THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT

The Tortured Poets Department is the eleventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Released on April 19, 2024, via Republic Records, the album was written and produced by Swift, Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner. Swift announced the album at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024, after winning Best Pop Vocal Album for her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). Swift conceived The Tortured Poets Department shortly after finishing work on Midnights and continued developing the former during the Eras Tour (2023–2024), her ongoing sixth concert tour. Self-described as her "lifeline" album, The Tortured Poets Department was perceived by Swift as a culmination of imperative songwriting. The album's music is a mix of subtle pop rock, synth-pop stylings and folk elements, mostly driven by the guitar and piano. The subject matter delves into Swift's psyche, introspecting on her public and private lives. Critics have described the album as a cathartic and self-conscious project, blending sorrow and humor. Issued as a double album, the standard volume of The Tortured Poets Department consists of sixteen songs, featuring collaborations with the American rapper Post Malone and the English indie rock band Florence and the Machine. The second volume, subtitled The Anthology, was surprise-released two hours after the standard volume and contains fifteen additional songs. "Fortnight", featuring Malone, was named the album's lead single.