Happy Tortured Poets Week to all who celebrate! It’s hard to believe Taylor Swift is releasing her 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department, this week (part of me still feels like it’s 2016 and I’m wondering if TS6 is ever going to be announced!). Between all the lyrics Taylor has teased, the number of 5+ minute songs on the album, and Apple Music’s word hints, this album release is making me feel nostalgic in a way no Taylor album has ever done before. Here’s a list of all the old Taylor Swift things I’m feeling nostalgic for as the Tortured Poets era begins.
- Album Booklet Secret Messages
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For her first five albums, Taylor hid secret messages within the lyrics in her CD album booklets that gave more context about her songs. Some of these messages linked songs to each other — for example, the secret message for “Last Kiss” is “forever and always.” For 1989, the secret messages told a chronological story, ending with the fan favorite message, “She lost him but she found herself, and somehow that was everything.” Apple Music’s word hints for The Tortured Poets Department — in which a clue for the album is left in the lyrics of Taylor’s past songs — are reminiscent of the original secret messages, which many Swifties have fond memories of decoding on their bedroom floors.
- T-Party
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When Taylor embarked on the Fearless Tour in 2009, she thought of a unique way to meet fans after every show: for her mom and team to scout the crowd for the most enthusiastic fans and invite them backstage to a free meet & greet known as the T-Party. This tradition went through many stylish name changes — Club RED, Loft 89, and Rep Room — as it stuck around for many tours, encouraging fans to dress up in elaborate costumes and dance for the chance of being noticed. There’s nothing a Swiftie wants more than to hear Andrea Swift’s magic words: “Have you ever met Taylor before? Do you want to?”
- Taylor’s Vlogs
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We’re all familiar with Taylor Swift, Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter, but who remembers Taylor Swift the YouTube vlogger? Taylor used to document everything on her YouTube channel from Fearless Tour shenanigans to bowling with Selena Gomez to getting her retainers fitted. Someone needs to help Taylor remember her YouTube password because a comeback vlog of Eras Tour life isn’t a want, but a need.
- Buying Her Own Albums on Release Day
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Taylor Swift is just like me: when there’s a new Taylor Swift album out, she immediately goes out to buy a CD copy. When she released Fearless in 2008, Taylor went to a local Walmart to buy the CD for herself and ended up buying and signing a bunch more for fans she met there. She’s done this for every album until reputation in 2017.
- Taylor’s Many Forms of Body Art
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It’s a well-known fact that Taylor used to draw a 13 on the back of her hand for live performances as an ode to her lucky number — and although she’s stopped after waking up with Sharpie smeared on her face one too many times, she now has a 13 hidden within the jewels of her sparkly Eras Tour guitar. Besides her iconic 13, Taylor used to draw a heart on her foot, write song lyrics down her arms, and even admitted to drawing on her eyeliner with a Sharpie in a pinch.
- The 13-Hour Meet & Greet
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To show her dedication to her fans, Taylor hosted the 13-Hour Meet & Greet in Nashville in 2010 where she performed live and met as many fans as possible — for free! As the day went on, Taylor had a different fan write a number on her arm in Sharpie for every hour she met fans. The final number on her arm? 14 ½, because of course, Taylor would stay longer if it meant making another fan’s day.
- Surprise Songs
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The acoustic surprise song set is the most anticipated moment of every Eras Tour show, but many don’t know that this segment used to look a bit different—in fact, her surprise songs weren’t always her own songs! The surprise song tradition began during the Speak Now World Tour in 2011, where Taylor would cover a song by an artist from the city where she was performing. Her cover of “Drops of Jupiter” by Train is a fan favorite. She started singing her own songs as surprise songs during the RED Tour, where she showed off her vocals in new renditions of old songs like “Teardrops On My Guitar.” Songs like “Fifteen” and “22” frequently appeared on the b-stage during the 1989 and reputation tours, and it wasn’t until the Eras Tour in 2023 that Taylor committed to playing different songs every night, with scarce repeats.
Whether you were around for Taylor’s Sharpie eyeliner days or you’re joining us for your very first album release, your knowledge of this list officially qualifies you as an intern of the Tortured Poets Department.