Taylor Swift is releasing a new album this Friday. Shortly following this release, she will also premiere a music video. For most pop stars, this sequence of events would be so predictable and commonplace that it would hardly require any elaboration or interpretation. But since the year is 2024 and the star in question is Swift, this announcement comes with a series of blaring siren emojis and (presumably) plenty of Easter eggs in the announcement video clip that Swift posted to Instagram on April 16.
Swift's 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department, was announced at the Grammy Awards on Feb. 4. It has not been preceded by any advance singles, which means the star's somewhat intense fanbase has been busy scouring all advance promotional media for any sort of clue as to the album's contents, style, subject matter, uncredited collaborators, heroes, or villains. Hence the importance of the following video clip, with its (seemingly!) mundane imagery.
Today's clip, which zips through three different locations, offers us glimpses of the following: an analog wall clock reading 2:00 (the time zone is unclear, though the light coming through the windows would appear to indicate that it is 2:00 PM); a guitar; a copy of Swift's previous album, Midnights; four more vinyl records whose titles are illegible; a pile of wadded-up papers; a bright beige hallway; a mahogany door with a placard reading "Tortured Poets Department"; two typewriters; two desks; two coffee cups (cardboard, white, unbranded); and a white board reading "4/19: The Tortured Poets Department release day -- 8 PM EST, music video release!!" above hash marks which correspond to the number 14.
Does any of this mean anything to you? Surely it means something to someone.
In any case, Taylor Swift has a music video arriving this Friday.
Swift announced the new album at the Grammy Awards in February.
In other Swift news, the star's music reappeared on TikTok late last week, after having been pulled, along with songs from dozens of artists, following music industry giant Universal Music Group's royalty dispute with the video platform. Older songs from Swift's Big Machine era are still unavailable, although her "Taylor's Version" re-recordings of Fearless, Red, Speak Now, and 1989 can all be found, as can music from her most recent releases.
She also took advantage of the North American solar eclipse on April 8 to throw some more puzzling tidbits in her fans' direction, with a clip on her Instagram Stories typing out the following verses: "Crowd goes wild at her fingertips / Half moonshine / Full eclipse." Were these song lyrics? Secret codes? Warnings? A simple acknowledgement that an eclipse was occurring and that Taylor Swift also performs to enthusiastic crowds?
In any case, Swift will have a new album out this Friday.
'Tortured Poets' will be Swift's 11th studio album.
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Following the album’s release, Swift will jump back into her career-spanning Eras Tour beginning May 9 in Paris, France with eight shows at Wembley Stadium (three in June, five in August, ending with the final date on Aug. 20). Paramore will be the support for European, UK and Ireland shows.
From there, Swift hops back to North America, with nine shows in three cities in the U.S. and nine dates in two cities in Canada ending Dec. 8. Gracie Abrams will be the support act for these shows.
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