Before Taylor Swift drops The Tortured Poets Department tomorrow night at midnight, she is giving fans a ton of cryptic clues to build the mystery. Yesterday, alongside her Spotify pop-up taking place in Los Angeles, she posted a video to her Instagram that hints at the release timetable. For context, Swift did a similar thing ahead of dropping her 2022 album, Midnights, but this takes it to another level.
The 3D-style video starts in the room seemingly for Midnights, with the vinyl records for it scattered on the floor. Viewers are then led into a hallway, which some Swifties have compared to a hospital — but it also gives off a horror video game energy. After peering through a keyhole, we enter the room for The Tortured Poets Department, which ends with the timetable on the wall.
As of right now, only Friday, April 19 is visible on the calendar. Swift notes it as the release day and that there will be a music video at 8 p.m. ET. It then includes fourteen tally marks, which, once again, has sparked a bunch of fan theories.
Unlike Swift’s timetable for Midnights, she appears to be keeping the rest of the week a secret, for reasons that are still unknown.
However, the teasers also haven’t stopped there. Throughout this week, Swift has been revealing words by changing her lyrics of past songs on streaming services, so far unveiling the phrase, “We hereby conduct this post,” with the final one arriving tomorrow.
She has also shared a few Tortured Poets Department lines through the Spotify event, including: “Lost the game of chance / What are the chances,” “One less temptress / One less dagger to sharpen,” and “Even statues crumble / If they’re made to wait.”
Check out Taylor Swift’s timetable video below.
The Tortured Poets Department is out 4/19 via Republic Records. Find more information here.