of pop superstars. During her first show, she brought out Echosmith's Sydney Sierota  to perform the group's breakout single, "Cool Kids." And on night two, she was joined by Rachel Platten. The pair belted Platten's empowering, piano-driven smash, "Fight Song," Swift gazing like a proud peer as the rising singer handled the track's stirring bridge on her own.

The Weeknd, “Can’t Feel My Face” in East Rutherford, NJ (Night One)

Swift broke out the big guns for her first show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In addition to a duet with the Weeknd on his summer hit, "Can't Feel My Face," the pop star welcomed the U.S. women's national soccer team to walk the catwalk during "Style" with their World Cup trophy . Topping it all off, Swift assembled a sizable chunk of her girl gang, including Lily Aldridge, Lena Dunham, Gigi Hadid and Hailee Steinfeld to join her for "Bad Blood."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHaHBjGfnRI]

Nick Jonas, “Jealous” in East Rutherford, NJ (Night Two)

Swift didn't disappoint her New York–area fans at her second show at MetLife. "Style" featured another array of friends including Candice Swanepoel, Lily Aldridge, Uzo Aduba, Karlie Kloss, Behati Prinsloo and Gigi Hadid; but the night's big guest was Nick Jonas, who lead a bombastic rendition of his soulful pop hit, "Jealous."

Lorde, “Royals”; Jason Derulo, “Want to Want Me” in Washington, D.C.

After her star-packed New York stand, Swift kept things relatively simple in Washington, D.C. On night one, friend and pop prodigy Lorde hit the stage for "Royals," while the following night featured Jason Derulo. The R&B singer dutifully took the reins of the propulsive "Want to Want Me," getting so wrapped up in the heat of the moment his shirt mysteriously vanished by the end of the song.

https://dailymotion.com/video/x2y6asp

Andy Grammer, “Honey, I’m Good”; Sam Hunt, “Take Your Time” in Chicago

On her 2011  Speak Now tour, Swift welcomed burgeoning blue-eyed pop singer Andy Grammer to the stage for a rendition of his breakout single, "Keep Your Head Up." Four years later, she trotted Grammer out again on her first night in Chicago for a performance of his equally infectious 2015 single, "Honey, I'm Good." The next night, Swift gave some shine to rising country crooner Sam Hunt, who parked himself next to Swift for a duet of his fetching, half-rapped ode to slow, simple love, "Take Your Time."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzv2j3Q8Mig]

Walk the Moon, “Shut Up and Dance”; MKTO, “Classic” in Foxborough, MA

With "Fight Song" and "Can't Feel My Face" already under her belt, Swift continued to plow through the various tracks vying for song of the summer 2015. Walk the Moon's slow burner, "Shut Up and Dance" peaked at Number Two on the Hot 100 this July after being released in September, 2014, and Swift and frontman Nicholas Petricca offered an outsized rendition of the ebullient earworm. She replicated that same energy with MKTO the following night during a sizzling performance of the duo's 2014 song-of-the-summer contender, "Classic."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO_U0747BzM]

Nico and Vinz, “Am I Wrong” in Vancouver

The 1989 tour rolled into Canada with Norwegian duo Nico and Vinz joining Swift on stage for their 2014 track "Am I Wrong. The song's thumping percussion and achingly triumphant hook wouldn't sound out of place in Swift's own set list, and the pop star adapted easily to the track, slinking around the stage and smiling widely as she sang with the duo.

Fetty Wap, “Trap Queen” in Seattle

The love song that warmed hearts across the world this summer was given the duet it always deserved when Swift teamed up with Fetty Wap for his beloved breakout, "Trap Queen." Swift kept the romantic vibes going later, when she walked the catwalk during "Style" with the Pacific Northwest's cutest couple, Ciara and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfT3Jr0iMgg]

Fifth Harmony, “Worth It”; Little Mix, “Black Magic” in Santa Clara, CA

Girl groups ruled during Swift's two-night stop in Santa Clara, California. At her first show, Swift welcomed Fifth Harmony for a performance of "Worth It," easily nestling into her role as the sixth harmonizer on the group's silky, bombastic, horn-laced single. The next night, U.K. vocal quartet Little Mix took the stage for a sugar-coated rendition of "Black Magic."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE6BqsMp02k]

Kobe Bryant; OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, “Counting Stars” in Los Angeles (Night One)

The 1989 world tour parked itself at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for a whopping five nights at the end of August, and the run found Swift achieving a notable milestone: Sixteen sold-out shows at the famed venue — a number equal to the NBA Championships banners hung by the Los Angeles Lakers. Fittingly, Lakers star Kobe Bryant was on hand during night one to raise a banner in Swift's honor. The show also featured a musical surprise for good measure, with OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder hitting the stage for "Counting Stars."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh-68HBJr1M]

Uzo Aduba, “White Horse”; Mary J. Blige, “Doubt” and “Family Affair” in Los Angeles (Night Two)

While not all of Swift's guests have been musicians, Orange Is the New Black star Uzo Aduba doubled down on her East Rutherford catwalk cameo and coaxed a deep cut out of Swift in Los Angeles. Aduba revealed a set of deep, gorgeous pipes as she took lead on  Fearless  hit "White Horse" while Swift plucked at her acoustic guitar and delivered backup vocals.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1Ta9KjSszU]

Later, Swift brought out Mary J. Blige for something old and something new: First, "Doubt," from Blige's 2014 effort, The London Sessions , then the still swinging "Family Affair." Capping it all off, Swift welcomed "Blank Space" video star, Sean O'Pry to the stage for "Style,"  though he also had to share the catwalk with Matt LeBlanc and Chris Rock.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRNb3Upu64A]

Alanis Morissette, “You Oughta Know”; Natalie Maines, “Goodbye Earl” in Los Angeles (Night Three)

Night three in Los Angeles found Swift paying tribute to two Nineties heroes, the Dixie Chicks and Alanis Morissette. First, Swift showed she hadn't lost her country twang, stringing out and punching up her drawl alongside Natalie Maines on the Dixie Chicks' boot-stomping "Goodbye Earl." Later, Swift and Morissette scorched the stadium — and exes everywhere — with a devastating performance of the latter's breakup anthem "You Oughta Know."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J47TiDvxnTg]

Noted Swiftie Ellen DeGeneres closed out the proceedings in characteristically ridiculous fashion, donning a sparkling silver jumpsuit to match Swift's shimmering dress as they walked the catwalk together on "Style."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpjxAPHoW8o]

Beck and St. Vincent, “Dreams”; John Legend, “All of Me” in Los Angeles (Night Four)

Swift cobbled together a delightfully unique collaboration for her fourth night at Staples, welcoming Beck and St. Vincent for a performance of the former's recent single, "Dreams." The driving pop-rock cut marks a significant turn from Beck's mellow Morning Phase  LP, but the musician relished sharing stadium spotlight with Swift as St. Vincent slashed away at the song's crunchy, funked-out guitar riffs. Later, Swift slowed things down with John Legend, who commandeered the pop star's piano and led the way during a stunning duet on his tear-jerking power ballad "All of Me." 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3D5NGDW4lQ]

Selena Gomez, “Good For You”; Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”; Phoebe Buffay, “Smelly Cat” in Los Angeles (Night Five)

The final night of Swift's Los Angeles stand belonged to a little-known coffeeshop singer-songwriter: Phoebe Buffay. Or rather, Lisa Kudrow, who reprised her Friends  role for a performance of Buffay's beloved Central Perk smash, "Smelly Cat."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4gIyPCp9H0]

The night also featured two slightly more well-known musicians: Selena Gomez, who stopped by for a rousing rendition of her tortured slow jam "Good for You," and Justin Timberlake, who took the stage for his devotional paean "Mirrors."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlVVCYOqw48]

Omi, “Cheerleader”; Avril Lavigne, “Complicated” in San Diego

Swift did not slow down after her five-night L.A. takeover. Three days after her final Staples Center gig, and a few hours south on Interstate 5 in San Diego, she brought out Omi for another summer 2015 anthem, "Cheerleader." Swift also invited Avril Lavigne up for a performance of her 2002 breakout hit "Complicated," a still perfectly pained jam that proves the cup of teen angst will never run dry.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YtQZh9Ps8A]

Wiz Khalifa, “See You Again” in Houston

The 1989 tour settled into its fourth month, and the final weeks of summer, in Houston. Swift once again surprised her fans with another recent ubiquitous hit, calling to the stage Wiz Khalifa, who helmed his  Furious 7 hip-hop power ballad, "See You Again." Swift dutifully stood in for the song's co-writer, Charlie Puth, belting the aching, striving chorus he sings on record.

The Band Perry, “If I Die Young” in Indianapolis

Swift offered another nod to her roots in Indianapolis, strapping on a sparkling acoustic guitar and joining the Band Perry for a rousing rendition of their hit "If I Die Young." The song's delicate instrumentals and musings might seem out of place for a massive pop production like the 1989 tour, but Swift and the Band Perry deftly reconstructed the track as a stadium-sized tearjerker.

Echosmith, “Cool Kids” in Columbus, OH

Echosmith singer Sydney Sierota earned the unique distinction of being the only performer to take the stage twice, in two different cities on the  1989 tour (save Uzo Aduba, who performed one night, and strutted the stage during "Style" the other). Sierota re-teamed with Swift in Columbus, Ohio, several months after her initial cameo in Philadelphia, delivering another infectious rendition of Echosmith's breakout hit, "Cool Kids."

Dierks Bentley, “Every Mile a Memory” in Kansas City, MO

Swift kept the country vibes going in Kansas City, welcoming Dierks Bentley to the 1989  party to breeze through his 2006 hit "Every Mile a Memory." Bentley and Swift traded lines and coalesced for harmonies, switching up the lyrics — "Red sun down, over a Kansas City sky," Swift bellowed — for some perfectly acceptable pandering to the hometown crowd.

Steven Tyler, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”; Kelsea Ballerini, “Love Me Like You Mean It”; Alison Krauss, “When You Say Nothing at All” in Nashville (Night One)

With country clearly on her mind, Swift was did not disappoint the Music City crowd at her highly anticipated homecoming concerts in Nashville. On night one, Swift proved she's still tapped into the country world with a rousing duet on "Love Me Like You Mean It" with rising singer Kelsea Ballerini. But she also paid tribute to  vaunted veteran Alison Krauss  with a performance of the musician's 2002 track "When You Say Nothing at All." For good measure, Swift also welcomed recent Nashville transplant Steven Tyler, who helped her belt Aerosmith's endlessly eye-watering Armageddon  anthem, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0xHaJICsDw]

Mick Jagger, “Satisfaction”; Leona Lewis, “Bleeding Love” in Nashville (Night Two)

Swift switched musical directions during her second night in Nashville, but her guests were far from disappointing. The star first welcomed Leona Lewis for a performance of Lewis' devastating 2007 ballad "Bleeding Love." Then Swift served up one of her biggest surprises of the 1989 tour so far: Mick Jagger, who peacocked on stage for "Satisfaction" — much to the delight of one grandma in particular .

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq0fgvavAuA]

Nelly, “The Fix” and “Hot in Herre” in St. Louis

Hometown hero Nelly served up a double shot during his appearance in St. Louis , first pairing with Swift for a duet of his sultry, Marvin Gaye–sampling new single, "The Fix." But the house truly came down during "Hot in Herre," which featured an appearance from Haim, who closed out their run as  1989  tour openers that night. While Nelly breezed through the 2002 hit, the sister act and Swift dished out the indelible hook and some expertly choreographed dance moves.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ-JMWwAZS8]

Keith Urban, “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” and “Somebody Like You” in Toronto (Night One)

Keith Urban joined Swift at her first show in Toronto, proving country that clicks both Down Under and up in the Great White North. The pair teamed up for two performances, first kicking out Urban's latest single, "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16," which they followed with the musician's 2002 Number One "Somebody Like You."

Charli XCX, “Boom Clap” in Toronto (Night Two)

Despite canceling some tour dates this summer so she could focus on new music, Charli XCX gladly hopped back onstage with Swift at her second concert in Toronto. The pair took a shot at pure pop perfection and easily hit the mark with a bombastic rendition of XCX's 2014 smash "Boom Clap."

Ellie Goulding, “Love Me Like You Do” in Arlington, TX

Swift has enlisted Ellie Goulding   to surprise her audiences on previous tours, so it's no surprise that the British singer eventually took the stage when her path crossed with the 1989 tour. The pair tackled "Love Me Like You Do," Goulding's summer hit from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack , belting its indelible, amorous hook over a chorus of bombastic synths.

Miranda Lambert, “Little Red Wagon” in Greensboro, NC

Swift delivered another country hit in the midst of her pop bonanza, welcoming bona fide badass Miranda Lambert to the stage to perform her killer Platinum  single "Little Red Wagon." Swift looked happy to let Lambert take lead on the fierce track. She jumped in with some of her own backyard swagger but primarily sat back and marveled as one of country's contemporary masters did what she does best.

Tove Lo, “Talking Body” in Atlanta

Swift is well aware of the unique knack Swedes have for making killer pop, having worked extensively in recent years with Stockholm-based mastermind Max Martin. In Atlanta, Swift welcomed another Swedish star in her own right , burgeoning synth-pop singer-songwriter Tove Lo, who had the crowd howling with a performance of her sensual, slow-burning "Talking Body."

Pitbull, “Give Me Everything”; Ricky Martin, “Livin’ La Vida Loca” in Miami

Swift took her talents to South Beach for the penultimate show of her North American trek, doing everything to delight the hometown crowd short of bringing out Will Smith for "Miami." First, NBA star Dwyane Wade presented Swift  with her own Miami Heat jersey — number 13, of course — and soon after, the pop star was joined by Miami native Pitbull for a performance of "Give Me Everything." Saving the best for last, Swift welcomed Ricky Martin, who came out to a frenzied crowd and the still-transcendent opening horn riff of his 1999 hit "Livin' La Vida Loca."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEcm910UDSg]

Maya Hawke Details Toxic Love in New Single, 'Hang in There'

• Chaos Angel
• By Charisma Madarang

Rick Ross' Drake Diss Video Is Actually Self-Promo (And It's Genius)

• Laughing With You
• By Tomás Mier

St. Vincent Looks Inside to Reveal 'Big Time Nothing' on New Song

Beyoncé and the 'renaissance' of black country music highlighted in 'call me country' doc.

• Bey's Impact

Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff Have Reached Their Limit

• By Larisha Paul

Most Popular

Anne hathaway says 'gross' chemistry test in the 2000s required her to make out with 10 guys: that's the 'worst way to do it' and 'now we know better', quentin tarantino no longer making 'the movie critic' as final film, prince william’s bond with his in-laws sheds a light on his 'chilly' relationship with these royals, judge grants nicki minaj's husband, kenneth petty, permission to travel internationally for 'pink friday 2' tour, you might also like, ‘my neighbor totoro’ transfers to london’s west end, what happens when you combine uniqlo, andy warhol’s art and kaws, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors, stephen colbert once laughed so hard at ‘tropic thunder’ his wife thought he was dying, ftc noncompete ban looms over sports execs, coaches, nil.

Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

Verify it's you

Please log in.

• Entertainment
• How <i>1989</i> Changed Taylor Swift’s Career Forever

How 1989 Changed Taylor Swift’s Career Forever

T he winter of 2014 was painfully cold in New York City. The sidewalks were frozen with slicks of ice, an inhospitable grid of accidents waiting to happen. But stamped across bus stop shelters and plastered across subway billboards, one simple catchphrase kept cropping up: Welcome to New York. The person behind this message was Taylor Swift, the city’s newly-christened “global welcome ambassador.” “Welcome to New York” also happened to be the title of the opening song on Swift’s fifth studio album, 1989 , which was released to instant fanfare and chart success on Oct. 27 of that year.

It was a perfect marketing campaign: New York, capital of all things cool, meet Swift, America’s country-pop queen. By association, Swift made it clear she was entering a new phase of her career. Swift had recently relocated from Nashville to the bright lights and slushy streets of Manhattan, where she settled into a hip downtown neighborhood and was regularly photographed. A decade into her career, she seemed eager for the reinvention that the city that never sleeps could offer. It was a momentous life change, the kind that generations of young women had pursued in a search for a new, glamorous, and emancipated American dream of independence. But for Swift, 1989 represented more than just a change of personal pace. The album changed her career—and the music industry—forever.

Read More: The Staggering Economic Impact of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour

1989 cemented Swift’s place as not only an artist with longevity, but a star who would make music on her own terms. Nine years later, she is re-releasing this game-changing work once again, as part of her project of recording “Taylor’s Versions” of her discography . The reason? Ownership. After her first six albums were sold against her will four years ago, Swift decided to reclaim her masters by re-recording her albums . This trip down memory lane has proved fruitful, allowing her to revisit her hits, retool certain lyrics , share additional unreleased songs , and draw attention to the breadth of her oeuvre, and not just the most recent output. She’s continued to re-release albums during her record-breaking 2023 Eras stadium tour and the release of the blockbuster Eras movie in mid-October. This late-autumn delivery of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) isn’t so much a rehashing of the past as a return to the memory of why—and how—Swift established herself in the pop firmament nearly a decade ago. Even Swift recognizes it as a turning point, both artistically and personally: “I look at this album,” she said at the time to Billboard , “as me starting over.”

Swift announced the album in an April 2014 livestream at the top of New York's Empire State Building . She performed the album’s first single, “ Shake It Off ,” a pure pop confection, to a crowd of lucky superfans. The lead-up—a full-court promotional press tour that included buzzy magazine covers and private listening sessions for carefully selected fans—showcased Swift’s marketing savvy as well as her penchant for personal touches. This wasn’t just another album; it was a moment, a follow-up to the highly-lauded Red that promised to surpass even that album’s mainstream ambitions.

1989 wasn’t just the musical evolution of a country artist, though. It was a contemporary pop manifesto, a clapback against criticisms of both her personal life and artistic skill. It was also a powerful statement of identity, presented with a glittering, knowing wink. Swift turned to pop’s most well-known producers to help craft this crucial next phase: Swedish sensations Max Martin and Shellback, hitmakers Greg Kurstin and Ryan Tedder, and Jack Antonoff of indie rock band fun., who would become Swift’s most prolific creative partner. “In the past, I’ve always tried to make sure that I was maintaining a stronghold on two different genres, and this time I just had to think about one, which was creatively a relief,” she told Billboard in 2014 . “It was nice to be honest about what I was making.” 

The result was 16 tracks that spanned heartfelt love songs (“This Love”), empowerment anthems (“Shake It Off,” “Blank Space”), and lush, operatic earworms (“Wildest Dreams,” “Out of the Woods”). The music also suggested the staccato intensity she would later harness on 2017’s Reputation album (“I Know Places”) and the softness she would experiment with on Folklore (“Clean”). Young female artists historically struggle with being pigeonholed by genre or sound: on 1989 , Swift made it clear that she was interested in expressing herself over a full, uninhibited range of musical moods and production styles.

The music videos were a similar pastiche of romantic narratives turned upside down and knowing nods to a generation’s obsession with celebrity. Swift wasn’t afraid to poke fun at herself, opening the door for a new kind of star, one who was in on the joke. It was silly; it was meta; it was, in a decade of FaceTuned perfection and sexualized empowerment, refreshing. 

Charting a new era

But it wasn’t just her music that was notable at the time of 1989 ’s release. It was also her vocal stance when it came to making money, and the threat of streaming services on the future of her career. The previous summer, Swift wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal , decrying the devaluation of music through streaming’s limited payouts. Just before 1989 dropped, she removed her entire discography from Spotify, signaling her continued discontent. The result was an economic windfall—listeners had to buy 1989 the old-fashioned way, instead of via streaming’s fractional returns. But some critics raised their eyebrows. Did Swift really need to gatekeep her music? She held strong, only returning to Spotify in 2017. (Artists’ challenges with earning off of streaming remain today.) 

“I think there should be an inherent value placed on art,” she told TIME during an interview for a 2014 cover story. “Everybody’s complaining about how music sales are shrinking, but nobody’s changing the way they’re doing things.” Swift was one of the only artists with both the commercial appeal and critical attention to pull off this radical move; more often, artists who elected to keep their discographies off of streaming simply disappeared from the conversation. But Swift positioned herself as a leader, a self-appointed protector of her fellow musicians. As with the more recent rerecordings, her efforts seem to be aimed at redirecting the music industry away from taking advantage of creativity, and toward awarding creators financially.

None of this would be relevant if Swift’s album wasn’t successful. But it was, by every metric. With 10 Grammy nominations, 1989 won Album of the Year and two other statues . The album also hit number one on Billboard, stayed in the top 10 for a whole year, and sold 1.3 million copies in its first week alone, a high for Swift to this day and a record over the preceding decade. ( Billboard also tracks it as, cumulatively, the highest-selling Swift album to date .)

No longer tied to the adolescent narratives of her earlier career, Swift also had a new task at hand: world-building. She had already proved herself adept at developing Swiftian IP, one defined by suburban Americana and the romance of adolescent angst. With 1989 , she began to spin a wider and more complex web, one where colors and symbols called back to lyrics from previous works, even as she announced her evolved identity as an artist caught in the full glare of modern celebrity (see: “I Know Places”). 

Like a Marvel superhero in over-the-knee boots and glossy red lipstick, she collected a gang of powerful women and friends. They appeared in her “Bad Blood” music video , and then became mainstays in her social media posts—a real-life girl gang of successful women known across music, film, and fashion. Swift’s romantic relationship history had been regular tabloid fodder; now, her platonic social life became the talk of the town. Swift exemplified the era’s persistent definition of feminism, and often spoke up about being a female leader in an industry dominated by men. “Other women who are killing it should motivate you, thrill you, challenge you and inspire you rather than threaten you and make you feel like you’re immediately being compared to them,” she told TIME .

1989 set Swift up for success—but also painted a target on her back. There was a backlash, a breakup, and, finally, there was 2017’s Reputatio n, an album so sour, snarky, and self-confident that it proved divisive. (The album, which continues to be beloved by fans , is on the list of Swift’s remaining rerecordings.) But for some of us, walking in her high-heeled footsteps in the New York over which she presided, 1989 was the cusp of something exciting: a young woman rejecting the path she had been prescribed and freeing herself to make bolder, funnier, and more pungent art, even if that included some mistakes. “This time I’m kind of just doing whatever I feel like,” she said. 

It was a prescient statement. And this ethos has driven her album rereleases: her storytelling, on her terms, in the light of the lessons she’s learned. Each rerelease stays true to the colorful spirit of the past, but comes shaded with the wisdom of hindsight. Isn’t that how we should all approach our memories, and the stories of our lives? The new 1989 (Taylor’s Version) could never surprise me in the way that first, exciting thrum of “Welcome to New York” did. Yet it’s a reminder that in the quest for living your truth, reinvention is not only possible, but necessary. “The lights are so bright,” she sang on that seminal song. “But they never blind me.” The path to self-actualization, it turns out, needed her illumination.

More Must-Reads From TIME

• The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
• The Revolution of Yulia Navalnaya
• 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
• What's the Deal With the Bitcoin Halving?
• If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
• The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
• Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
• Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time

Write to Raisa Bruner at [email protected]

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Taylor Swift announces ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ at Eras Tour show in Los Angeles

Taylor Swift performs during “The Eras Tour,” Monday, Aug. 7, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Taylor Swift performs at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. Friday, July 28, 2023. (Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

A stage technician walks past a video screen featuring images of Taylor Swift before her performance, Monday, Aug. 7, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

• Copy Link copied

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Taylor Swift closed the 2023 U.S. leg of her landmark Eras Tour Wednesday night in Los Angeles in a big way, announcing the fourth edition of her re-recording project: “1989 (Taylor’s Version).”

After playing a few tracks from her “1989” era live, including an abridged take on “Bad Blood,” the pop superstar approached the center of the stage with an acoustic guitar in hand and suggested to the audience that she had been working on something big.

“Instead of just, like, telling you about it, I think I’ll just sort of show you,” she told the crowd as the screen illuminated behind her. “‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ available Oct. 27!” she cheered, pointing out that she was revealing this on the eighth month of the year and the ninth day — a numerical clue.

Then she launched into a surprise performance of the ascendant “1989” track “New Romantics” and the “Reputation”-era piano ballad “New Year’s Day” for the first time during her world tour.

Just last month, Swift released her re-recording of “Speak Now” and soon claimed the record for the woman with the most No. 1 albums in history. The “Taylor’s Version” projects were sparked by music manager Scooter Braun’s purchase and subsequent sale of her early catalog.

Beyond the breaking news, across more than three-and-a-half hours at SoFi Stadium, Swift offered fans a bevy of career-spanning tracks — less a greatest hits collection, and more a live celebration of an artist in her veterancy.

Choreographed easter eggs were frequent. Swift would mimic dance moves from her iconic music videos and crack jokes about her feelings and “women-splaining to men how to apologize to women.”

Openers — and “besties,” as Swift described them — HAIM joined her on stage for the “evermore” cut “no body, no crime.”

Across more than 40 tracks reflecting 17 years of recorded music, it was as if the ground shook with the rapturous sound of 70,000 fans scream-singing along to her hits and deep cuts alike. This was Taylor Swift’s house — filled with fans in light Taylor Swift cosplay (pink dresses for her 2019 album “Lover,” black leather and snakeskin prints for 2017’s “Reputation,” sequins and A-line skirts for 2014’s “1989,” and so on).

Before launching into her “1989” era tracks, Swift performed an emotive single from her “folkore” album, “cardigan.” “When you are young, they assume you know nothing,” she sang, contorting the line in the third verse, “I knew everything when I was young.”

For a performance predicated on returning to the past as well as celebrating the present, it felt like a mission statement. Throughout her career and her many sonic experiments, Swift has been a keen observer of human condition and heartbreak. Even in those early songs about fantasies and fairytales, she demonstrates a kind of pragmatic wisdom. It is why a song she wrote when she was 16 can elicit the same sort of response as one written in her 30s.

And in a summer stacked with superstar tours celebrating giant new releases — like the larger-than-life experiences of Beyoncé's “Renaissance” World Tour and Drake’s 56-date “It Was All a Blur” tour — Taylor Swift’s lookback Eras Tour stands proudly among them.

For fans who desire their beloved artist play the hits — she certainly delivered.

• Manage Account

Taylor Swift’s 1989 Tour: See All of Her Special Guests!

From Nick Jonas and The Weeknd to Karlie Kloss and Lena Dunham, see everyone who joined Taylor Swift on stage for her "1989 World Tour"!

By Billboard Staff

Billboard Staff

• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Tumblr
• + additional share options added
• Share this article on Reddit
• Share this article on Linkedin
• Share this article on Whatsapp
• Share this article on Email
• Print this article
• Share this article on Comment
• Share this article on Pinit

From musicians to models (and even the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team!) see everyone who joined Taylor Swift on stage for her “1989 World Tour”!

Taylor & Idina Menzel

Taylor Swift as Olaf and Idina Menzel as Elsa perform on Taylor Swift’s “The 1989 World Tour” at Raymond James Stadium on October 31, 2015 in Tampa, Florida. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Allesia Cara

Taylor Swift and Allesia Cara perform “Here” on Taylor Swift’s “The 1989 World Tour” at Raymond James Stadium on Oct. 31, 2015 in Tampa, Fl. Read the story.

Greatest of All Time

When it comes to music, there's no objective right or wrong, good or bad – but that never stops passionate music fans from sharing and defending their favorites. From pop hooks to album covers to beats, we're rounding up some of the greatest of all time in music on Billboard. We spent months discussing, researching and reflecting on music from artists old and new, considering everything from sales to impact to innovation to longevity. The results won't please everyone – and that's as it should be. Everyone has their own takes on the greatest in music – this is ours. Check it out.

Taylor Swift & Ricky Martin

Taylor Swift and Ricky Martin at American Airlines Arena on October 27, 2015 in Miami, Florida.

Taylor Swift & Pitbull

Taylor Swift and Pitbull at American Airlines Arena on October 27, 2015 in Miami, Florida.

Taylor Swift & Dwyane Wade

Taylor Swift and Dwyane Wade at American Airlines Arena on October 27, 2015 in Miami, Florida.

Taylor Swift & Tove Lo

Taylor Swift and Tove Lo on stage at The 1989 World Tour at the Georgia Dome on Oct. 24, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Miranda Lambert

Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert performs during the 1989 World Tour at the Greensboro Coliseum on October 21, 2015 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Read the story.

Ellie Goulding & Taylor Swift

Ellie Goulding and Taylor Swift perform onstage during the 1989 World Tour Live on Oct. 17, 2015 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Read the story.

Charli XCX & Taylor Swift

Charli XCX joins Taylor Swift to perform during The 1989 World Tour at Rogers Center on October 3, 2015 in Toronto, Canada. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Keith Urban

Taylor Swift and Keith Urban perform during The 1989 World Tour live in Toronto at Rogers Center on October 2, 2015 in Toronto, Canada. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Nelly

Taylor Swift performs with special guest Nelly onstage during the 1989 World Tour at Scottrade Center on September 29, 2015 in St Louis, Missouri. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Steven Tyler

Taylor Swift and Steven Tyler perform onstage during The 1989 World Tour live in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena on Sept. 25, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Leona Lewis

Taylor Swift and Leona Lewis perform during The 1989 World Tour live in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena at Bridgestone Arena on September 26, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. Read the story.

Kelsea Ballerini & Taylor Swift

Kelsea Ballerini and Taylor Swift perform during The 1989 World Tour live in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena on September 25, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Mick Jagger

Taylor Swift and Mick Jagger perform onstage during The 1989 World Tour live in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena at Bridgestone Arena on Sept. 26, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Alison Krauss

Taylor Swift and Alison Krauss perform during The 1989 World Tour live in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena on September 25, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Dierks Bentley

Taylor Swift and Dierks Bentley perform onstage at the Sprint Center on September 21, 2015 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Sydney Sierota & Taylor Swift

Sydney Sierota and Taylor Swift perform during The 1989 World Tour at Nationwide Arena on Sept. 18, 2015 in Columbus, Ohio. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & The Band Perry

Taylor Swift and The Band Perry perform “If I Die Young” at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sept. 16, 2015 in Indianapolis. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Wiz Khalifa

Taylor Swift with special guest Wiz Khalifa during the Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour Live In Houston at Minute Maid Park on September 9, 2015 in Houston, Texas.

Taylor Swift & Omi

Taylor Swift and Omi perform during Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour Live In San Diego at PETCO Park on August 29, 2015 in San Diego, California. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Avril Lavigne

Taylor Swift and Avril Lavigne onstage during Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour Live In San Diego at PETCO Park on August 29, 2015 in San Diego, California. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Selena Gomez

Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez perform during Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour Live In Los Angeles at Staples Center on August 26, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake and Taylor Swift perform onstage during Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour Live In Los Angeles at Staples Center on Aug. 26, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow)

Taylor Swift and Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) sing “Smelly Cat” onstage during Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour Live In Los Angeles at Staples Center on August 26, 2015 in Los Angeles. Read the story.

Taylor Swift, Beck & St. Vincent

Beck, Taylor Swift and St. Vincent perform during Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour Live In Los Angeles at Staples Center on August 25, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & John Legend

John Legend and Taylor Swift perform “All of Me” onstage during Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour Live In Los Angeles at Staples Center on August 25, 2015 in Los Angeles. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette joins Taylor Swift onstage during The 1989 World Tour Live In Los Angeles at Staples Center on August 24, 2015 in Los Angeles. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Natalie Maines of Dixie Chicks

Taylor Swift and Natalie Maines of Dixie Chicks perform onstage during Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour Live In Los Angeles at Staples Center on August 24, 2015 in Los Angeles. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Ellen DeGeneres

Taylor Swift and Ellen DeGeneres perform during Taylor Swifts The 1989 World Tour Live In Los Angeles at Staples Center on August 24, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. Read the story.

Taylor Swift, Matt Leblanc, Chris Rock and&Sean O’Pry

Matt Leblanc, Taylor Swift, Chris Rock and Sean O’Pry perform during Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour Live In Los Angeles at Staples Center on August 22, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.

Taylor Swift & Uzo Adouba

Uzo Aduba and Taylor Swift perform during Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour Live In Los Angeles at Staples Center on August 22, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.

Taylor Swift & Mary J. Blige

Taylor Swift and Mary J. Blige perform during Taylor Swift The 1989 World Tour Live In Los Angeles at Staples Center on August 22, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.

Taylor Swift, Joan Baez & Julia Roberts

Taylor Swift, Joan Beaz and Julia Roberts take a bow on stage during Swift’s “The 1989 World Tour” at Levi’s Stadium on August 15, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Little Mix

Taylor Swift and Little Mix perform together during Swift’s “The 1989 World Tour” at Levi’s Stadium on Aug. 15, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Fifth Harmony

Taylor Swift, Dina Jane Hansen, Normani Kordei, Camila Corbello, Ally Brooke and Lauren Jauregi of Fifth Harmony perform at Levi’s Stadium on August 14, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Fetty Wap

Taylor Swift and Fetty Wap at CenturyLink Field on Aug. 8, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Shawn Mendes

Taylor Swift and Shawn Mendes at CenturyLink Field on August 8, 2015 in Seattle, Washington.

Taylor Swift, Russell Wilson & Ciara

Taylor Swift , Russell Wilson and Ciara perform at CenturyLink Field on August 8, 2015 in Seattle, Washington.

Taylor Swift with Nico & Vinz

Taylor Swift performs “Am I Wrong” with special guests Nico and Vinz during The 1989 World Tour Live at BC Place Stadium August 1, 2015 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & MKTO

Taylor Swift performs with Malcolm Kelly and Tony Oller of MKTO at Gillette Stadium on July 25, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Walk the Moon

Taylor Swift and Nicholas Petricca of Walk the Moon perform at Gillette Stadium on July 24, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Taylor Swift & Sam Hunt

Taylor Swift and Sam Hunt perform during The 1989 Tour at Soldier Field on July 19, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. Read the story.

Taylor Swift with Andreja Pejic and Lily Donaldson

Taylor Swift performs with Andreja Pejic and Lily Donaldson during The 1989 World Tour at Soldier Field on July 19, 2015 in Chicago. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Serayah

Taylor Swift and Serayah McNeill perform during The 1989 World Tour at Soldier Field on July 18, 2015 in Chicago. Read the story.

andy-grammer-taylor-swift-2015-billboard-650

Andy Grammer and Taylor Swift perform during The 1989 Tour at Soldier Field on July 18, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. Read the story.

taylor-swift-jason-derulo-2015-billboard-650

Taylor Swift and Jason Derulo perform onstage during The 1989 World Tour Live at Nationals Park on July 14, 2015 in Washington, DC. Read the story.

taylor-swift-lorde-washington-dc-july-13-2015-billbaord-650

Taylor Swift and Lorde perform onstage during The 1989 World Tour Live at Nationals Park on July 13, 2015 in Washington DC. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Nick Jonas

Nick Jonas and Taylor Swift perform during The 1989 World Tour Live at MetLife Stadium on July 11, 2015 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Read the story.

taylor-swift-friends-performance-2015-billboard-650

Taylor Swift performs with Hailee Steinfeld, Gigi Hadid, Lily Aldridge and Lena Dunham during The 1989 World Tour Live at MetLife Stadium on July 10, 2015 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Read the story

Taylor Swift with World Cup Champions U.S. Women’s Soccer National Team & Heidi Klum

World Cup Champions U.S. Women’s Soccer National Team, Heidi Klum and Taylor Swift onstage during The 1989 World Tour Live at MetLife Stadium on July 10, 2015 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Read the story

Alana Haim, Danielle Haim and Este Haim of the band Haim perform during Taylor Swift’s The 1989 World Tour Live at MetLife Stadium on July 10, 2015 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Taylor Swift & The Weeknd

Taylor Swift performs with The Weeknd during The 1989 World Tour Live at MetLife Stadium on July 10, 2015 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Read the story

taylor-swift-1989-hyde-park-models-june-2015-billboard-650

Martha Hunt, Kendall Jenner, Serena Williams, Taylor Swift, Karlie Kloss, Gigi Hadid and Cara Delevingne perform onstage during The 1989 World Tour at Hyde Park on June 27, 2015 in London, England. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding performs at Hyde Park on June 27, 2015 in London, England.

Taylor Swift & Rachel Platten

Taylor Swift performs onstage with musician Rachel Platten during The 1989 World Tour on June 13, 2015 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Read the story.

mariska-hargitay-taylor-swift-cara-delevingne-2015-billboard-650

Mariska Hargitay, Taylor Swift, and Cara Delevingne pose onstage during The 1989 World Tour on June 12, 2015 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Read the story.

Taylor Swift & Echosmith

Taylor Swift performs onstage with Sydney Sierota of Echosmith during The 1989 World Tour on June 12, 2015 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

taylor-swift-little-big-town-1989-tour-pittsburgh-june-2015-billboard-650

Taylor Swift performs with the band Little Big Town during The 1989 World Tour live at Heinz Field on June 6, 2015 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Read the story.

taylor-swift-dan-reynolds-detroit-2015-billboard-650

Taylor Swift and Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons perform on stage during the 1989 World Tour Live at Ford Field on May 30, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan. Read the story.

Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox

Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about?

Get in the know on.

Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Billboard Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

optional screen reader

Charts expand charts menu.

• Billboard Hot 100™
• Billboard 200™
• Hits Of The World™
• TikTok Billboard Top 50
• Song Breaker
• Year-End Charts
• Decade-End Charts

Music Expand music menu

• R&B/Hip-Hop

Culture Expand culture menu

Media expand media menu, business expand business menu.

• Business News
• Record Labels
• View All Pro

Pro Tools Expand pro-tools menu

• Songwriters & Producers
• Artist Index
• Royalty Calculator
• Market Watch
• Industry Events Calendar

Billboard Español Expand billboard-espanol menu

• Cultura y Entretenimiento

Honda Music Expand honda-music menu

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes
• Entertainment

Taylor Swift Announces '1989 (Taylor's Version),' Receives 8-Minute Deafening Standing Ovation at Last L.A. Show

At her final show in Los Angeles for the Eras Tour, the star surprised fans by announcing the upcoming re-release of her '1989' album

Melody Chiu is an Executive Editor at PEOPLE overseeing music, events and emerging content. She has been with the brand since 2009, editing, writing and reporting across all entertainment verticals. She has written cover stories on Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Melissa McCarthy, Blake Shelton, Jordan Turpin and Sandra Oh. The Los Angeles native graduated from the University of Southern California and has appeared on Extra! , The Talk, Access Hollywood and Good Morning America .

Taylor Swift 's fans received the surprise of their wildest dreams at her final Los Angeles Eras Tour show on Wednesday.

During the acoustic portion of her show, the pop superstar — who had sported new costumes in various blue hues (the color palette of her 2014 album 1989 ) throughout the evening — announced the upcoming Oct. 27 re-release of her first Grammy-winning pop album.

"The last time that I was so pleasantly surprised by some stuff that you guys did was when I announced that I was going to be re-recording . That was something that I expected to be just a me thing, just a personal thing. Since I was a teenager, I wanted to own my music," Swift said onstage. "The way to do it was to re-record my albums, and the way that you have embraced ... that you have celebrated, that you really decided that it was your fight too, and that you were 100 percent behind me ... I will never stop thanking you for that."

Kevin Winter/TAS23/Getty

"And so now, here we are on the last night of the U.S. leg of the Eras tour in the eighth month of the year on the ninth day. You might have noticed there are some new outfits in the show. There's something that I've been planning for a really, really, really ridiculously, embarrassingly long time, and instead of telling you about it, I think I'll just sort of show you," she said, unveiling the cover art and release date for 1989 (Taylor's Version) on the big screen before launching into "New Romantics," a fan-favorite track off the deluxe edition of her record.

Minutes later, Swift shared some more details about the upcoming release on her Instagram account. "To be perfectly honest, this is my most FAVORITE re-record I've ever done because the 5 From the Vault tracks are so insane," she wrote. "I can't believe they were ever left behind. But not for long!"

Earlier in the night, the singer joked with the audience that they would have to "deal with my emotions" surrounding her final show on the current run of her tour. "I don't know if you've heard about this or not, but I have a lot of them," she said. "So here's why: this has been the most extraordinary, fun, wonderful, magical experience of my entire life being on this tour with these people on this stage."

After singing "Champagne Problems" at the piano during the evermore portion of the show, Swift drew a deafening eight-minute-long standing ovation from her fans.

 Kevin Winter/TAS23/Getty

"What are you doing? People have emotions. You're playing with them right now. I love you so much," she said onstage, overwhelmed. "So generous ... you're doing it still? What are you doing? This show's going to be seven hours long because we're going to scream for half of it. I love you, I love you, I love you. That was so nice."

Swift — who sources confirm recently gave bonuses totaling over $55 million to every person working on her shows — kicked off her highly anticipated tour in March , dazzling fans with a 44-song setlist spanning 17 years of her songwriting career.

After announcing the re-release of her 2010 album Speak Now at a May stop, she surprised fans at her July 10 show by bringing out Taylor Lautner, Joey King and Presley Cash onstage after premiering her music video for the vault track "I Can See You."

Throughout the run of her tour, Swift's shows have drawn a slew of famous attendees , including Gigi Hadid , Meghan Markle, Reese Witherspoon , Channing Tatum and more.

Related Articles

• Movies & TV
• Big on the Internet
• About Us & Contact

The Eras Tour Was Taylor Swift’s Biggest Outing Yet, But It Was Far From Her First

City by city, song by song, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour has quickly become of the highest-grossing (and buzziest) tours in music history. Spanning the entire length of Swift’s discography, Taylor honors each of her previous musical/aesthetic “eras” with a dedicated section on her setlist, allowing fans to relive the feeling of each album, if only for a moment.

But while the Eras Tour brings each album together on one mega-tour, it’s hardly the first time Taylor has been around, or even the first time she’s embarked on a stadium tour. From humble beginnings to sold-out shows across the globe, here’s a breakdown of all of Taylor Swift’s tours, in chronological order.

Fearless Tour

As most Swifties know, Taylor’s first album was a self-titled country pop record with singles like “Teardrops on My Guitar,” “Our Song,” and “Tim McGraw.” Taylor did tour during the release of Taylor Swift, but not as a headliner—she supported her first album by performing as an opening act for larger artists at the time like Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Faith Hill, and Keith Urban.

But while Taylor Swift was her first album, it wasn’t her first tour—that honor belongs to the Fearless Tour, which kicked off in April 2009 and ran through July 2010. The tour played a total of 105 shows (mostly across North America) including limited stops in Asia, Europe, and Australia. Kellie Pickler joined Taylor as an opening act, with artists like then-boyfriend John Mayer, Katy Perry, and Faith Hill appearing at certain performances as surprise guests. Though the tour didn’t get a concert film, Taylor Swift: Journey to Fearless was released as a 3-episode docuseries, documenting the behind-the-scenes of the tour.

Speak Now World Tour

Taylor’s first proper world tour, the Speak Now World Tour , began in February 2011 and featured a total of 111 performances, including seven in Asia and 12 in Europe. In addition to being her first world tour, Speak Now was also Taylor’s first stadium tour and featured more extensive set pieces, choreography, and costuming than the Fearless tour. Speak Now ‘s openers included NeedToBreathe, Hunter Hayes, and Hot Chelle Rae, and it was the first Taylor tour attended by yours truly. A concert film, Taylor Swift: Speak Now World Tour Live , was recorded to accompany the tour.

The Red Tour

Two years later, Taylor was back on the road with the Red Tour, which kicked off in March of 2013 and ran through June of 2014, with a total of 86 performances across the globe. In addition to continuing to bump up the tour’s production value through costuming, choreography, and set design, the Red tour also featured the introduction of surprise songs, which changed night-to-night. Certain Red tour dates also featured Taylor bringing out a surprise guest and singing one of their songs as a duet. Highlights of Red tour guests included Taylor singing “Jenny From the Block” with Jennifer Lopez, “You’re So Vain” with Carly Simon, and “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark” with Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump.

Unlike previous installments, there was no concert film version of the Red tour.

The 1989 World Tour

Following Red was the 1989 World Tour, beginning in May 2015 and ending December of the same year for a total of 85 shows. The 1989 World Tour featured the return of the Surprise Songs mechanic, and hosted Vance Joy, Shawn Mendes, Rae Morris, and Haim as opening acts. Haim would also go on to return as an opening act for the Eras Tour, as well as guest star in the Bejeweled music video and feature on an evermore track.

One of the tour stops in Sydney was recorded for a concert film version of the tour called The 1989 World Tour Live —prior to the Eras Tour, that Sydney performance held the record for Swift’s most-attended performance, with 75,980 Swifties in attendance.

Reputation Stadium Tour

Though Taylor had previously performed at plenty of stadiums on tour, the Reputation Stadium Tour was Swift’s first all-stadium tour, playing May through November of 2018 for a total of 53 shows—her shortest tour to date. Openers for reputation included Camila Cabello, Charli XCX, and Broods, some of whom would join Taylor during the set for “Shake it Off.” As with her previous tours, reputation featured surprise songs at each show and a number of surprise guests at certain performances, this time including Troye Sivan, Selena Gomez, and Niall Horan.

A performance in Arlington was recorded for a concert film called Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour , which was released by (but recently taken off of) Netflix. Fans speculate that reputation leaving Netflix could be related to the fact that Taylor has yet to re-record her masters for reputation .

A sixth tour, Lover Fest, was originally scheduled for April through August of 2020, but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour would’ve featured Swift’s then-first performance in Brazil, and would also have been the first time Swift’s tour dates included stops at previously organized festivals. Because there was no tour, there’s no Lover concert film, but Swift did release City of Lover , a recording of a one-off concert in Paris, as a tv special in May of 2020.

The Eras Tour

Last but certainly not least is, of course, The Eras Tour , which is currently ongoing and kicked off in March of 2023. We’ve previously done a full breakdown of the Eras setlist, which features glimpses into all of Swift’s previous albums, but focuses most heavily on those she was unable to tour because of COVID— Lover, folklore, evermore, and Midnights. A concert film, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour , was released in theaters and is currently available to rent on streaming.

(featured image: Taylor Swift Productions)

Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour Live

19 Songs, 1 hour, 11 minutes

Featured Artists

Taylor swift, fifth harmony, select a country or region, africa, middle east, and india.

• Côte d’Ivoire
• Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The
• Guinea-Bissau
• Niger (English)
• Congo, Republic of
• Saudi Arabia
• Sierra Leone
• South Africa
• Tanzania, United Republic Of
• Turkmenistan
• United Arab Emirates

Asia Pacific

• Indonesia (English)
• Lao People's Democratic Republic
• Malaysia (English)
• Micronesia, Federated States of
• New Zealand
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Solomon Islands
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• France (Français)
• Deutschland
• Luxembourg (English)
• Moldova, Republic Of
• North Macedonia
• Portugal (Português)
• Türkiye (English)
• United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina (Español)
• Bolivia (Español)
• Virgin Islands, British
• Cayman Islands
• Chile (Español)
• Colombia (Español)
• Costa Rica (Español)
• República Dominicana
• Ecuador (Español)
• El Salvador (Español)
• Guatemala (Español)
• Honduras (Español)
• Nicaragua (Español)
• Paraguay (Español)
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• St. Vincent and The Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turks and Caicos
• Uruguay (English)
• Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

• Canada (English)
• Canada (Français)
• United States
• Estados Unidos (Español México)
• الولايات المتحدة
• États-Unis (Français France)
• Estados Unidos (Português Brasil)
• 美國 (繁體中文台灣)

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then   View saved stories .

• What Is Cinema?
• Newsletters

Taylor Swift’s 12 Best Outfits from the 1989 World Tour

By Isabel Ashton

Decked out head-to-toe in all-black and all-sequin everything by Kaufman Franco (including matching microphone), Taylor even managed to look good with a golf club in Kanata in Ontario, Canada.

One of our all-time favorite looks from the tour so far, nothing says pop princess more than this bejeweled all-in-one number, paired with a trademark red lip.

Sporting another sparkling outfit in a shiny green jacket and purple skirt, it’s no wonder she needed sunglasses. The varsity detail on the jacket gives it a nice too-cool-for-school edge.

Swift shook it off in this green flapper-inspired, tasseled crop top and skirt that she wore during a performance in Montreal.

By Brooke Baldwin

By Molly Jong-Fast

By Kase Wickman

Swift looked fierce in a sharp long-line blazer with sequin detailing and black sparkly booties in Montreal.

Throughout her shows Swift has flaunted her long legs in an array of shiny skirts and jewel-encrusted crop tops, as pictured here in Dublin, Ireland.

Swift’s overall fun vibe on the tour has extended to her fashion choices. Not one to shy away from bold colors, she is pictured here performing in Philadelphia in a rainbow-colored sequin jacket.

Swift quite literally lit up the stage in Las Vegas, where she looked flirty and feminine in this summery pink skirt and matching top complete with L.E.D. lights and silver strappy heels.

Swift revealed her sultry side in this sexy, black, glittery outfit, pictured during a concert in Las Vegas.

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Swift made the stage her personal catwalk in black thigh-high boots and suspenders.

Singer or supermodel? Swift showcased her incredible figure in another all-black, killer combo.

In yet another crop top and skirt, it shows that as far as Swift is concerned, this combination will never go out of style.

By Erika Harwood

5 customer-loved finds for spring, including a fashion hack — starting at $7

• TODAY Plaza
• Share this —

• Watch Full Episodes
• Read With Jenna
• Inspirational
• Relationships
• TODAY Table
• Newsletters
• Start TODAY
• Shop TODAY Awards
• Citi Concert Series
• Listen All Day

Follow today

More Brands

• On The Show

‘The Tortured Poets Department’: Breaking down Taylor Swift’s ‘sensational and sorrowful’ album

“The Tortured Poets Department,” the 11th studio album from the musical mastermind , Taylor Swift , has finally arrived, bringing with it a “closed” book on the singer’s “saddest story” — and a surprise double album .

A lot has happened since the overnight release of “TTPD” on April 19, we live blogged through it all. Read a recap of highlights below — or take a scroll through the blog to see everything you might have missed.

Fans can get an exclusive version of the “The Tortured Poets Department” vinyl here.

Highlights from Taylor Swift’s ‘Tortured Poets’ release

• Swift surprise dropped an additional 15 songs in her double album she titled “The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology.” This confirmed suspicions of what Swifties dubbed the “ two theory.”
• Fans of Swift, who says her songs are often autobiographical, have suspected “Tortured Poets” would be about her breakup with British actor Joe Alwyn . Swifties have picked up on clues that possibly hint at Alwyn, such as the song “So Long, London.”
• Other songs may hint at other celebrities in Swift’s orbit, such as Kim Kardashian in the songs “Cassandra” and “thanK you aIMee,” and her ex Matty Healy in various others . Fans also suspect “The Alchemy” could be about her current partner, Travis Kelce.
• By the evening of April 19, "Tortured Poets" was named Spotify's most-streamed album in a single day, and Swift became the most streamed artist in a single day in Spotify history.

Taylor Swift releases ‘Fortnight’ music video featuring Post Malone

The first music video from "Tortured Poets" is here! Swift released the music video for "Fortnight," the first single off the album which features Post Malone, Friday night as promised.

The predominately black-and-white video features Swift and Post Malone seemingly as lovers in some type of mental institution, and it appears to include multiple Easter eggs. Anyone else spot the similarities between her sculpted white gown and choker necklace in the music video and what she wore to the Grammys this year?

• Share this -

‘Tortured Poets’ named Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day

It's official! Less than 24 hours after its release, "Tortured Poets" was named Spotify's most-streamed album in a single day. And that's not all. The audio-streaming giant also said Swift became the most-streamed artist in a single day in the platform's history.

According to a press release Spotify issued Friday evening, today's records mean that Swift holds the three most-streamed albums in a single day in Spotify history. "Midnights" and "1989 (Taylor's Version) hold the No. 2 and No. 3 spots following "Tortured Poets."

'We hereby conduct this post-mortem,' explained

Maddie Ellis

The release of "Tortured Poets" involved both global and digital scavenger hunts. One of them, uncovered through clues in the lyrics of Swift's discography on Apple Music revealed the sentence, "We hereby conduct this post-mortem."

Now, based on the lyrics to one of the songs released on the double album, we know what that means.

"How Did It End?" opens with the lyrics, "We hereby conduct this post-mortem," which the narrator implies is about the death of a relationship.

"He was a hot house flower to my outdoorsmen/ Our maladies was such/ We could not cure them/ And so a touch that was my birthright became foreign," she sings, implying the issues in the central relationship overruled any existing love and affection.

She then dives into the public nature of this "post mortem" and how her heartbreak can turn into a public spectacle — again.

"Come one, come all/ It’s happenin’ again/ The empathetic hunger descends/ We’ll tell no one/ Except all of our friends/ We must know/ How did it end?"

Aaron Dessner celebrates Taylor Swift's 'vast and ambitious' 'Tortured Poets' album

Aaron Dessner of The National reacted to the release of "The Tortured Poets Department" by thanking Swift for her trust in him.

Dessner produced several songs on the album and first began collaborating with Swift on 2020's "Folklore."

"So incredibly grateful and honored to contribute to this vast and ambitious album -- it’s not lost on me how lucky I am that @taylorswift13 shares her insane talents and trusts me to help make this music I hope you enjoy all 31 songs as much as I do!!" he tweeted.

'Tortured Poets Department' breaks another record

In addition to Spotify's streaming record, "The Tortured Poets Department" has officially broken an Amazon Music record, becoming the platform's most-streamed album for a first day, the streaming platform confirmed to TODAY.com Friday.

Why 1 line in the track ‘I Hate it Here’ is causing backlash

Elena Nicolaou

"I Hate It Here" is one of the 15 songs released on the double album, and it's causing a bit of a stir online for one lyric specifically.

“My friends used to play a game where/ We would pick a decade/ We wished we could live in instead of this/ I’d say the 1830s but without all the racists/ And getting married off for the highest bid,” Swift sings.

She goes on to complicate the story, saying no era is “fun”: “Nostalgia is a mind’s trick/ If I’d been there, I’d hate it/ It was freezing in the palace.”

Swift’s version of the 1830s might involve palaces but people are pointing out what else it involved. Thirty years before the Civil War took place, slavery still was legal throughout the American South.

One X user wrote, “Pretty astonishing to stipulate that she wants to live in the 1830s, ‘except without the racists,’ and not mention slavery, so slavery still exists but everyone’s chill about it.”

Fans connect Swift's 'imgonnagetyouback' to Olivia Rodrigo's hit single 'Get Him Back!'

One of the 15 surprise songs released on Swift's second part of "Tortured Poets" is called "imgonnagetyouback" — and it immediately sparked comparisons to Olivia Rodrigo's song of a similar title, "Get Him Back!"

Rodrigo's "Get Him Back!" was released as part of her sophomore album, "Guts," in 2023. Its lyrics had the narrator battling whether to get back together with someone or get revenge.

Rodrigo’s bridge goes: “I wanna key his car/ I wanna make him lunch/ I wanna break his heart/ And be the one to stitch it up.”

On her track, Swift sings: “Whether I’m gonna be your wife or/ Gonna smash up your bike, I haven’t decided yet/ But I’m gonna get you back.”

The comparison is notable due to the apparent falling-out Swift and Rodrigo had after the release of “Sour .” Rodrigo was accused of borrowing too much from Swift’s song “Cruel Summer” when she wrote her song “Deja Vu.” Swift and her collaborator Jack Antonoff were retroactively credited as co-writers on the Rodrigo song, but Rodrigo later told Time, “It was really frustrating to see people discredit and deny my creativity.”

Some fans also suspected Rodrigo’s 2023 song “The Grudge” was about Swift.

Read more here.

Flavor Flav gives rave review of 'Tortured Poets'

Flavor Flav has entered the chat.

The rapper shared a review of Taylor Swift's 11th studio album on X Friday , calling it "sad and real."

"The best art is created from struggle and sadness,,, da anthology is sad and real and Taylor,,, It makes me wanna punch anyone that hurt that woman’s feelings,,, but no one can punch them worse than Taylor and her piano and pen. happy she found happiness," he wrote.

Flavor Flav has publicly declared himself a Swiftie on multiple occasions. He notably attended the "Eras Tour" in June 2023.

"In my RED (Taylor’s Version) Era and makin new friends at #TaylorSwift ," he posted on X.

‘So High School’ lyrics: What does the Taylor Swift song mean?

Bryanna Cappadona

While so much of “Tortured Poets” is about heartbreak, “So High School” examines that giggly, adolescent kind of romance, transporting back to feeling like you’re 16 again.

The song has several references to staples of youth, like “I’m watching ‘American Pie’ with you on a Saturday night” and “Truth, dare, spin bottles” and “Touch me while your bros play ‘Grand Theft Auto.’”

While we know Swift likes to write autobiographical songs, whom this song could be about is anyone’s guess. It does not seem to contain direct nods to certain people in the way that  “thanK you aIMee”  or  “So Long, London”  may have.

Click here for the full article.

Did Taylor Swift's Time Person of the Year interview have 'Tortured Poets' Easter eggs?

Swifties have officially resumed their search for all the Easter eggs they might've missed in the lead up to the "Tortured Poet Department."

Looking back at her interview with Time as the 2023 Person of the Year, here are some hidden references that might have been references to "Tortured Poets" all along.

Stevie Nicks

Swift and the Fleetwood Mac frontwoman have had a longstanding relationship, having performed together all the way back in 2010 at the Grammy Awards. Nicks, while not featured on the album, lends her pen to an introductory poem for the album. She's also referenced in "Clara Bow," one of three women who have been historically examined by the public for their heartbreaks.

Nicks was interviewed by Time for the profile of Swift.

“I don’t give Taylor advice about being famous,” Nicks said. “She doesn’t need it.”

Kim Kardashian

Swift and Kim Kardashian have had a long-running feud since the reality star's comments and actions contributed to the public backlash that led to "Reputation" in 2017.

Fans immediately noticed on the surprise double album of "Tortured Poets" that one of the tracks, “thanK you aIMee,” has capital letters that spell "KIM." The lyrics appear to be about a mean girl at school.

Kardashian, her ex Kanye West and the public feud with Swift was a focus in her Time interview. ( See a timeline of their feud here. )

“You have a fully manufactured frame job, in an illegally recorded phone call, which Kim Kardashian edited and then put out to say to everyone that I was a liar,” Swift said in the interview. “That took me down psychologically to a place I’ve never been before. I moved to a foreign country. I didn’t leave a rental house for a year. I was afraid to get on phone calls. I pushed away most people in my life because I didn’t trust anyone anymore. I went down really, really hard.”

'The Tortured Poets Department' breaks Spotify record for most-streamed album in a single day

"The Tortured Poets Department" smashed Spotify's record for most album streams in a single day, the streaming platform confirmed to Billboard Friday.

The standard version of the album dropped at midnight, and the record was broken in less than 12 hours.

Taylor Swift reveals ‘Dateline’ as an inspiration for ‘Florida!!!’

Taylor Swift has taken over radio stations, from Channel 13 on SiriusXM to iHeartRadio briefly renaming itself to iHeartTaylor and sharing messages from the songwriter.

Swift revealed in a soundbite played on iHeartRadio that "Florida!!!", the eighth track of the album featuring Florence + the Machine, was inspired by "Dateline."

"I'm always watching, like 'Dateline,'" Swift said with a laugh. "People, you know, have these crimes that they commit where they immediately skip town and go to Florida. They try to reinvent themselves, have a new identity, blend in."

It's the same with heartbreak, she said.

"I think when you go through a heartbreak, there's a part of you that thinks I want a new name. I want a new life," she said.

Or perhaps in Swift's case — a new era?

Swift has been open about her love for certain shows, books and other pop culture phenomenon. Her cats — Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson and Benjamin Button — are famously named after fictional characters.

In a 2016 interview with Vogue, Swift said her favorite show of all time is "Friends," but she named "Dateline" as her favorite show currently on air.

Taylor Swift likes Instagram post with a ranking her exes and Travis Kelce. Where do they each fall?

Lindsay Lowe

Just as  fans  were recovering from the shock of  Taylor Swift  releasing a  secret double album  overnight, Swift surprised fans yet again by doing something she rarely does: liking an Instagram post featuring memes about her love life.

The  Instagram post in question , shared by the media company Betches, included a scene from the Lifetime reality series “Dance Moms” that showed coach Abby Lee Miller standing in front of the show’s infamous pyramid ranking system.

On  “Dance Moms,”  the pyramid ranked the best dancers of the week — but here, the pyramid ranks several of  Swift’s exes  (along with her current partner,  Travis Kelce ).

Kelce’s name unsurprisingly sits on the top of the pyramid, while Taylor Lautner, Tom Hiddleston and Harry Styles occupy the middle row.

Along the bottom row are Calvin Harris,  Jake Gyllenhaal ,  Matty Healy , and her most recent ex,  Joe Alwyn .

The Instagram post features four other slides, including a screenshot of a post from the Betches X account that reads, “Decoding Taylor Swift easter eggs feels like working 2 jobs, training for a marathon, dating a man who is emotionally unstable, and clocking in the overnight shift at the FBI all at once.”

Another slide features a screengrab of what appears to be a fan’s X post, reading, “Every time we get a new lyric the hunger games cannon goes off.”

Swift didn’t appear to comment on the post, or clarify which meme(s) she appreciated the most, but the fact that she liked it at all launched her fans into orbit.

A deep dive on the prologue to 'The Tortured Poets Department'

While Stevie Nicks' poem introduces the album, Swift also shared her own poem written "in summation," like the findings of an academic thesis.

In the poem, she writes that the album is both a "warning" and a "reminding" that she "had been struck with a case/ of a restricted humanity." As a result, she's entering a "plea" for "temporary insanity."

She described being caged, seemingly by a relationship: "Lovers spend years denying what’s ill fated/ Resentment rotting away."

But that ended, in "one conversation," but something familiar returned to her: "Then a crash from the skylight/ Bursting through/ Something old, someone hallowed/ who told me he could be brand new."

She writes that she was "out of the microwave" and "out of the slammer" — potentially a reference to track 7, "Fresh Out The Slammer."

But still, that didn't last, either.

In closing, she writes that it wasn't a "love affair," but a "mutual manic phase" and "self-harm."

She adds, "it’s the worst men that I write best."

Per usual, Swift does not name the inspiration behind her songs. But it's notable that news broke in April 2023 that Swift and actor Joe Alwyn had split after more than six years together. A few weeks later, she was spotted out with The 1975 frontman Matty Healy, sparking dating rumors around May 2023.

Read the full prologue:

At this hearing

I stand before my fellow members

of the Tortured Poets Department

With a summary of my findings

A debrief, a detailed rewinding

For the purpose of warning

For the sake of reminding

As you might all unfortunately recall

I had been struck with a case

of a restricted humanity

Which explains my plea here today

of temporary insanity

You see, the pendulum swings

Oh, the chaos it brings

Leads the caged beast to do

the most curious things

Lovers spend years denying what’s ill fated

Resentment rotting away

galaxies we created

Stars placed and glued

meticulously by hand

next to the ceiling fan

Tried wishing on comets.

Tried dimming the shine.

Tried to orbit his planet.

Some stars never align.

And in one conversation, I tore down the whole sky

Spring sprung forth with dazzling freedom hues

Then a crash from the skylight

Bursting through

Something old, someone hallowed,

who told me he could be brand new

And so I was out of the oven

And into the microwave

Out of the slammer and into a tidal wave

How gallant to save the empress

from her gilded tower

Swinging a sword he could barely lift

But loneliness struck at that fateful hour

Low hanging fruit on his wine stained lips

He never even scratched the surface

None of them did.

“In summation, it was not a love affair!”

I screamed while bringing my fists

to my coffee ringed desk

It was a mutual manic phase.

It was self harm.

It was house and then cardiac arrest.

A smirk creeps onto this poet’s face

Because it’s the worst men that I write best.

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

All’s fair in love and poetry

The Chairman

of The Tortured Poets Department

Vinyl variant of ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ includes 2 intimate poems

Shannon Garlin

TODAY independently determines what we cover and recommend. When you buy through our links, we earn a commission.

This may be the Swift’s most transparent album yet — literally and figuratively.

This morning,  TODAY got a first look  at one variant ( exclusively available at Target ) that underscores this transparency in the form of two “Phantom Clear” vinyl discs.

And song lyrics aren’t the only pieces of evidence fans have to pore over. In keeping with the titular theme, this edition also contains two very personal poems: an introductory poem by Stevie Nicks ( see more about that here ) and a summary poem by Swift herself.

We analyzed the pages for potential clues and meaning here .

Stevie Nicks wrote Taylor Swift a poem for the dedication of 'Tortured Poets Department'

Maddie Ellis and Shannon Garlin

The CD version of Swift's 11th album, "The Tortured Poets Department," contains a 24-page book jacket with new photos of the singer as well as two introductory poems that set the stage for the album.

One of those poems was written by none other than Stevie Nicks — who notably gets name-dropped in the 16th track, "Clara Bow."

Nicks’ handwritten poem contains some key information at the very top that caught our eyes. “For T — and me...” is the dedication, suggesting that the message is for Swift and for Nicks herself. Swift’s favorite number 13 (which is also the date of her December birthday) is referenced twice: Aug. 13, 2023 (the date the poem was written) and Sept. 13 at 8:50 p.m. (could this be the precise time it was delivered?). Austin, Texas, is also listed as the location where it was written.

Nicks begins: “He was in love with her/ Or at least she thought so/ She was brokenhearted/ ~Maybe he was too~/ Neither of them knew.”

Nicks continues further down: “She brings joy/ He brings Shakespeare —/ It’s almost a tragedy — Says she’/ Don’t endanger me.” What’s most intriguing here is the repetition of the phrase “Don’t endanger me.” The words are also underlined, with the word “Pause” and an arrow pointing to them. Clearly, Nicks seemed to be emphasizing this particular line.

The poem continues: “She tells the truth/ She writes about it/ She’s an informer.” This could again allude to Swift’s transparency, and a history of sharing truths about her life and relationships through songwriting.

In a 2023  interview with TODAY.com , Nicks spoke about her friendship with Swift and the similarities in their approach to songwriting. “I never don’t tell the truth. And I think that’s something that if Taylor Swift, who is my friend, if Taylor got anything from me, that’s what she got,” she said. In the same interview, Nicks also said she thinks of her own writing as poems rather than songs.

Click here for more.

Explaining ‘thanK you aIMee’: Is this song about Kim Kardashian?

The Taylor Swift-Kim Kardashian-Kanye West feud that stems all the way back to 2009 is a piece of pop culture lore that just about everyone is familiar with by now. It seems Swift may not be over it though (after all, she did touch on it in her Time magazine story last year ).

A first observation about this new Swift song called "thanK you aIMee" is its stylization — the K and IM are capitalized, which of course spells KIM.

Now let's look a bit closer at the song's lyrics. This is a song about a bully and rising up from the ashes. Some tidbits that could allude to the feud:

"I dreamed that one day I could say/ All that time you were throwing punches/ I was building something"

"It wasn't a fair fight/ Or a clean Kill/ Each time that aIMee stomped across my grace/ And then she wrote headlines/ In the local paper laughing at each baby step I'd take"

"I built a legacy that you can't undo/ But when I count the scars/ There's a moment of truth/ That there wouldn't be this/ If there hadn't been you"

What songs are on 'The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology'?

Samantha Kubota

Swift dropped an extra 15 "TTPD" songs as part of a surprise "double album."

With the additional 15 songs, that brings the total number of tracks for this era to 31, her lucky No. 13 backward . It also makes the album her longest ever, edging out of “Red (Taylor’s Version)” by one song.

Here's the full track list, including the new songs:

• Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)
• The Tortured Poets Department
• My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys
• So Long, London
• But Daddy I Love Him
• Fresh Out the Slammer
• Florida!!! (feat. Florence + The Machine)
• Guilty as Sin?
• Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?
• I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)
• “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”
• The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
• The Alchemy
• The Black Dog
• imgonnagetyouback
• The Albatross
• Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus
• How Did It End?
• So High School
• I Hate It Here
• thanK you alMee
• I Look in People's Windows
• The Prophecy
• The Manuscript

Taylor Swift releases the four exclusive bonus tracks on double album

In the lead-up to the "Tortured Poets" release date, Swift announced four editions of the album, each featuring a different bonus track.

Originally Swifties feared this would mean it'd be a minute before the bonus tracks would be available to stream. Then, a 2 a.m. surprise rolled around.

Swift announced that "Tortured Poets" was a "double album," and she released "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology," with 15 bonus songs, including the four bonus tracks: "The Manuscript," "The Bolter," "The Albatross" and "The Black Dog."

Who is Clara Bow?

Randee Dawn

A nice name, “Clara Bow,” and the title of track 16 on "Tortured Poets." It may ring a bell, particularly among Swifties’ older relatives. That’s because Bow was not just a real person — a movie actress who lived from 1905-1965 — but she also was the first true “It Girl.”

She was one of the first Hollywood sex symbols and celebrities, and received 35,000 letters per month at her peak, as  biographer David Stenn , who wrote “Clara Bow: Runnin’ Wild” (2000) told TODAY.

“We could not believe it,”  Bow’s great-granddaughters , Nicole Sisneros and Brittany Grace Bells, told People magazine in February, when they learned of the track Swift would be releasing. “We were shocked and then the intrigue set in because no one from our family has been contacted or knew about this prior.”

Clearly, there’s something about Clara that has captured Swift’s imagination. But what?

“If I were to hazard a guess, it’s because Clara Bow was both celebrated and condemned in the media in a way that male stars never were,” Stenn said. “I don’t think that double standard sadly, has left.”

He added: “Clara Bow experienced an unprecedented amount of both and endured and prevailed.”

Sound familiar? Well, let’s draw back our Bow and take aim at these facts about the “It Girl” of the past, who’s all the buzz nearly 120 years after she was born.

‘The Alchemy’ lyrics meaning: Is the Taylor Swift song about Travis Kelce?

We have a play call from Taylor Swift: “Call the amateurs and cut them from the team!”

The second-to-last song on “ The Tortured Poets Department ,” “The Alchemy,” is one of the only pure love songs on an album that skews melancholy.

This is a story of a love that “happens once every few lifetimes,” Swift’s narrator sings. Alchemy refers to the quest in ancient and Medieval times to find a philosopher’s stone, which would make it possible to turn any substance, like lead, into gold.

In the context of relationships, like this song, alchemy could suggest the meeting of two people to form something wholly new, though something inexplicable (like, cough,  love ).

Beyond medieval magic, what’s especially notable is that “The Alchemy” is replete with football imagery.

Taylor Swift has a message for 'The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived'

Continuing the themes of rage and heartbreak throughout "Tortured Poets," Swift's narrator calls out the subject of Track 14 for "rusting my sparkling summer."

"I don't miss what we had, but could someone give / A message to the smallest man who ever lived?" she sings.

'Tortured Poets Department' is a 'secret double album'

Samantha Kubota and Maddie Ellis

Taylor Swift shocked her fans early Friday morning by releasing a second half of her much-anticipated album “The Tortured Poets Department.”

After the first 16 songs were made available at midnight, a countdown appeared on her website indicating something else would be coming at 2 a.m. ET.

Shortly after 2 a.m., Swift announced that “Tortured Poets” is a “secret double album.”

“I’d written so much tortured poetry in the past 2 years and wanted to share it all with you, so here’s the second installment of TTPD: The Anthology. 15 extra songs. And now the story isn’t mine anymore… it’s all yours,” she captioned the announcement.

Full story here!

Track 13: Taylor Swift makes having a 'broken heart' fun

With an upbeat tune reminiscent of "Bejeweled" and "Karma" from "Midnights," Swift performs "I Can Do It With A Broken Heart," seemingly referencing her time performing on the "Eras Tour," which started in March 2023.

While Swift's narrator is "miserable, and no one even knows," she's also "grinning like I'm winning" and "hitting my marks" — "'cause I can do it with a broken heart."

What does 'loml' mean?

In what might be one of the saddest songs on the album, Swift's narrator sings about being told she's the love of someone's life "about a million times."

But in a final twist, the song title's acronym actually means something else.

"You're the loss of my life," Swift sings.

Can she fix him? 'No Really' She 'Can'

Track 11 asks a provocative question, again inspired by a modern dating colloquialism. To "fix" someone means getting a partner to address certain flaws for the sake of the relationship.

The song's narrator says the man is "a perfect case for my certain skillset." In response to the people disapproving of her relationship, she says, "I can fix him, no really I can / And only I can."

Taylor Swift gets personal with 'Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?'

While the title implies a cutesy tone with "little old me," track 10 turns into a rage-filled rant.

In "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" Swift's narrator declares, "You don't get to tell me about sad."

The song chronicles someone owning her status as something fearsome, answering the song title's question with, "Well, you should be."

Taylor Swift's official fan account teases lyrics that didn't make the standard version of the album

Fans were delighted to see lyrics from "Tortured Poets" teased at a Spotify pop-up in L.A. during release week.

There's just one problem.

Swifties report not hearing those lyrics on the standard version of "The Tortured Poets Department."

Taylor Nation, the official fan account for Swift, responded to some of the questions from fans cryptically, noting, "That's weird," adding a new hashtag, #TTPDBoardMeeting.

An upbeat question: 'Guilty as Sin?'

The upbeat backbeat of "Guilty as Sin?" feels almost out of place with another set of lyrics that i nspired the heartbreak playlists Swift created: "Am I allowed to cry?"

In the song, Swift's narrator recalls fantasizing about a man "without ever touching his skin."

"What if he's written 'mine' on my upper thigh only in my mind?," she sings, before later asking, "How can I be guilty as sin?"

With a seemingly similar theme to "But Daddy I Love Him," Swift questions why she should care about what other people think, singing, "They're gonna crucify me anyway."

"What if the way you hold me is actually what's holy?" she sings.

Attention, Swifties: How to order ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ exclusive vinyl from Target

Attention: Members of the Department — the wait is over. Taylor Swift’s 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” has officially dropped!

We’ve been eyeing the Phantom Clear vinyl edition, exclusively available at Target, ever since Swift announced it on her official social media accounts. “I wish I could un-recall how we almost had it all,” Swift shared in an  Instagram post  with an image of her holding the clear vinyl. Is this a  lyric  off the new album? Now we can finally review the evidence to find out.

If you missed your chance to pre-order, you’ll need to calm down because it’s officially available to  shop now at Target . The variant includes two Phantom Clear vinyl discs featuring all 16 tracks, plus a bonus track titled “The Manuscript.” And that’s not all: The Target-exclusive vinyl comes with a 24-page book jacket with never-before-seen photos and three replicated pages of Swift’s handwritten lyrics.

Track 8!!! 'Florida!!!'

The second track on "Tortured Poets" with a guest feature is "Florida!!!" with Florence + the Machine.

This album channels Florence Welch's vibe, with resounding instruments and the scream-like chorus of "Florida." (We see why the exclamation points were important for the title!)

The theme of the song seemingly kicks in at the bridge with, "I need to forget, so take me to / Florida."

The Sunshine State was also notably mentioned in track 1, "Fortnight." Other similarities between the two songs include mentions of a "cheating husband."

Jack Antonoff shares live reactions to 'Tortured Poets'

Jack Antonoff, Swift's longtime friend and collaborator, who wrote several songs on "The Tortured Poets Department," shared some of his thoughts about the album on X shortly after it dropped at midnight.

He specifically shouted out "Fresh Out The Slammer" and " Down Bad," two songs he produced.

Track 7: 'Fresh Out The Slammer'

Based on the track title alone, people were reminded of the "Reputation" song "Ready For It?" more specifically the lyric, "He can be my jailer / Burton to this Taylor." "Reputation" is widely suspected to be about Joe Alwyn.

Now, Swift's narrator is "fresh out the slammer." In the song, she "did my time" and is now at the "starting line" of what sounds like a new relationship.

"Fresh out the slammer, I know who / My first call will be to," Swift sings.

‘But Daddy I Love Him’ lyrics: Does Taylor Swift’s song reference ‘The Little Mermaid’?

When the  track list to Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department “ dropped, fans zoomed in on the title of track six: “But Daddy I Love Him.”

The title appeared to be lifted from a line in “The Little Mermaid.” It’s what Ariel shouts at her domineering father, King Triton, while pleading to join Prince Eric, her human love: “Daddy, I love him!”

Allie (Rachel McAdams) in “The Notebook” says a similar line while defending her relationship with a boy from the other side of the tracks: “Yes,  daddy, I love him. “

Are the song’s lyrics about Ariel or Allie? Not quite: They appear to be an allegory, though, about rejecting the need for approval, defying public expectation and following your heart.

From the start, Swift’s narrator positions herself in an adversarial relationship to, well, everyone else: “I just learned these people only raise you just to cage you.” (This could potentially echo a lyric from 2020’s “This Is My Trying”: “They told me all of my cages were mental.”)

Her defiance comes in the form of romantic freedom — and being loud about it.

In the song, Swift sings about a “dutiful daughter” being undone by a man who is her total opposite: “He was chaos, he was revelry.” The song echoes her romantic interest’s description in 2010’s “Mine,” in which she sings about a boy who “made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter.”

The chorus sounds like something audacious said just to provoke a reaction.

“Screaming, “But daddy I love him! / I’m having his baby" / No I’m not, but you should see your faces,” she sings.

The narrator continues to call out anyone who is telling her what to do — even if they take on a tone of trying to help. People have an issue with her relationship and try to intervene: “Soon enough the elders had convened down at the City Hall / ‘Stay away from her.’”

Her response is merciless: “I’d rather burn my whole life down than listen to one more second of all this b----ing and moaning.”

Taylor Swift bids London 'so long'

In 2019, Taylor Swift released the upbeat pop song “London Boy.” Five years later, she’s saying “so long” to the city with her new song “So Long, London.”

Both “London Boy” and “So Long, London” are the fifth songs of their respective albums: “Lover” and “The Tortured Poets Department.”

“London Boy” was widely received as an ode to her then-boyfriend, Joe Alwyn. She and the English actor  split in the spring of 2023  after six years together.

In “So Long, London,” she appears to be saying goodbye to the city, and the relationship that put her there.

Taylor Swift is 'Down Bad'

The fourth track packs a punch. "Down Bad" is a colloquialism for having "strong and usually unrequited feelings of attraction, desire, or infatuation," according to Merriam-Webster.

In the song, Swift's narrator crafts an extended metaphor of being "beamed up" into outer space and experiencing a "cosmic love." But it doesn't last, leaving her "down bad" and "crying at the gym."

Other alien references include the lyrical phrase, "encounters closer and closer," likely a tongue-in-cheek reference to 1977's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

Next up — 'My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys'

The third track of "Tortured Poets" introduces a simple theme: The narrator compares herself to a toy, repeatedly destroyed by her "boy."

She seemingly justifies the behavior by noting, "You should've seen him / When he first got me."

Other notable lyrics include a passing reference to playing with a Ken doll — fitting as the new album comes just days after "Barbie" star Ryan Gosling performed "All Too Well" on "SNL," receiving praise from Swift herself.

Mysterious 2 a.m. countdown pops up on Taylor Swift's Instagram

As fans get their first listen of "The Tortured Poets Department," a feature on Swift's Instagram has officially started a countdown to 2 a.m. ET.

✌️✌️ We'll see you there!

Who are Dylan Thomas and Patti Smith?

In "The Tortured Poets Department," Taylor Swift fittingly references two famous poets: Dylan Thomas and Patti Smith.

Thomas was a 20th-century Welsh poet known for "Do not go gentle into that good night." Smith, born less than 10 years before Thomas' death, is a singer-songwriter and poet associated with the punk rock movement.

In the chorus of the song, Swift sings, "You're not Dylan Thomas / I'm not Patti Smith," but the reference isn't pointing to a romantic relationship. The key to their connection lies in the next line: "This ain't the Chelsea Hotel."

In addition to albums like "Horses," Smith is also known for her writing, including her 2010 memoir, "Just Kids," which chronicles her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe in the summer of 1969, where they made a home at the Chelsea Hotel in New York.

In her memoir, Smith mentions Thomas and his influence on the space, as he spent his last few days there before he died at a hospital in New York in 1953.

Taylor Swift says 'Tortured Poets' represents her 'saddest story'

Taylor Swift announced the release of "Tortured Poets" with an Instagram post, calling the album "an anthology of new works that reflect events, opinions and sentiments from a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time — one that was both sensational and sorrowful in equal measure."

But that story is finished, she wrote.

"This period of the author’s life is now over, the chapter closed and boarded up. There is nothing to avenge, no scores to settle once wounds have healed. And upon further reflection, a good number of them turned out to be self-inflicted. This writer is of the firm belief that our tears become holy in the form of ink on a page. Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it."

Track 2: The album's titular song, 'The Tortured Poets Department'

Continuing with the elaborate metaphors set up in "Fortnight," Swift introduces a new motif in track two of "The Tortured Poets Department." In the opening lyrics she sings, "You left your typewriter at my apartment / Straight from the Tortured Poets Department."

The chorus follows Swift's narrator confronting the reality of a situation.

"You're not Dylan Thomas / I'm not Patti Smith / This ain't the Chelsea Hotel / We're modern idiots," she sings, referencing the famous poet and singer.

This song also features more *pointed* references, including name-dropping Charlie Puth, the singer of "See You Again," as well as a "Lucy" and "Jack." (More on that soon.)

The subject of "The Tortured Poets Department" isn't painted in the best light by the narrator, with lyrics like, "Who's going to know you, if not me?"

But Puth proves the winner: "We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist."

First up: 'Fortnight'

"Tortured Poets" opens with "Fortnight," featuring Post Malone.

The track, written by Swift and Jack Antonoff, has a medium tempo and chill synth backbeat. On the even, rhythmic chorus, Swift sounds almost ethereal, with a slight echo.

The lyrics seem to paint a portrait of a short-lived affair: "I touched you for only a fortnight," she sings. Swift's narrator also describes herself as a "good neighbor" to the object of her affections, sung by Malone.

In the first chorus, Swift sings, "Your wife waters flowers / I want to kill her." On the second go around, she says, "My husband is cheating / I want to kill him."

The story ends with the narrators suggesting moving to Florida — a potential thematic connection to track 8 "Florida!!!"? — and buying a car.

"But it won't start up, 'til I touch, touch, touch you," the song ends.

“Fortnight” is also the first time we hear one of the lyrics featured on the four alternate versions of the album: “I love you, it’s ruining my life.”

She's here! 'The Tortured Poets Department' is available to stream

The chairman (Taylor Swift) has officially called this meeting to order.

Follow along as TODAY staff break down the 16 tracks on the standard version of "Tortured Poets."

Why Taylor Swift fans are convinced ‘Tortured Poets’ will touch on Joe Alwyn split

Becca Wood and Maddie Ellis

Within minutes of the new album announcement back in February, fans took to social media to share theories about the album, ranging from the  Easter eggs everyone missed  to the title — and how it might connect to her ex boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, an actor.

Reports that  Swift and Alwyn broke up started circulating in April 2023  after they  first struck up a relationship in 2016.

Since then, Swift’s entered into a highly publicized romance with  Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce .

The theorizing about the inspiration behind “The Tortured Poets Department” only intensified after  Swift released the song titles on Feb. 5.  The track list alone suggests the album may be about a breakup, with songs like, “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” and “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.”

Swift has previously said she won’t confirm what — or who — her songs are about. Rather than address her personal life in interviews, Swift weaves details into songs.

“I don’t talk about my personal life in great detail. I write about it in my songs, and I feel like you can share enough about your life in your music to let people know what you’re going through,” Swift told  Glamour  in 2012.

Here’s why fans think her upcoming 11th album will divulge details about her former relationship with Alwyn.

The ‘Tortured Poets Department’ timeline

When Swift announced “The Tortured Poets Department,” she said the new album was a “secret” she had been keeping from fans for “the last two years.”

Two years before the Grammys in February 2022, Swift and Alwyn  were still reportedly together,  and the “Conversations with Friends” made a rare comment about their notoriously private relationship  in an interview that April,  telling the Guardian what it was like co-writing songs together.

“It wasn’t like, ‘It’s 5 o’clock, it’s time to try and write a song together,’” he said. “It came about from messing around on a piano, and singing badly, then being overheard, and being, like, ‘Let’s see what happens if we get to the end of it together.’”

But the relationship might not have been all smooth sailing.

Connections to ‘You’re Losing Me’

In addition to “Tortured Poets,” fans also suspected Swift sung about Alwyn in the “Midnights”  vault track “You’re Losing Me,”  which she released in May 2023. The song is a devastating look at the end of the relationship and came out just weeks after reports of her split with Alwyn.

But Swift’s collaborator, Jack Antonoff,  later revealed on his Instagram story  that the song was written in December 2021, significantly before reports of their breakup. This signaled to fans that the couple went through a rough patch before the release of “Midnights” and the song “Lavender Haze” in October 2022, a song about ignoring outside noise to protect the “real stuff,” as Swift sang.

“This was 10 months after you’re losing me, The entire timeline has changed,” one fan wrote beside pics of  Swift and Alwyn on a walk in 2022.

With “You’re Losing Me” having been written shortly before the window of time when “Tortured Poets” became a “secret” project, fans are doing the math: Swift’s split with Alwyn may have inspired more than just one track.

Right after announcing the album’s alternative cover and bonus track during her Feb. 16 concert, Swift performed “You’re Losing Me” for the first time live, further connecting the two projects in fans’ minds.

‘The Tortured Man Club’

One of the first connections to Alwyn fans made  involves the new album’s title.

Amid the announcement, X users  resurfaced  a  December 2022 interview  between Alwyn and Paul Mescal for Variety, in which the two revealed that they were part of a WhatsApp chat entitled the “The Tortured Man Club.” Actor Andrew Scott was the third member of the chat, they said.

“It hasn’t had much use recently,” Alwyn said at the time, to which Mescal replied, “No, I feel like we’re less tortured now.”

What is a ‘fortnight’? Taylor Swift’s ‘Tortured Poets’ single sparks memes about the popular video game

Fortnight? Or Fortnite?

The name of the first track of "The Tortured Poets Department" sparked memes even before the album came out, mostly because the song and one of the most popular video games of the last few years are homophones.

Fortnite, a popular battle video game, first dropped in 2017. The multiplayer survival game reached the pop culture zeitgeist by 2020, inspiring the memorable kids dance craze of "flossing."

But no, Swift is probably not singing about the video game on her new album "The Tortured Poets Department." The spelling of the track's title suggests she's referring to a fortnight, or a unit of time for two weeks / 14 days. While the word has largely fallen out of fashion in the U.S., it's still used in Britain, according to Grammarist.com.

Clara Bow, is that you?

In the first look at her upcoming music video for "Fortnight," Taylor Swift seems like she is on some kind of warpath.

The six-second clip opens with a typewriter writing out the phrase, "I love you, it's ruining my life."

The rest of the clips are so fast, if you blink you'll miss them. But most scenes feature Swift in a rage, clad in some sort of full-length gown.

At one point, she stands in an office setting, in a black Victorian-style outfit as papers on fire land around her. In another scene, clad in a strapless white dress, she throws a chair through a window in an attempt to escape a clinical-looking room.

One close shot of Swift shows her shackled to a bed, with her eyebrows drawn on in thin lines. Fans were quick to note that the look is reminiscent of Hollywood starlet Clara Bow, who's name makes up the 16th track of the album.

Branded Tinseltown's first true "It Girl," Bow was a film actor who lived from 1905-1965. She got her start in silent films before transitioning to "talkies" and her look — bowed lips, doll-like face, thin eyebrows — became the look du jour of the 1920s.

But things weren't always easy for Bow, who became the target of much gossip and speculation over the years. For more on her life, click here .

✌️hours to go!

While we wait, we're trying to decipher all the "two" theories.

Taylor Swift put some of her most romantic songs on a ‘heartbreak’ playlist ahead of 'Tortured Poets'

Francesca Gariano

Ahead of the release of  her highly anticipated 11th studio album  “The Tortured Poets Department” on April 19, rather than drop a single from the record, Taylor Swift released five new playlists of her own songs instead.

Swift’s playlists, with titles that  refer to the cover art from special editions of “The Tortured Poets Department,”  encompass the  five stages of grief:  denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

But some of her choices sparked strong reactions from fans. For example, on her playlist about denial — or as Swift describes it, a phase of heartbreak that involves missing “red flags” — the singer included her romantic 2019 song, “Lover,”  which is thought to be inspired by her ex, Joe Alwyn.

Read on to learn more about each of Swift’s playlists, and some of the surprising songs included.

‘I Love You, It’s Ruining My Life,’ or denial

For  “I Love You, It’s Ruining My Life,”  Swift explained, “This is a list of songs about getting so caught up in the idea of something that you have a hard time seeing the red flags, possibly resulting in moments of denial and maybe a little bit of delusion. Results may vary.”

Songs from this playlist include “Snow on the Beach” and “Bejeweled” from “Midnights,” “Cruel Summer” and “False God” from “Lover,” “Style” and “Wildest Dreams” from “1989,” “Treacherous” from “Red,” and more. Two of the songs included, “Betty” and “Sweet Nothing,” were co-written by  Alwyn under the pen name William Bowery.

‘You Don’t Get to Tell Me About Sad,’ or anger

“These songs all have one thing in common: I wrote them while feeling anger,” Swift explained. “Over the years, I’ve learned that anger can manifest itself in a lot of different ways, but the healthiest way that it manifests itself in my life is when I can write a song about it and then oftentimes, that helps me get past it.”

Among the songs on the playlist were“Vigilante S--t” and “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” from “Midnights,” “Exile” and “Mad Woman” from “Folklore,” “Bad Blood” from “1989,” “Dear John” and “Better Than Revenge” from “Speak Now,” and “Tell Me Why” and “Forever & Always” from “Fearless.”

‘Am I Allowed to Cry?,’ or bargaining

“Times when you’re trying to make deals with yourself, or someone that you care about. You’re trying to make things better,” she explained. “You’re oftentimes feeling really desperate because oftentimes we have a gut intuition that tells us things are not going to go the way that we hope which makes us more desperate which makes us bargain more.”

Swift included her songs “This Is Me Trying” and “Peace” from “Folklore,” “The Archer” and “Cornelia Street” from “Lover,” “Come Back…Be Here” from “Red,” and her feature on the song “Renegade” by Big Red Machine, a band composed of two of her collaborators, Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon.

‘Old Habits Die Screaming,’ or depression

In her playlist  “Old Habits Die Screaming,”  Swift said she wanted to take listeners through her songs that explore “the feelings of depression that often lace their way” through her music.

“ In times like these, I’ll write a song because I feel lonely or hopeless and writing a song feels like the only way to process that intensity of an emotion,” she explained. “And while these things are really, really hard to go through, I often feel like when I’m either listening to songs or writing songs that deal with this intensity of loss and helplessness, usually that’s in the phase where I’m close to getting past that feeling.” 

Swift included  “Bigger Than the Whole Sky”  from “Midnights,” “My Tears Ricochet” from “Folklore,” “Champagne Problems” and “Right Where You Left Me” from “Evermore,” “Nothing New” and “All Too Well” from “Red,” and “Last Kiss” from “Speak Now.” 

She also included the vault track “You’re Losing Me,” released shortly after news of her split with Alwyn broke, which fans at the time  said had some of “the saddest lyrics ever.” 

‘I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,’ or acceptance

In her final playlist, Swift explained that her  “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”  playlist brings songs where “we finally find acceptance and can start moving forward from loss or heartbreak.”

“These songs represent making room for more good in your life,” she explained. “Making that choice because a lot of times when we lose things, we gain things too.”

She included the songs “Labyrinth” from “Midnights,” “August” and  “Invisible String”  from “Folklore,” “Happiness” and “Long Story Short” from “Evermore,” “This Love” and “Clean” from “1989,” “Begin Again” from “Red,” and “Breathe” from “Fearless.”

Can't stop calling it 'The Tortured Poets Society'? You're not alone

Gina Vivinetto

Shortly after Swift announced "The Tortured Poets Department" at the Grammys, music lovers confused it with the title of a throwback Hollywood movie starring the late Robin Williams.

After Swift’s surprise announcement, Google searches for the 1989 drama “Dead Poets Society” skyrocketed 588%, according to NoDepositRewards.com, an online group that promotes casinos around the world.

Other than both employing the word “poets” in their titles, the movie, which takes place at a fictional elite boarding school, and Swift’s album don’t appear to have much else in common.

There’s the fact that “Dead Poets Society” was released in 1989, which is Swift's birth year and the title of one of her albums. And, of course, her new album could possibly feature songs exploring sorrow and heartbreak, topics the movie explored, too.

Come to think of it, Williams’ character in the movie, an unorthodox English teacher named John Keating, inspires his young students to live by the Latin credo  carpe diem,  or “ s eize the day.” Didn’t Swift say kind of the same thing in her 2014 hit “Shake It Off”?

The one album drop that Swifties can't stop 'clowning' over

Fans famously thought Swift's black-and-white profile picture change and her 2024 Grammys outfit predicted news of "Reputation."

Feb. 4 came after months of hints that seemed to point towards the rerecording , from a slew of green outfits reminiscent of a snake, the album’s signature motif, to a tweet filled with capital S’s tied to her Time Person of the Year interview. Plus, fans have already heard snippets of the “Taylor’s Version” “Look What You Made Me Do” and “Delicate” tracks.

It seemed like every few weeks fans predicted a new date for the anticipated rerecording, including Nov. 10, Nov. 26, Dec. 13 and of course, Feb. 4, the date of the Grammys.

The official X account for the Empire State Buildin g even fell for it at one point.

Instead, Swift announced "Tortured Poets," a brand new album.

Still, just hours before the new album arrives, fans are holding out for a "Reputation" surprise.

Similar to (incorrect) theories surrounding the October 2023 release of "1989 (Taylor's Version)," fans think "Tortured Poets" could be a "double album" drop, meaning the singer would release a second surprise tied to "Tortured Poets."

Some have even assembled theories that the "Reputation" rerecording could be involved. The reveal of the Apple Music puzzle result — "We hereby conduct this post mortem" — immediately reminded Swifties of the imagery surrounding "Reputation" in 2017, specifically a line from a poem associated with the album: "And in the death of her reputation / She felt truly alive."

One user found "REP" like part of a word search in one of Swift's Instagram posts.

"im not trying to be ungrateful im just delusional but i think dropping reputation taylor’s version together with the tortured poets department would be kinda perfect because they’re two bookends of the same relationship," one fan wrote on X , pointing out that while "Reputation" is thought to be about Joe Alwyn, "Tortured Poets" is thought to be about their split.

But some Swifties are tired of the "Reputation" speculation. The months of failed predictions have led the "theorizing" to be re-classified as "clowning."

Flashback: All the hidden references to 'Tortured Poets' from Taylor Swift's Grammys outfit

The red herring that started it at all.

When Taylor Swift arrived to the Grammys Feb. 4 dressed in black and white, fans were convinced that an announcement regarding her "Reputation" rerecording was imminent.

Swift arrived to the 2024 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in a stunning strapless white gown, with black elbow-high gloves.

The stark tones of her Grammys look, combined with the new black-and-white tint to her profile pictures online, fueled theories that Swift’s next major announcement will center on the rerecording of her sixth studio album.

The  original album art for “Reputation”  featured the singer in black-and-white with print covering the side of her face, almost like a newspaper.

Swift’s acceptance speech for her 13th Grammy Awards complicated that theory, however: She revealed a  new album, “The Tortured Poets Department ,” was on the way. This album cover is also black and white, like “Reputation.”

The outfit now reveals the aesthetic of the album, later confirmed through the official cover art.

Sensuous, luxurious and almost old-Hollywood style — fitting for the final track "Clara Bow" — captures the vibe of "Tortured Poets."

The music video teaser for "Fortnight" also revealed Swift in a white dress with a similar silhouette to the one she wore on Grammys night.

Merch drop! Taylor Swift releases official 'Tortured Poets' jackets, jewelry and more

Taylor Swift's official fan account, Taylor Nation, announced official "Tortured Poets Department" merchandise around 8 p.m. ET, less than four hours before the album's release.

Products include hoodies, sweatpants, earrings, a choker necklace and more.

A black jacket with "All's fair in love and poetry" along the back as well as "Tortured Poets Department" jacket sold out in less than 30 minutes.

Taylor Nation dubbed the attire, "Department-issued uniforms and matching accessories."

Taylor Swift reveals first look at upcoming music video for 'Fortnight'

Taylor Swift is revealing a first look at her upcoming music video for "Fortnight" off her new album. The song will debut on her "Tortured Poets Department" album in just under four hours.

In a post shared Thursday night, a video shows snippets in black-and-white from the music video, which drops Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

"At this hearing, I stand before my fellow members of The Tortured Poets Department with a summary of my findings," she captioned the post. "Album tonight. Fortnight music video tomorrow at 8pm et."

What Travis Kelce has said about 'The Tortured Poets Department'

While Travis Kelce, football superstar and boyfriend of Taylor Swift, isn't expected to be the inspiration behind her next album "The Tortured Poets Department," the tight end has previously commented on it.

Ahead of Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas, which his team went on to win in overtime, Kelce told reporters that he had already listened to part of the album.

“I have heard some of it. It is unbelievable,” Kelce said, per Variety. “I can’t wait for her to shake up the world when it finally drops.” 

Kelce and Swift first sparked dating rumors in July 2023, after he talked about attending one of her "Eras Tour" shows on his podcast. Her first appearance at a Chiefs game in September 2023 came nearly five months after reports of Swift's split with Alwyn broke in April 2023.

Click here for a refresher on the timeline of Kelce and Swift's relationship.

'The Tortured Poets Department' already broke a record — more than 12 hours before its release

Swift's 11th studio album became the most pre-saved album on Spotify Thursday, the streaming platform announced around 11:15 a.m. — 12 hours before the album drops at midnight.

The countdown page lists all the tracks on the standard version of the album. By pre-saving, the album is automatically added to a user's library once the album becomes available to stream.

All the ‘Tortured Poets’ lyrics Taylor Swift has already released

After Swift announced her new album while winning her 13th Grammy , her social media accounts also shared the news.

“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/ All’s fair in love and poetry…” the post read, signed "The Chairman of The Tortured Poets Department."

Then, during the solar eclipse on April 8, Swift shared a video of an old-fashioned typewriter typing out the following phrase:

• Crowd goes wild at her fingertips, half moonshine, full eclipse

Swift would go on to announce that Target will carry special vinyl variants of the album on April 14 with another post to her Instagram , writing what appeared to be more lyrics in the caption: “ I wish I could un-recall how we almost had it all. ”

Then, as part of a Spotify pop-up event in Los Angeles, several more lines were revealed starting on April 16:

• Even statues crumble if they’re made to wait
• One less temptress, one less dagger to sharpen
• As she was leaving, it felt like breathing
• Lost the game of chance, what are the chances?

Come one, come all / it’s happening again

What’s the Taylor Swift ‘two theory’ — and could it mean a second album is coming?

Anyone who knows Taylor Swift also knows that she loves an important message that's hidden in plain sight. Easter eggs, one could call them, or clues or signs.

Fans of Swift believe they've detected a new clue that could indicate something important: A pattern of Swift plotting the number two everywhere as of late.

Allow this Swiftie TikToker to break it down for you :

Here's a recap of where we've seen twos:

- When Swift revealed at the Grammys she’s releasing “TTPD,” she said she had been working on the album for two years and held up two fingers. (Review the video here.)

- The “TTPD” logo looks like a Roman numeral II.

- In an animated video released by Swift this week teasing her upcoming music video, a clock is seen on a wall set to 2:00.

- In a pop-up Spotify installation in Los Angeles promoting "TTPD," fans spotted a few two references: there's a statue of a hand holding up two fingers and there are clocks also set to 2:00. (See more Easter eggs from this pop-up in the blog post below.)

And, on Wednesday, Swift tweeted on X, "✌️ days til THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT."

So what could all this mean? Swifties on TikTok have some theories: Could Swift be releasing a double album or a doing a two-album drop? ("Reputation (Taylor's Version)" anyone?) Or could this indicate a second act coming to "The Eras Tour"? After all, one would expect "TTPD" to be incorporated into the tour somehow, especially considering "The Eras Tour" as we know it has been memorialized with a concert film that's now streaming.

The possibilities behind the "two theory" are quite endless — but keep an eye on those twos.

All the Easter eggs from the 'Tortured Poets' Spotify pop-up in LA

Taylor Swift has been revealing more lyrics from her upcoming album at a Spotify pop-up in Los Angeles.

Held at The Grove, an outdoor shopping mall, a library-like display will continue to unveil more stanzas featured in the upcoming album.

Here are the lyrics we’ve seen so far at the display:

• Come one, come all / it's happening again

In addition to the lyrics being revealed from an old-fashioned book, the decor from the “library” is also believed to hold many more clues, fans believe.

Below, we’ve rounded up and synthesized some of the fan theories.

Card Catalog

Back in ye olden days before everything was online, we used to look up books in the library by using the physical card catalog.

The Spotify display includes one such dresser, with 72 drawers total and six of them open with flowers and lace spilling out.

Fans have suggested that the open six drawers represent the six years Swift spent with her ex, actor Joe Alwyn, and the total of 72 represents the total months they spent together.

Other fans (disclaimer: some of whom did not initially seem to know what card catalog is) postulated that the display also reminded them of a mausoleum and that the album is a post-mortem of Swift and Alwyn’s relationship.

There were a few globes on display in the pop-up, all with Miami, Florida, marked by a pin or in one instance, a nail.

As we know, there is a song titled “Florida!!!” on the album. There are fan rumors that something happened in Florida, so we’ll have to wait and see what the lyrics reveal.

Typewriters

There are a few typewriters in the scene — matching the aesthetic of the album— including one that is labeled No. 3. The paper in the No. 3 typewriter is the track list, leading some Swifties to think that the label means that the third song of “TPD” —“My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” — will be the first single.

Some fans have pointed out that the T and B keys seem to be slightly off or askew on a few of the typewriters.

Cages                       

For the birdcage, some fans speculated it might be a metaphor for how Swift felt in her previous relationship but one particularly interesting theory comes from @FolklorianAna on X.

“I’m sure that Taylor (Swift) has read ‘A Doll’s House’ by Henrik Ibsen and used it as a huge inspiration for TTPD,” she posted. “This play portrays a woman who cares for her husband but feels like she’s in a cage (the cages on Spotify library). Her husband also calls her constantly ‘Little Skylark.’”

There is also a statue of birds resting on a tree branch featured in the display.

All the clocks point to 2:00 — it’s unclear exactly what is happening but we personally are rooting for it to be something at 2 p.m. and not 2 a.m.

We should mention that in the video she released earlier this week, there was a yellow clock seemingly set in the “Midnights” album universe that also said 2:00.  

Dried/dead flowers

There are loads of dried flowers in the display, which fans have noted include lavender — a reference to “Lavender Haze” from “Midnights” which Swift has previously alluded to being about Alwyn in a now-deleted video.

Fans have also speculated that the flowers include dried Cornelia roses — truthfully, our knowledge of plants is limited and we didn’t take a close-up photo of the flowers for later analysis but that does feel right.

Swift’s song “Cornelia Street” from her 2019 album, “Lover.” That album is widely believed to be about Alwyn in general, and the song is about the beginning of a relationship and falling in love.

Another fan, @ giftedswifted , wrote they spotted daisies and poppies in the display underneath the book.

Swift wrote in “Don’t Blame Me” on her 2017 album “Reputation” that “I once was poison ivy, but now I’m your daisy.”

The poppy reference could be from her 2022 album “Midnights” in the song “The Great War.”

“Say a solemn prayer, plant a poppy in my hair,” she sings in a song clearly about a breakup using war as a metaphor.

On a related note, there is a ton of lace all around the display, which many fans have speculated is tied to how Swift and Alwyn did not get married despite being together for the aforementioned six years.

In jars on the shelves, there are puzzle pieces. Some fans have said that the pieces are from The Lines puzzle, a known difficult puzzle to solve.

This could just be a meta puzzle moment — Swift literally had us at the mall on a Tuesday morning looking for easter eggs in a display and fans around the globe doing different but similar investigations — or it could be something more.

Tambourines

There are literally just a bunch of tambourines throughout the display. We didn’t have any great theories on this but one fan online, @ BlankSpaceProd , has postulated that the tambourines have something to do with feat. Florence + The Machine, who is featured on “Florida!!!”

December 13

One of the dates featured in the display is Friday, Dec. 13. Some fans have pointed out that Swift’s birthday is on Dec. 13 but she was born on a Wednesday. This year’s Dec. 13, Swift’s 35th birthday, is on a Friday, so it’s probably safe to assume the calendar is referencing is 2024.

(Another date keeper featured in the display says April 19, which is probably a reference to the date the album drops. Famous last words, though, right?)

“The Story of Us”

There is a (seemingly blank) notebook on a shelf with the handwritten letters “US” in what appears to be black pen scribbled on the front. Some fans have suggested that this is a reference to “The Story of Us” (Taylor’s Version) from her album “Speak Now.”

Obviously, a library has to have books and many of them feature the titles of Swift’s songs on them.

The fan account @TSwiftErasTour noted that the book for “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” from the upcoming album seems to have scribbled handwriting all over it. Another book — one that looks “disgusting” as @ TSwiftErasTour pointed out — seems to have “Saint” embossed on the side.  

There is a statue of a hand forming the peace sign or the number two on one of the shelves. Swift made the same gesture as she announced her new album after winning her 13th Grammy on Feb. 4.

Swift’s main X account also used the peace hand symbol to mean two on April 17.

There are white busts featured in the display, including one that seems to be Diana (Artemis) of Ephesus, the goddess of childbirth, fertility and the moon.

One viral tweet from @ vigilantesht claims that the “original statue of Diana crumbled while waiting to be shipped to London in the 6th century due to years of neglect, succumbing to the passage of time and the elements.”

TODAY.com has not been able to verify this theory and there are many surviving statues of Diana/Artemis that look similar to the bust featured in the Spotify display.

Questionable theories

Because the display is in person in Los Angeles, most Swifties are getting their information about the pop-up online from people’s photos and videos.

Some fans have said that there is a bullet in the display but based on our analysis and experience, what fans perceived to be a bullet is actually just a fountain pen cap.

What was the final message in Apple Music’s ‘TTPD’ puzzle?

Starting earlier this week, Apple Music had debuted a game for Swifties : It put together a scavenger hunt of words hidden within lyrics stored in Swift's songs on Apple Music.

On Day 1, capitalized letters spelling out "HEREBY" were found in the track "Glitch." The same pattern continued in the following five days.

Day 2: "CONDUCT" was found in "Peace."

Day 3: "THIS" was found in "Better Than Revenge."

Day 4: "POST" was found in "Clean."

Day 5: "WE" was found in "We Were Happy."

Day 6: "MORTEM" was found in "Begin Again."

When unscrambled, the final message reads, "We hereby conduct this post mortem." If you're wondering what that means, we are too.

So what's the deal with the ‘TTPD’ QR codes left in cities around the world?

A mysterious mural with a QR code and “Tortured Poets” text first cropped up in Chicago earlier this week , and later similar ones erected in other major cities around the globe, including Paris, Melbourne and Sāo Paolo.

When the mural in Chicago initially appeared, the QR code led to a YouTube short with animated typewriter text that said "Error 321." That QR code now leads to a clip of a typewriter printing the letter T. The QR codes left in other cities lead to similar clips providing a different letter.

These letters had to be a message from Swift left for fans to unscramble, right? Right! Swifties on social media were able to decode the letters — which ended up spelling out "for a fortnight."

As we now know, "Fortnight," a track off "TTPD" featuring Post Malone, is the album's first single, Swift shared Thursday afternoon. She revealed the news at taylorswift.com/forafortnight.

A guide to listening to ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ when it drops

Taylor Nation earlier this morning released what it called a "listening agenda" for "TTPD," staying within the theme of manuscripts.

It's a page of paper that tells readers about a "board meeting" happening at 12 a.m. and to consult your "tortured muse" before attending. It lists the album's tracks as topics of discussion, followed by directions to bring a listening device, snacks, a uniform and a dictionary. Cute!

'The Tortured Poets Department' has four bonus tracks. How to listen

The day after Taylor Swift announced her 11th album at the Grammy Awards, she shared a first look at the track list and introduced the first special edition, subtitled "The Manuscript."

She went on the announce four total exclusive editions of the album available in CD or vinyl, each featuring a different bonus track. While vinyl versions of each variant were available for a limited time, currently all four special editions in CD form are available for pre-order at Target.

Here's a guide to all the variants of "The Tortured Poets Department" and all the bonus tracks:

‘The Manuscript’

The edition of the album was first announced Feb. 5. The cover art features Swift looking forlorn and features the text, "I Love You, It's Ruining My Life." This text is also the name of the first of Swift's "five stages of heartbreak" playlist , released through Apple Music on April 5.

This edition features a bonus track called "The Manuscript." You can listen to the track by purchasing a vinyl or CD, available for pre-order at Target or on Swift's official online store.

'The Bolter'

Swift announced "The Bolter" edition of "Tortured Poets" in Melbourne Feb. 16. The alternate cover features a new photo of Swift and the text, "You Don't Get to Tell Me About Sad."

The album's exclusive song, "The Bolter," can be heard on an exclusive CD version of the album, available for pre-order at Target.

'The Albatross'

Swift announced "The Albatross," another variant of the album, on Feb. 23 during her "Eras Tour" show in Sydney. This version features a photo of Swift looking down with the text, "Am I Allowed To Cry?"

This version, with the bonus track "The Albatross," is available as an exclusive CD for pre-order at Target.

'The Black Dog'

Swift announced her fourth and final special edition, "The Black Dog," on March 3 in Singapore. This album cover's subtitle reads, "Old Habits Die Screaming."

The bonus track "The Black Dog" can be heard on an exclusive CD available for pre-order at Target.

'The Tortured Poets Department' track list, including song lengths

The standard version of "The Tortured Poets Department" album will have 16 songs.

Here's the track list, along with the length of each song, according to Spotify:

• "Fortnight," featuring Post Malone — 3:48
• "The Tortured Poets Department" — 4:53
• "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys" — 3:23
• "Down Bad" — 4:21
• "So Long, London" — 4:22
• "But Daddy I Love Him" — 5:40
• "Fresh Out The Slammer" — 3:30
• "Florida!!!," featuring Florence + The Machine — 3:35
• "Guilty as Sin?" — 4:14
• "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" — 5:34
• "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)" — 2:36
• "loml" — 4:37
• "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" — 3:38
• "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" — 4:05
• "The Alchemy" — 3:16
• "Clara Bow" — 3:36

But this is Taylor Swift we're talking about. Of course there are bonus tracks. Various special editions of “TTPD” will have bonus songs called “The Manuscript,” “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog.”

The one thing Beyoncé’s and Taylor Swift’s 2024 albums have in common: Post Malone

Hip-hop star Post Malone, known for his 2018 hit "Rockstar," is having a big year. His latest album, "Austin," dropped in July 2023, but the rapper is featured on what might be two of the biggest albums of the year.

Post Malone was featured on Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" album, which came out March 29. The rapper crooned a sweet duet with Beyoncé called "Levii's Jeans."

Then, he's set to be featured on "Fortnight," the opening track of "Tortured Poets" that's also going to be the album's lead single.

Did ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ album leak?

Since Taylor Swift announced her 11th album and shared the track list, alleged "leaked" versions of the tracks have popped up on social media — but most fans chalked it up to the use of artificial intelligence.

An alleged leak of "Fortnight," the first track on the album featuring Post Malone, cropped up on TikTok as early as Feb. 15 , just 10 days after she released the track list. The upbeat version with the lyrics seemingly sung by Swift, "Never made it clear, never made it right/ I've been waiting here going on a fortnight," is believed by fans to be created through AI.

AI music generators allow users to select a genre, mood, theme and existing song inspirations to create a song.

Some purported "leaked" versions of tracks from "Tortured Poets" were later debunked to be existing songs overlaid with an AI voice generator made to sound like Swift. For example, one alleged leak of "loml" was actually the lyrics and tune of "Homemade Dynamite" by Lorde.

But murmurings of a leak picked up April 17, ahead of the album's drop at midnight on April 19. Online, largely anonymous users running fan accounts shared screenshots purporting to have the song files, some of which seemingly landed on X. Many Swifties rallied online to against those leaks .

TODAY.com has reached out to reps for Swift for comment.

Users were unable to search "Taylor Swift leak" on X by Wednesday afternoon. Typing the query into the search bar yielded a "Something went wrong. Try reloading" result. This was the same result that users got when they tried to search Swift's name around Jan. 27, shortly after explicit deepfakes of Swift went viral.

It wouldn't be the first time one of Swift's albums have leaked online. Variety reported that, in 2014, Swift's fifth studio album, "1989," leaked three days before it was set to come out.

T-minus 10 hours until ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ releases — and Swift reveals her first single

"The Tortured Poets Department" will officially drop in 10 hours, at 12 a.m. ET on April 19 and 9 p.m. PT on April 18.

The album will be available to stream on Spotify here and on Apple Music here . You can also learn ways to buy physical copies here .

Swift, meanwhile, had put a clock on taylorswift.com/forafortnight counting down to *something* happening at 2 p.m. ET. It turned out to be a link to preorder a CD for the album’s lead single, “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone.

Swift earlier in the week released a video teasing her first music video off “TTPD,” which is presumably “Fortnight.” It drops at 8 p.m. ET on April 19.

Maddie Ellis is a weekend editor at TODAY Digital.

Bryanna Cappadona is a managing editor for TODAY based in New York City, writing about books, reality TV and anything Taylor Swift.

Elena Nicolaou is a senior entertainment editor at Today.com, where she covers the latest in TV, pop culture, movies and all things streaming. Previously, she covered culture at Refinery29 and Oprah Daily. Her superpower is matching people up with the perfect book, which she does on her podcast, Blind Date With a Book.

Sam Kubota is a senior digital editor and journalist for TODAY Digital based in Los Angeles. She joined NBC News in 2019.

What Princess Diana's 1989 Tour of New York City Looked Like in Real Life

Posted: April 23, 2024 | Last updated: April 23, 2024

While the events of The Crown mostly take place in the U.K., the show does occasionally go State-side. There was Princess Margaret's trip to Washington, D.C. in Season 3, and now, we have Princess Diana's three-day tour of New York in Season 4. The Netflix series recreates the royal's visit to the Big Apple in 1989, where she attended a gala, visited settlement housing complex, and spent time with children with AIDS, solidifying her title as "the People's Princess."

Unlike her tour of Australia years prior with Prince Charles and Prince William, Diana traveled solo for the engagements abroad. But even by herself, she won the hearts of New Yorkers. Ahead, take a look at what Diana did during her time in NYC.

February 1, 1989

The princess wears a ruched blue and black evening dress while out in New York.

February 2, 1989

Diana attends a dinner at the Winter Garden in a silky white ensemble.

The gala followed a performance of Verdi's ''Falstaff" by the Welsh National Opera at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Princess Di greets well-wishers on her way to the Henry Street Settlement, a nonprofit social services agency, in New York's Lower East Side.

Crowds gather to see the princess.

Diana wears a pink and black, colorblocked suit by Catherine Walker.

Diana speaks to a woman and child while visiting a day care center in the Lower East Side.

February 3, 1989

The princess wears a red Catherine Walker skirt suit while visiting the AIDS unit at Harlem Hospital. She met several children suffering from the illness before ending her trip to New York.

Diana receives flowers at Harlem Hospital.

You Might Also Like

9 Rare Photos of Nicole Kidman's Early Career

More for You

LeBron James rips NBA replay center in expletive rant after Nuggets top Lakers with buzzer-beater

The Social Security COLA Countdown Is On: Here's How Much Your Increase Will Likely Be as Things Stand Right Now

Average US annual salary by age revealed – see how you compare

Baking Soda Makes a Great DIY Weed Killer—Here's How to Use It

I’m a Car Expert: Here are 3 Reasons I’d Never Buy a Used Car From a Dealership

'You don't get a pass on math': Homebuyers call out Dave Ramsey's 'unrealistic' mortgage advice. Are they right?

NATO Ally 'Ready' to Station Nuclear Weapons on Its Territory

Why Trump should be concerned about newly unsealed FBI notes

Vending machine founders get $1.5 million 'Shark Tank' offer—despite a business model Mark Cuban called 'a huge mistake'

19 Signs of a Healthy Relationship, According to Therapists

Our Handyman Explains How Often You Should Lubricate Your Garage Door Springs

Here is the true value of having a fully paid-off home in America — especially when you're heading into retirement

North Korea conducts nuclear counterattack exercise, South Korea threatens 'end of regime'

The 43 Best Shows to Stream on Netflix Right Now

Popular Ice Cream Brand Announces Layoffs After Filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

I Tried 11 Side Hustles That Promised $500 a Day: Here’s What Happened

Major Texas Lake Hits Lowest Water Level in Decades

The best-run city in America, according to data. Plus, see the rest of the top 50.

How to Hold a Pistol—the Right Way

This Guy's 88-Pound Weight Loss Started with a Simple Change

Taylor Swift releases ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ double album ahead of Record Store Day: Highlights

Catch up on all things 'The Tortured Poets Department':

• Fans celebrated Swift's midnight release of "The Tortured Poets Department" with listening parties and themed gatherings . Many critics praised Swift in their reviews.
• Swift surprised fans at 2 a.m. ET with news of 15 extra songs.
• The album features collaborations with Post Malone and Florence + the Machine. Swift described writing the album as deeply personal. "Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it," she said.
• NBC News' resident Swifties stayed up to blog the biggest takeaways after the album's release.

Vinyl industry rep says pandemic-era manufacturing bottlenecks have eased

"The Tortured Poets Department" is set to be released in special-edition "ghost"-colored vinyl, available both directly through Swift's website and exclusively at Target.

During the pandemic, that might have alarmed vinyl record buyers. As vinyl plants shuttered and employees were sidelined, vinyl production ground to a halt, causing reports of weekslong backlogs and orders going unfulfilled outright.

But in an interview with NBC News on Friday, Dustin Blocker, president of the Vinyl Records Manufacturing Association, said those issues have been resolved and that suppliers now have more than enough capacity to handle any orders coming their way, including massive ones like Swift's.

"In Q3 2023, we saw the [production] timeline start to go back to normal," Blocker said. "And in Q4 it really got back to normal. Now, everyone, including the huge plants, takes only 8-12 weeks [to produce] ... so it's very good news for everyone."

Blocker said any price increases on the supply side sparked by the bottlenecks have essentially reversed.

So, the $40 price tag on the Target edition of "TTPD" is most likely the result of choices made by Swift, her label and the retailer, he said.

Jack Antonoff is sharing BTS pics

Saba Hamedy

Jack Antonoff is giving Swifties what they want: more content.

The Bleachers frontman, who is also Swift’s longtime collaborator and friend, shared pictures of Swift and collaborators on the album, including Florence Welch .

The acting U.S. secretary of labor has a question for Taylor

Acting U.S. Labor Department Secretary Julie Su has a key question for Taylor Swift and her "Tortured Poets Department":

"Is this department unionized?" she wrote in a post on X .

Su, 55, has served as acting secretary since March 2023; she has faced stumbling blocks to being confirmed full time for the role over her perceived pro-union bias .

Destin celebrates Swift shoutout

Nicole Duarte

The city of Destin, Florida, is here for the Swiftie boost.

Google searches for the beach town shot up minutes after Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” was released. The album mentions Destin in the song “Florida!!!” featuring Florence + The Machine.

The city is celebrating the shoutout:

As is Destin's mayor:

Trump gets a question on Taylor

Vaughn Hillyard

A reporter who is part of the pool following Donald Trump on Friday at his hush money trial was able to get in a question to the former president about the new albums.

Trump didn't engage.

Taylor Swift reveals ‘Dateline’ as an inspiration for ‘Florida!!!’

Maddie Ellis, TODAY

Taylor Swift has taken over radio stations, from Channel 13 on SiriusXM to iHeartRadio briefly renaming itself to iHeartTaylor and sharing messages from the songwriter.

Swift revealed in a soundbite played on iHeartRadio that “Florida!!!” — the eighth track of the album and featuring Florence + the Machine — was inspired by “Dateline.”

“I’m always watching, like ‘Dateline,’” Swift said with a laugh. “People, you know, have these crimes that they commit where they immediately skip town and go to Florida. They try to reinvent themselves, have a new identity, blend in.”

It’s the same with heartbreak, she said.

“I think when you go through a heartbreak, there’s a part of you that thinks, ‘I want a new name. I want a new life,’” she said.

Or perhaps in Swift’s case — a new era?

Read more at TODAY.com.

The double album appeared to avoid leaks

Kaetlyn Liddy

The standard edition of "The Tortured Poets Department" is said to have been leaked ahead the album's release. The origin of the apparent leaks is unclear, but none of the songs on the extended "anthology" version of the album seem to have been compromised.

Leaks of major artists' work sometimes occur when physical copies of the album arrive prematurely at record stores or department stores, before the tracks are released on streaming platforms. Fans suspect the surprise drop of the double album was a factor in the 15 extra tracks avoiding leaks.

The extra content was so unexpected that the lyrics of the anthology version have yet to be uploaded to Spotify .

‘The Tortured Poets Department’ broke a Spotify record in 12 hours

"The Tortured Poets Department" is already Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day this year, edging out Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" in less than 12 hours, Spotify confirmed to NBC News.

Swift currently holds the all-time record for most streams in a day by album and by artist for 2022's "Midnights."

Who are The Blue Nile? About the Scottish band named by Swift

In the album's ninth track — "Guilty as Sin?" — Swift name-drops a beloved '80s Scottish band, The Blue Nile.

"Drowning in The Blue Nile. He sent me 'Downtown Lights.' I hadn’t heard it in a while," Swift says in the song.

"Downtown Lights," released in 1989, was the peak of The Blue Nile's commercial success in the U.S., with the song reaching No. 10 on the Billboard American Modern Rock Tracks chart. 1989 is also Swift's birth year and the title of her fifth studio album.

Known for their avoidance of publicity, The Blue Nile has released just four albums since forming in 1981.

Fans share their theories and joy on social media

It wouldn't be a new Taylor Swift album without fans wondering who it's about or decoding the names mentioned in each song. (Who is Cassandra , Taylor?)

That speculation will surely continue, but now that the album is out, fans can't believe their luck. Reactions on social media praised the sonic and lyrical range of the album, saying that "everybody gets everything," whether you listen to Swift for her synth-pop hits or her intimate folk songs.

Author and creator John Green couldn't wait to wake up his daughter to tell her she gets 31 new Taylor Swift songs today.

By the numbers: Will Taylor Swift break her own album sales marks?

Dania Kalaji

“The Tortured Poets Department” blasted to No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes album sales chart following its release. But will it live up to the success of her previous discography?

Here are all of Swift’s bestselling albums in the U.S. ranked to date, according to data from the Recording Industry Association of America.

“Fearless” (2008): 10 million units

“1989” (2014): 9 million units

“Red” (2012): 7 million units

“Taylor Swift” (2006): 7 million units

“Speak Now” (2010): 6 million units

“Reputation” (2017): 3 million units

“Lover” (2019): 3 million units

“Midnights” (2022): 2 million units

“Folklore” (2020): 2 million units

“The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection” (2008): 1 million units

“Evermore” (2020): 1 million units

TikTok rolls out new features to celebrate new album

Daysia Tolentino

As Swifties show their love for "The Tortured Poets Department" on TikTok, they have the chance to be featured in a "Fan Spotlight" carousel that highlights videos with the #TORTUREDPOETSDEPARTMENT hashtag.

TikTok released a "Taylor Swift In-App Experience" that serves as a landing page for all things "TTPD." Fans can complete challenges in exchange for limited-edition "TTPD" profile frames and some Taylor-related searches unlock animations inspired by the album. Searches for "Taylor Swift," "Taylor Nation," and "The Tortured Poets Department" lead fans to the landing page.

The features are particularly notable because Swift's music was pulled off the platform earlier this year as part of a disput between TikTok and Universal Music Group, though many of her tracks returned earlier this month .

Fans on TikTok have already been loving "TTPD," sharing numerous theories , tears and rankings .

Swift's song 'Fortnight' with Post Malone hits No. 1 on Apple

Jason Abbruzzese

That didn't take long.

The song "Fornight" off Swift's new album quickly hit No. 1 on Apple's top song chart. It features rapper and singer Post Malone.

Swift also took the next four spots with "The Tortured Poets Department," "So Long, London," "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toy," and "Down Bad."

The National's Aaron Dessner on working with Swift: 'some of the most lyrically acute, intricate, vulnerable and cathartic' songs

Aaron Dessner, a musician who is part of the rock band The National, posted to Instagram about working with Swift on the album along with a pic of her in a studio.

He said that he has now worked with swift on more than 60 songs, including 17 across her newest release.

"I am forever grateful to Taylor for sharing her insane talents with and trusting me with her music. I believe these songs are some of the most lyrically acute, intricate, vulnerable and cathartic Taylor has ever written and I am continually astonished by her skills as a songwriter and performer," he wrote, adding in thanks to a long list of other artists and producers.

Will Swift break her own streaming records?

The October 2022 release of Swift's 10th studio album, "Midnights" shattered records on Spotify and Apple Music.

"Midnights" became Spotify's most-streamed album in a single day with 184.6 million streams when it debuted. Swift also broke the record for most-streamed artist in a single day on Spotify with 228 million streams.

The album also become the biggest album of all time by a female artist in Apple Music history by first-day and first-week streams worldwide.

Can Swift outdo herself?

Will Swift's album inspire a new college course?

As Swift became increasingly synonymous with American pop culture, universities around the country started creating entire courses dedicated to studying her lyricism and impact.

Some courses focus on Swift as a business and marketing mastermind, while others analyze her storytelling techniques with all the detail and skill of poetry analysis.

Time will tell whether this new album will inspire yet another college course. Our guess is with all the literary references, it's sure to be on some professors minds.

Read more in NBC News' article here .

Saturday is Record Store Day

The release of "The Tortured Poets Department" will come just in time for a notable day in the music industry calendar: Record Store Day on April 20. The annual event has been observed since 2007 to celebrate independent record stores and is often accompanied by exclusive drops by major artists.

Swift has yet to announce a special event, but the date is marked in the TTPD Timetable on her Instagram, suggesting she might have something up her sleeve.

Swift describes new album: 'Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it.'

Patrick Smith

Taylor Swift has offered fans a glimpse into the creative process behind "The Tortured Poets Society" and the emotions that inspired it.

In a press release Friday morning to accompany the new release, the artist said:

"The Tortured Poets Department. An anthology of new works that reflect events, opinions and sentiments from a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time — one that was both sensational and sorrowful in equal measure.

"This period of the author’s life is now over, the chapter closed and boarded up. There is nothing to avenge, no scores to settle once wounds have healed. And upon further reflection, a good number of them turned out to be self-inflicted.

"This writer is of the firm belief that our tears become holy in the form of ink on a page. Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it.

"And then all that’s left behind is the tortured poetry."

To sleep or stream? Swifties question staying up even later

Can you wait until the morning to listen to the 15 extra songs on Swift's anthology?

If you answered no, you're not alone. Online, fans joked that they didn't expect to get this little shut eye.

Among the fans: Gen Z Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla.

"I got votes in the morning. Do I sleep or listen" he wrote .

Others had similar thoughts.

"TAYLOR I HAVE A JOB OH MY GOD" wrote one fan, tagging the artist on X .

"lol Taylor I have to get up early to run errands before work please" wrote another X user.

Leave it to Swift to give us adrenaline to keep us all up a little longer.

'The Tortured Poets Department' becomes Swift's longest album

With the surprise release of 15 additional songs, "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology" has 31 tracks.

That now makes it Swift's longest album, edging ahead of "Red (Taylor's Version)" by just one track.

A list of all 15 of the extra 'Anthology' songs

• “The Black Dog”
• “imgonnagetyouback”
• “The Albatross”
• “Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus”
• “How Did It End?”
• “So High School”
• “I Hate It Here”
• “thanK you aiMee”
• “I Look in People’s Windows”
• “The Prophecy”
• “Cassandra”
• “The Bolter”
• “The Manuscript”

Surprise: a double album!

"The Tortured Poets Department" is a secret DOUBLE album.

In a 2 a.m. ET surprise, Swift announced an extra 15 songs.

"I’d written so much tortured poetry in the past 2 years and wanted to share it all with you, so here’s the second installment of TTPD: The Anthology," she wrote on X . "15 extra songs. And now the story isn’t mine anymore… it’s all yours."

It's 2 a.m.

Now what, Taylor?

ICYMI: Swift's powerhouse publicist Tree Paine gets profiled by WSJ

Swift's longtime publicist, Tree Paine, whom many fans know by name, was the subject of a lengthy Wall Street Journal article published Thursday ahead of the new album's release.

While she declined to be interviewed for the story, it delves into how she became one of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry since she joined Swift's camp in 2014.

“There isn’t a publicist in NY, LA or Nashville that wouldn’t jump at an opportunity to work with someone as talented as Taylor Swift and her management team,” Paine said at the time, according to the New York Post .

Read the full story here.

Couples are now wary of Swift's 'Lover' as a love song

Elena Nicolaou, TODAY

“Lover” — at least until recently — was widely received as one of Swift’s classic love songs. When the album of the same name came out in 2019, its title single was declared  first dance song material , or even a “ wedding waltz .”

In the song, Swift paints a portrait of quiet intimacy. Her wild “Red” days, of thrilling romances with highs and lows and uncertainties in between, had settled into something steadier with one person, captured by a simple chorus: “You’re my, my, my, my lover.”

But that interpretation is now in question, as Swift recasts some of her songs in a different light. Ahead of the release of “The Tortured Poets Department,”  she released five playlists on Apple Music , sorting old songs into groups inspired by the five stages of grief, or “heartbreak.”

Aaron Dessner is credited as a songwriter on five of 16 tracks

Dessner, who is a member of the bands The National and Big Red Machine, is one of two producers who worked on "The Tortured Poets Department."

He's credited as a songwriter on five of the 16 tracks on the standard album.

Dessner first collaborated with Swift on her eighth studio album, “Folklore,” for which he shared in the Grammy win for album of the year. He made several guest appearances with Swift on the U.S. leg of the Eras Tour, joining her onstage during the acoustic set for performances of songs they wrote together.

Here's what some critics are saying in their reviews

Angela Yang

The critics have spoken. Here's a roundup of some of their takeaways on "The Tortured Poets Department."

Billboard ’s Jason Lipshutz praised Swift’s boldness for releasing a “knowingly messy, wildly unguarded breakup album” at what’s arguably the peak of her career. It's more mature than her past heartbreak albums, he writes, and “not everyone will love it, but the ones who get it will adore it fiercely.”

Variety ’s Chris Willman wrote that the album can serve as an “unapologetically dramatic” soundtrack to listeners’ own heartbreaks.

Labeling it Swift’s most personal album yet, Rolling Stone ’s Rob Sheffield described it as “the cathartic confession of a woman who thought she had adulthood — and adult romance — all figured out, only to find herself realizing she knows nothing.”

And unlike on past albums, Swift doesn’t portray herself as a victim in this one, wrote the Los Angeles Times ’ Mikael Wood. Instead, the album emanates “a proudly villainous energy as Swift embraces her messiest and most chaotic tendencies.”

Jack Antonoff, Swift's longtime collaborator, posts love for album

Antonoff, Swift’s longtime collaborator and friend, shared his love for the new album on X .

"Love this album more than I can say," wrote Antonoff, who worked on “The Tortured Poets Department” as a producer.

Antonoff also co-wrote eight of the album's tracks.

Swifties are starting to post reax on X

In typical fashion after a Swift album drops, reactions from fans are pouring in online, and they TEND TO COME IN ALL CAPS.

As any Swiftie will tell you, listening to new music from the artist always proves to be a collective emotional experience.

Spotify appears to be holding it together (so far)

The last time Swift debuted a brand-new album, Spotify crashed. No major issues so far this time around.

Shoutout to the engineers and people behind the scenes who are probably working overtime to make sure Swifties don't panic.

We have a new countdown

Don’t go to bed yet! Taylor Swift’s Instagram page is displaying a new countdown to 2 a.m. ET. This wasn't on the timetable ...

Swift releases statement after album drop

In her first social media post after “The Tortured Poets Department” was released, Swift shared a statement about the album online.

These songs reflect her experiences from a moment in time that was equally “sensational and sorrowful,” she wrote, adding that it is a chapter now closed.

“Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it,” Swift wrote. “And then all that’s left behind is the tortured poetry.”

Who is Clara Bow?

Daniel Arkin

The 16th and final track on the album is named for Clara Bow, one of the leading lights of Hollywood’s silent era.

Bow, unlike a lot of stars from the 1920s, managed to successfully pivot to roles in talkies by the end of the decade. She co-starred in “Wings” (1927), which today is probably best known as the first movie to win the Oscar for best picture.

I’m not a Swiftie, so I don’t have much insight into how Taylor’s music connects to Bow’s acting career — but I’m curious how this track will be interpreted by the die-hards.

The album is here

BRB, we’re busy listening with the rest of y’all.

You can now choose a Swift-themed chat for your Instagram DMs

Instagram users can now set their direct message conversations to a new chat theme inspired by “The Tortured Poets Department.”

Bars, venues hold special Swift parties

On the eve of Swift’s album drop, event venues across the country (and around the world) hosted release parties so Swifties could get their first listen of the “The Tortured Poets Department” on the dance floor.

At Pianos in New York, music from across Swift’s discography will play until the new album drops at midnight. Attendees are encouraged to come in themed outfits and friendship bracelets, and the bar will be serving Swift-inspired cocktails.

In Los Angeles, El Cid is hosting a listening party complete with fan-made merch, giveaways and a themed wall for photos. Attendees can also expect performances from drag queen Jade Jolie, who appeared in Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down” music video.

Several Swiftie-themed events are also being held across the Washington, D.C., area, according to The Washington Post, which compiled a list .

A Swiftie mom and daughter are hosting their own album party

Kristie Gilmore, 36, is ready to celebrate with her daughter, who was born shortly after Swift's “1989” album and has been a Swiftie ever since.

Gilmore decorated her Boston-area apartment with balloons, signs and stickers in the color palette of “The Tortured Poets Department.” She sprinkled the table with handmade confetti of the album’s logo and made TTPD-themed “membership cards” for themselves and each of her daughter’s friends.

“They’ve been counting down since Taylor announced this album,” Gilmore said, adding, “They’re just hanging out, having a dance party. They’re gonna try to stay up till midnight and listen to it.”

What are the track lengths?

The average track length on “The Tortured Poets Department” is 4 minutes and 4 seconds, making it the third longest album across Swift’s discography.

The longest song is “But Daddy I Love Him,” which clocks in at 5 minutes and 40 seconds.

“I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” is the shortest song, at 2 minutes and 36 seconds.

Travis Kelce shared his early thoughts about the album

Ahead of the Super Bowl, Swift's boyfriend, Travis Kelce, the star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, weighed in on the new album.

“I have heard some of it, yes. It is unbelievable,”  Kelce said . “I can’t wait for her to shake up the world when it finally drops.”

The couple , who have become the internet's favorite love story , were most recently spotted at Coachella 's first weekend.

Taylor Swift beat reporter speaks to NBC's Hallie Jackson

USA Today’s Taylor Swift reporter , Bryan West, spoke with NBC News about the album drop and all the Easter eggs being spotted by fans.

Swift's music is back on TikTok despite UMG dispute

Kalhan Rosenblatt

Some songs that Swift fans know “All Too Well” returned to TikTok this month, months after they were removed.

The songs were among the many tracks Universal Music Group pulled off TikTok after the label and the platform  failed to reach an agreement  this year. (UMG has no relationship to NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.)

UMG, known as one of the “Big Three” global music companies, cleared its music from TikTok in late January, saying it was doing so because of a lack of compensation for artists and songwriters. TikTok previously fired back at UMG, accusing the company of putting “their own greed above the interests of artists and songwriters.”

The economics of 'The Tortured Poets Department'

Doha Madani

Die-hard Taylor Swift fans will be spending a pretty penny on her latest album release as she releases four variants of the album with one exclusive track each.

Each variant of “The Tortured Poets Department” is named after the bonus song found at the end of the album: “The Manuscript,” “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog.” If a fan wanted to collect them all, the minimum for $13.99 CDs at a store would cost at least $55.96 before taxes.

Longtime Swifties are already familiar with her tendency to provide deluxe editions, as anyone who was around for her original “1989” release can recall the Target exclusive that included three bonus tracks and three voice memos recorded by Swift. 

Her “Midnights” release included a Target exclusive track that was added to streaming only months later, and in May she released a new song on “Midnights (The Late Night Edition).” But this is the first time Swift has put an exclusive song on each individual variant, with no clear timeline for when they might be added to streaming. 

2024: The year of Post Malone and the pop girlies

Rebecca Cohen

Fresh off of a collab with Beyoncé on "LEVII'S JEANS" from her now-famed "Cowboy Carter," Post Malone finds himself on another major release of 2024: Swift's "The Tortured Poets Department."

He joins Swift on the album's first song, "Fortnight." Swift announced that "Fortnight" would be the album's lead single and the song for which she is releasing a music video 8 o'clock tomorrow night.

"I’ve been such a huge fan of Post because of the writer he is, his musical experimentation and those melodies he creates that just stick in your head forever," Swift wrote on social media. "I got to witness that magic come to life firsthand when we worked together on Fortnight."

While best known for more rap-focused songs, Post Malone is clearly making the rounds in the pop music scene, having also recently collaborated with Noah Kahan on "Dial Drunk." But his back-to-back appearances on arguably two of the biggest albums from pop artists this year raise the questions: Is Post Malone becoming a pop girlie? Is he just having a moment? Or is it all of the above?

There's a book about Swift's impact headed to bookshelves

Rolling Stone writer and music historian Rob Sheffield's book "Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music" will debut Nov. 12.

He's expected to dive further into Swift’s music and fan connection.

Swifties are celebrating with their own listening parties

Many Swifties are sharing their elaborate party setups online as they prepare to celebrate the album release at home.

Karen Rothdeutsch, 25, has decked out her bedroom in upstate New York with “The Tortured Poets Department”-themed decorations, complete with a platter of homemade cupcakes decorated to match Swift’s various vinyl variants.

“I just made my space a little more immersive for my first listen,” Rothdeutsch told NBC News. “I’ll be sitting in my bed with a box of tissues and a notebook, writing down my thoughts and probably checking into Twitter every so often to see what everybody’s thinking about it.”

She said she procured the decorations over the course of several weeks, but the whole setup cost her less than $100. While she decorates on a budget, she said she did splash out on the vinyl variants and collector’s edition CDs.

Swift's new album is already breaking a Spotify record

Spotify said on X that the “The Tortured Poets Department” became the most pre-saved album countdown page in the streaming service’s history.

Since its launch on March 28, TTPD's countdown page has ticked down to the album’s drop, now just hours away.

Was Swift's Grammys dress a 'Fortnight' Easter egg?

The white gown Swift wore to the 2024 Grammys, where she announced "The Tortured Poets Department," appears to have been an Easter egg.

Swift appears to be wearing a very similar dress in the teaser for the "Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)" music video, which will debut 8 p.m. ET tomorrow.

Swift was also pictured hugging Post Malone at the ceremony. Some fans online pointed out a similar shot of the two singers that appears in the teaser for the music video.

Swift drops 'Fortnight' music video teaser

Swift blessed fans with a teaser for “Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)," the album's first single.

"At this hearing, I stand before my fellow members of The Tortured Poets Department with a summary of my findings. Album tonight. Fortnight music video tomorrow at 8pm et," Swift wrote in a post on X , which was accompanied by a short video clip.

The black-and-white teaser gave a sneak peak of the visuals for the music video. It's a combination of dramatic period gowns and a bleak medical setting in this supercut that is reminiscent of "Poor Things," which Swift's longtime friend Emma Stone recently won the best actress Oscar for.

Swift had announced she'd be dropping a music video at 8 p.m. ET tomorrow by sharing a “TTPD Timetable” on her Instagram page this week.

Merch is here — and already selling out

Hours before the album’s release, themed merchandise for “The Tortured Poets Department” is now available to order online.

The merch drop includes hoodies, crewnecks and gold jewelry branded with the album’s logo. A display case for the album vinyls seemingly sold out within minutes.

ICYMI: The Eras Tour concert film is on Disney+

In case you need something to do as you count down to the new album, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” is on Disney+. Swift announced the film would be available for streaming in February.

The film features all songs from the three Los Angeles tour dates during which it was filmed at SoFi Stadium. They include “cardigan,” as well as four additional acoustic surprise songs from the tour: “I Can See You,” “Maroon,” “You Are in Love” and “Death by a Thousand Cuts.”

Swifties online are freaking out over purported ‘leaks’

The internet was at it again this week, with some online circulating what they said were leaks of Swift's new album. It is unclear from where and when the apparent leaks originated, but one Reddit thread is already filled with commentary.

As early as Tuesday, "taylor swift leak" appeared to be blocked from searches on X. Instead, when a user tried to search the phrase, a blank page popped up with the message, "Something went wrong. Try reloading."

The secret message has been decoded

The sixth and final word of the secret message, “mortem,” was revealed today, hidden in the lyrics of the song “Begin Again.”

The complete secret message is: “We hereby conduct this post mortem.”

In a collaboration with Apple Music, Swift sorted some of her existing songs into thematic playlists , along with audio messages from her.

The messages seemed to confirm some fans’ theories that the playlists mirrored the five stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance — indicating that the new album may grapple with grief or loss. Swift later used a song from each playlist to reveal a hidden word on Apple Music every day leading up to the release of “The Tortured Poets Department.”

Swift sets fans loose on an international puzzle

Swifties had a big day yesterday after murals with QR codes were unveiled in cities around the world, including Mexico City, Paris and Chicago.

Fans stumbled upon the murals, which Swift had not announced, and scanned them to find a link to a YouTube Shorts video. Every mural had a unique code that led to a different video, each revealing a new letter as part of a word puzzle.

Fans came together online to help decode the puzzle, which seemed to hint at the new album's first track, because it spelled out "for a fortnight."

Swifties in Los Angeles flock to Spotify pop-up library

Many Los Angeles Swifties celebrated the new album with a pop-up library installation in partnership with Spotify.

The three-day event, which runs through today at The Grove, featured a sneak peek at some of the album's lyrics.

Fans posted videos of themselves lined up for hours to get a glimpse at the installation.

A manuscript was front and center at the installation, revealing new lyrics periodically as the pages were turned over the course of three days.

Many fans online tried to identify other potential Easter eggs in the pop-up library, such as a bust of a peace sign, quill and fountain pens and a globe that appeared to be pointing to Florida, the name of a track on the album.

Why is the album called 'The Tortured Poets Department'?

Fans were quick to note that “The Tortured Poets Department” is the longest title for a Taylor Swift album by a large margin, a distinction previously held by her third album, "Speak Now." Before "TTPD," "Speak Now" was her only album title consisting of more than one word.

Speculation surrounding the new album and its uncharacteristic title has primarily revolved around Swift’s  2023 breakup  with British actor Joe Alwyn after their six-year relationship.

After the album announcement, a  2022 Variety interview  between Alwyn and Paul Mescal resurfaced on X. The pair revealed in the interview that they were both members of a WhatsApp group chat titled the Tortured Man Club, prompting some fans to  draw parallels  between Alwyn and Swift’s upcoming album.

The true meaning of “The Tortured Poets Department” remains to be seen, but the album's rollout has featured references to famous poems like Charles Baudelaire’s “The Albatross,” among other literary references.

Clues keep coming

Speculation continues to grow over clues for lyrics, song titles and the album’s first music video.

Not much from Miss Swift so far

It's been a notably quiet rollout for "The Tortured Poets Department."

No themed Instagram grid overhaul, no lead singles, not even a cryptic calendar leading Swifties on wild goose chases for potential Easter eggs.

A week before the release, Taylor Swift was rocking out at Coachella instead of feeding her fans who are desperate for a hint of what's to come.

Aside from a hand-painted QR code on the side of a building in Chicago, a planned exhibit at The Grove in Los Angeles in partnership with Spotify and a quick video released Tuesday that appears to leave the "Midnights" era in the dust as viewers tour The Tortured Poets Department, Swift has been silent on what we can expect.

In the video , posted to her Instagram account, we did get a glimpse of a schedule that only showed release day, and on it, the promise of a music video on Friday at 8 p.m. ET. Fourteen tick marks beneath led some to think the music video could be for the 14th track on the album, or for the leading song, "Fortnight," since a fortnight is 14 days.

Swifties believing in the latter theory proved to be correct. Swift announced that the music video would be for "Fortnight" in a Thursday afternoon social media post.

Swifties online continue to grasp for any details to try to figure out what this mastermind might have in store for her beloved fan base.

What songs are on the new album?

Here's what songs are on the track list.

• "Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)"
• "The Tortured Poets Department"
• "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys"
• "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)"
• "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart"
• "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived"
• "The Alchemy"
• "Clara Bow"

Swift has also announced four bonus tracks: "The Manuscript," “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog.” Each bonus track will be available on a separate vinyl variant and won't be on the streaming version of the album.

When does 'The Tortured Poets Department' drop?

Swift's 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," will be released Friday at 12 a.m. ET, or 9 p.m. PT.

It will be available for purchase on vinyl, on cassette, as a digital album and in CD form. It will also be on several streaming services, including Spotify and Apple Music.

But if you plan to stream “The Tortured Poets Department” right after its release, be prepared for potential delays. When Swift’s most recent brand-new album, “Midnights,” was released, Spotify  briefly crashed  because of intense demand.

Angela Yang is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News.

Doha Madani is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. Pronouns: she/her.

Rebecca Cohen is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

is culture and trends editor for NBC News Digital.

Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department is here, but it could be a logistical nightmare for the Eras Tour

Get ready for another Taylor Swift era.

The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD) is the superstar's 11th studio album and is being released around the world today.

It'll be dropping the second the clock hits midnight on the east coast of America, which will be this afternoon in Australia.

• 2pm AEST : ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria
• 1:30pm ACST : Northern Territory and South Australia
• 12pm AWST : Western Australia

So far, we know the album is a whopping 16 songs (not including bonus vinyl tracks) and features multiple collaborations, including with Florence + The Machine.

We also know the first single will be Fortnight featuring Post Malone, with a music video dropping tomorrow morning as well.

Despite no singles being released in its lead up, clues point to TTPD seemingly being inspired by the five stages of grief : denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

Plus, many fans have speculated that the album title is a reference to the name of a group chat Swift's ex was part of – The Tortured Man Club.

And while The Tortured Poets Department could very well set new streaming records, it also poses a logistical nightmare for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour: how do you include yet another album into a show that is over three hours long?

Below, two ABC reporters and Swifties weigh up the likelihood of how the megastar might adapt her sell-out tour when it recommences in Europe next month.

We could lose some songs from every era to make room

Jessica : This seems like the most likely course of action. To put things into perspective, the Eras Tour includes songs from nine albums, but their airtime varies wildly. Lover, Folklore and Midnights have at least six songs, while Speak Now gets just two. So this might be a chance to balance things out?

Georgie : It would make the most sense to me. I can't imagine a tour that doesn't spend at least some time on the freshest music. But, this is a unique scenario. You have an artist who is essentially doing a greatest hits tour at the age of 34 while she is still churning out new music.

If she does cut music to make room for Tortured Poets, it will be very divisive. Every fan has their favourite era. But, I think if she was to I would hope she cuts songs she has already toured. You have to remember she put out four (now five) albums since her last tour and I imagine it would make the most sense for her to give more air time to Lover, Folklore, Evermore, Midnights and TTPD.

Jessica : If you were in charge of Taylor Swift's setlist, which songs would you cull? I'd ditch The Archer from the Lover era so it ends with, well, Lover. I'd be ruthless and cut most of the songs from the Red era as nothing compares to All Too Well (10 Minute Version). But keep the Reputation portion as is! It's perfect.

What if smaller eras, like Fearless and Speak Now, got cut altogether?

Jessica : I love chaos so I would not bat an eye if Taylor Swift dropped the entire Speak Now era from her tour. (But Enchanted is such a core memory for a lot of fans.) I know this might be a wild concept but there's not one song from her self-titled debut album in the Eras Tour (justice for Our Song!), so make of that what you will.

Georgie : I think this will cause a major generational divide. The beautiful part about the Eras Tour is you have fans new and old coming together. Taylor has been making music since 2009 and the Eras Tour has been a chance for people in their twenties and thirties to dress up in glitter and be teenagers again while sharing the new music with teenagers today. I'm a folklore girl through and through so I am hoping if any eras get sacrificed it's the older ones. But I can't lie, it's pretty special to belt out Love Story with thousands of other people.

Could we lose the two surprise songs for a few Tortured Poets hits?

Georgie : Controversial opinion but I would be ok with this. Although, take this as you want because I have experienced the Eras Tour. But the section is a gamble anyway. You never know what she's going to play and someone is always disappointed or their top pick is played another night. If you cut this section, no-one gets hurt. Maybe she subs it out for three best songs from TTPD?

Jessica : I missed out on tickets for the Eras Tour altogether so I was taken aback seeing fans who did score tickets complaining about which night got "better" surprise songs. You can't please everyone! I agree, this would level the playing field and take the comparison factor out of the tour… but I wonder if that uniqueness is a marketing factor as some super fans attend multiple concerts in the same city.

Imagine if she just… didn't play her new album

Georgie : Don't say it or it might come true!

Jessica : I think this would be the riskiest option. Imagine the disappointment on the first night when the tour recommences in Paris on May 9. But some fans, especially in America, who witnessed the Eras Tour last year before this album was announced feel it's unfair if other countries get a different experience. But that's what happens with the passage of time!

Georgie : I see your point but you have to remember we're in an age where many people have watched the Eras Tour happen through TikTok and the cinema release. So is it really missing out when it's been inescapable for over a year? This could be a chance for the people who have waited so long for the Europe leg – who have basically watched the tour on streaming and all over TikTok – to have something unique and worth the cash.

Or she could just include the new album and make the show nearly *four hours* long?

Jessica : I think this option would please the most fans, but I genuinely don't know how she performs for hours on end each night and then travels through different time zones. Oh,  to be a billionaire with a whole team taking care of everything all the time.

Georgie : I don't see this happening. Costs would skyrocket and many stadiums have a noise curfew. That's new costumes, sets and dance routines.

Jessica : But I would eat up new costumes, sets and dance routines! A four-hour concert is outrageous, which makes me think she might very well pick this option. Time will tell.

Georgie : I'm obviously a Swiftie but when I found out about the new album and what that might mean for the tour I just felt… overwhelmed. I'm still processing the release of four albums and two Taylor's Versions in four years. And now she's putting out new music? It's simply too much! The concert is a marathon but if I did have to go to a four-hour show, I'd do it for Ms Swift.

The worst option: Swapping All Too Well (10 Minute Version) for the radio edit to save time

Jessica : Sacrilegious.

Georgie : The people would riot. Jake Gyllenhaal would be thrilled though.

Final thoughts

Jessica : With everything going on in the world, I think this is a fun problem to ponder, and an interesting one for Taylor to tackle. I wish her well in whatever form the Eras Tour takes, because fans are going to have strong opinions either way.

Georgie: I worry that Taylor needs a holiday but, as you said, she's a billionaire now so I think she'll be fine. I hope she tours future albums but I also support her having a rest. Go chill with the cats and Travis. You've danced in high heeled boots for two years.

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

Taylor swift's understanding of the element of surprise is her best marketing tool.

'Do I need to give a billionaire more money?' How Taylor Swift's financial status collides with fans

Was 1989 the birth of superstar Taylor Swift or just her supersized financial ambitions? Let’s discuss

'A celebration of girlhood': Why the act of dressing up for Taylor Swift is so layered

Taylor Swift named Time magazine's Person of the Year, beating Putin, King Charles III and Barbie

• Arts, Culture and Entertainment
• Music (Arts and Entertainment)
• Music Industry
• Popular Culture
• United States