This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at NCSU chapter.
So… Taylor Swift is coming out with a new album!! I’m sure you’ve heard the news already, but she announced her brand new album, The Tortured Poets Department (coming out on April 19th), when accepting the award for Best Pop Vocal Album for Midnights at the Grammys. Last time Taylor announced her album, Midnights, I predicted what the songs would be about and thought, let’s do it again!
This album’s tracklist didn’t come out in cryptic TikTok videos, but with just a picture of the back cover of the album itself (boo leakers). But the track titles themselves raised some eyebrows, mine included, so let’s begin.
- Fortnight (ft. Post Malone): I think this will be one of the more upbeat songs of the album, though I’m totally lost on what the overall sound of the album will be. Post Malone has such a good voice and I think this collaboration will shock a lot of people. I know fortnight means two weeks, so I think this will be about some sort of events or emotion that occurs over the period of two weeks.
- The Tortured Poets Department: A title track! With this also being a Track 2, I think it will be popular, or even a single. I think it will be a really wordy and poetic song and wrap the album’s main themes into one track. I think the lyrics she posted along with the album announcement are from this song.
- My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys: This is one of the more interesting song titles to me, so I’m really intrigued. I am honestly feeling a more sassy song, something like “Look What You Made Me Do” or “Vigilante Shit.”
- Down Bad: Something about Taylor using this phrase is making me crazy! I think it will obviously be about liking someone she shouldn’t, but also about realizing she isn’t in the right about it.
- So Long, London: Oh boy, this being Track 5 is scaring me. I think it will be absolutely devastating. Isolate herself in London and finding comfort in it, then writing this after realizing she’ll never have that sweet memory again or spend as much time there – devastating.
- But Daddy I Love Him: This track title also shocked me, like where is this going? Some people have noticed that it is what Ariel says to her father in The Little Mermaid when she wanted to give up her voice for a boy. So hopefully this will be a nice metaphorical ballad.
https://x.com/thelasstime/status/1754687271134023819?s=46&t=pdV4m0Q3a5Dd8D8I-mr7Jg
- Fresh Out The Slammer: I saw someone say that they hoped she wrote this the first night she was seen out this year, in those butterfly jeans (IYKYK). She was finally clean!
- Florida!!! (ft. Florence and the Machine): Another exciting collab!!! This song might be about her Florida shows right after she announced her break up with Joe. I think it will be more upbeat and about being free.
- Guilty as Sin?: I think this one could be slow and about realizing she was at fault for something, while also being more mad and accusing. Or both? Maybe like “Get Him Back!” by Olivia Rodrigo.
- Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?: I think this song will be more upbeat, but sadder. I think it will be really lyrical and Taylor diving into the topic about how sometimes she feels so big and how she doesn’t fit in.
- I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can): Well, we’ve all been here. Something about Taylor writing this as a song too feels comforting.
- loml: All lowercase letters feel important here… people were discussing that maybe she changes what it stands for throughout the song, like “love of my life” to “loss of my life.” Maybe it will have lyrical ties back to “I Don’t Want To Live Forever.”
- I Can Do It With a Broken Heart: This song reminds me of a video I saw recently of her wiping her tears on tour after singing “Lover.” Having to put on her impressive tour through everything she’s going through, but hey, she can do it with a broken heart, right?
- The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived: Yikes, this can’t be anything but bad. I think this will be a song about holding a certain someone accountable to what he did during their relationship.
- The Alchemy: Alchemy is related to chemistry, particularly gold. I think this will be sad, like Afterglow, and maybe have lyrical patterns and ties back into “champagne problems,” and the “Midas Touch” lyrics.
- Clara Bow: Boy do I love a closing track! And I just know this one will be a perfect way to wrap up this album. I did not know who Clara Bow was until last week, but the more I learn about her, the more I understand why Taylor would write a song about her. She was a total Hollywood “It Girl,” just like Taylor. Oh, and did I mention her Hollywood Star is on the corner of Sunset and Vine – how does she do it??
https://x.com/tsholyground/status/1754683332434989440?s=46&t=pdV4m0Q3a5Dd8D8I-mr7Jg
- The Manuscript: Something about this song is making me suspicious… Why did she announce the title before any other album information? And why is it on the back cover in its own section? And why does it have to be a bonus track? The title is confusing too because a manuscript, which totally fits into the theme of poetry and everything else, but isn’t she writing a movie too? Maybe this has something to do with that – her next era?
Looking forward to April 19th – it can’t come fast enough! I hope my predictions are somewhat on par, but I know whatever Taylor has to say, I’ll love. Alright, that’s all the album predicting I can do for now. Until next time, Taylor?