After over a year of silence, Taylor Swift has announced the release date of new music and fans don’t know what to expect.
On Feb. 4, Swift announced her album, The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD), to over 17 million people at the 66th Grammy Awards. Within minutes, the posted album cover had over one million likes on Instagram, and fans around the world were internally (and externally) screaming in excitement.Â
Following her last original release, Midnights, Swifties have a lot to say about the upcoming album.
Benjamin Van Dine, a third-year creative industries student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), said that even before seeing Swift’s 1989 World Tour in 2015, he had been a devoted fan and is an aspiring future member of her PR team.Â
“It leaves so much up to the imagination in that there are endless possibilities where the songs could go… from an audience perspective, we have a very good idea of what she’s going to be talking about,” said Van Dine, in regards to fan expectations. “With Midnights songs like “Maroon,” “Mastermind,” [and] “Lavender Haze,” it left a little bit more up to the imagination.”
The tracklist for Midnights left fans guessing with its straightforward titles, but the TTPD tracklist has stirred the pot with song titles like “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” and “So Long, London,” which leads suspicions to be about her English ex-boyfriend, Joe Alwyn. With the heart-wrenching track list and known lore of her breakup, fans like Van Dine are confident they know what to expect.
Regarding the album’s mood and sound, Van Dine said he’s hopeful this album will be similar to folklore in the way that Taylor will offer a more introspective view into herself and “run wild” with her art and creativity.Â
“This, I’m hoping, is a similar thing and where she’s melding, kind of really genius lyricism and personal freedom with a lot of just kind of like introspective, fun synth poppy music,” said Van Dine.
Other fans have a different outlook on how the album could sound.Â
Rayne Weadick, a third-year creative industries student at TMU, hopes the album offers an “ivy” and “gold rush” vibe, which are both songs from her ninth album evermore.Â
“I think it might be just like, not as stripped back as folklore or evermore, but I think the lyrics will probably still be pretty upsetting. Distressing, if you will,” she said.
As far as songs she is looking forward to, Weadick said she is excited, yet worried, about “Florida!!!” which features Florence and the Machine.Â
“I’m nervous about her doing a song with Florence because of her song with Hayley Williams. If you have a voice, like Hayley Williams, and you don’t showcase it, that’s like, girl, what the hell?” said Weadick.
Swift received backlash from fans when she released “Castles Crumbling” featuring Hayley Williams, an anticipated song that was on her re-released version of her album, Speak Now. They claimed the song did not demonstrate Williams’ voice to its fullest potential and there was not enough of her on the song, ultimately leaving them dissatisfied with the track.
A similar situation arose with Lana Del Ray when she was featured on a Midnights song, “Snow On the Beach,” as fans said Swift showed a lack of production showcasing her counter-artist’s voice.
Six months after the song was released, Swift re-released a new version of the song entitled “Snow On the Beach (feat. More Lana Del Ray),” where you were able to hear more of Del Ray’s voice on the track. Fans were satisfied yet annoyed at Swift for the lack of inclusion in the first place.Â
“I don’t want Florence and The Machine to be attached to anything that isn’t other than art,” said Weadick.
Swift’s new album is set to be released in April. 19, 2024. You can preorder the album now on her website.