During the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, singer-songwriter and pop sensation Taylor Swift won her 13th Grammy Award in the Best Pop Vocal Album category for Midnights. In her acceptance speech, she announced the release of her new album.
“I want to say thank you to the members of the Recording Academy for voting this way, but I know that the way that the Recording Academy voted is a direct reflection of the passion of the fans,” Swift said in her speech. “So I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret that I have been keeping from you for the last two years, which is that my brand-new album comes out April 19th. It’s called ‘The Tortured Poets Department.’”
Many fans fully expected Swift to formally announce “Reputation,” one of the last two remaining albums in her “Taylor’s Version” re-recording project. Swift’s decision to unveil a completely new project caught people off guard.
“I did not expect a brand-new album,” sophomore Emma Goldsworthy said. “I was initially waiting for a rerelease of Reputation, so I was shocked when it turned out to be a completely new album.”
After her Grammy’s announcement, Swift dropped the official tracklist for the new album. The Tortured Poets Department will feature 16 songs and one bonus track. Along with this, the Grammy-winning singer announced the upcoming album has two features. The first track, “Fortnight,” includes a feature by Post Malone, and the song “Florida!!!” features Florence and the Machine.
While these collaborations might come as a shock to many, sophomore Lexi Holding is excited Swift is expanding her genre and teaming up with more acclaimed musicians.
“I’m so excited for the features and I’m happy Taylor is expanding her genre and collaborating with such a wide range of artists,” Holding said. “I’m very excited for “Florida!!!” because I’m already a fan of Florence and The Machine, so seeing some of my favorite artists work together is amazing.”
Swift’s fans are already theorizing what the new album will be like. Sophomore Ana Ortiz thinks it’s going to be similar to her award-winning album, Midnights, and is excited about it.
“I think the new album is going to be a similar style to the Midnight productions,” Ortiz said. “I think the album is going to be really good. I am feeling very nervous yet excited and happy about it. It’s a lot of different emotions but ultimately, I have high hopes for the album and am looking forward to it.”
