Taylor Swift incorporates a new era to her discography with the release of her newest album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” Photo by Hindustan Times.

At the 2024 Grammys, Taylor Swift announced she would be releasing a brand-new album called The Tortured Poets Department on Apr. 19 of this year. Fans immediately began to create new theories and look for any clues Swift had left, which fans refer to as “Easter eggs.”

Swift referred to the album aesthetic as a “Reputation and Folklore love child that bridges 2014 Tumblr and sophisticated business casual.” We can see this in Swift’s clothing choices, the black-and-white filters, and the newspaper office or “department” graphics. For promotional videos, we see Swift lying on papers, flipping through the booklet from her vinyl release with a vintage filter, and Swift reading a poem in a voice-over.

The night the album was released, fans were buzzing with anticipation, eagerly awaiting the new music. The surprise revelation that it was a double album, with an additional 15 songs, sent waves of excitement through the fan community. This brought The Tortured Poets Department up to a staggering 31 songs. (13 reversed, which is a number with a special significance for Swift’s fans and herself.)

The album itself is filled with upbeat sad songs, sad songs, love songs, and what fans call “ovulation songs.” The lead single and only single at the moment is “Fortnight,” which features Post Malone. In the music video, Swift seems to portray the Tortured Poets Department as an asylum that she is locked in. Fans locked onto this and began analyzing songs and her past relationship with Joe Alwyn.

One song many Swifties believe is about Alwyn is “So Long, London.” At the beginning of the song, Swift’s soft vocals sound like wedding bells before we are met with a fast-paced techno beat. Many fans believe this is Swift’s way of saying she would marry Alwyn before things went sour. Swifties also believe in the song she is referring to Alwyn as London. This is a likely theory since Joe Alwyn is from London.

A song that resonates deeply with fans, evoking a mix of emotions from tears to joy, is “Down Bad.” This upbeat track, where Swift sings about crying at the gym and her singular desire for her loved one, has struck a chord with fans. Another song that has stirred strong reactions is “Guilty as Sin,” an “ovulation” song that inspired tattoos and sent shockwaves through the Swiftie community when fans realized what the lyrics meant.

As a Swiftie, I cannot get enough of these albums and have had them on repeat since the release. I have enjoyed looking into all the fan theories and cannot wait to see how The Tortured Poets Department gets incorporated into the Eras Tour.