Taylor Swift has surprised her fans by releasing a secret “double album” expansion of The Tortured Poets Department.
Hours after dropping the 16-song edition of her 11th studio album, the US pop superstar announced an expanded version with an extra 15 songs, titled The Anthology.
The original album appeared to be leaked online 24 hours before its scheduled release, so the new songs are believed to have not been heard before.
Swift announced the news by sharing album artwork on social media which shows her with one arm wrapped around her head and her other hand caressing her face.
Alongside the post she wrote: “It’s a 2am surprise: The Tortured Poets Department is a secret DOUBLE album.
“I’d written so much tortured poetry in the past 2 years and wanted to share it all with you, so here’s the second instalment of TTPD: The Anthology. 15 extra songs.
“And now the story isn’t mine anymore … it’s all yours.”
We need your consent to load this Instagram contentWe use Instagram to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
The singer-songwriter unveiled her initial 16-song album, which features collaborations from Post Malone and Florence + The Machine, at midnight ET on Friday.
Swift, known for taking inspiration from past relationships for her music, has placed So Long, London at number five in the tracklist – the slot reserved for the most meaningful song on each of Swift’s albums.
The song is thought to offer new insight into her split with The Favourite actor Joe Alwyn after six years together.
In the lyrics, Swift hints at wedding plans, singing: “You swore that you loved me, but where were the clues, I died on the altar waiting for the proof”, as well as being upset at having to leave London, which she said she “loved”.
love this album more than i can say …. love you all very much … more later very overwhelmed … love you taylor
— jackantonoff (@jackantonoff) April 19, 2024
Following the album’s release Swift’s friend and long-term collaborator, music producer Jack Antonoff, posted on X, formerly Twitter, writing: “love this album more than i can say …. love you all very much … more later very overwhelmed … love you taylor”.
After the album was released, Swift wrote on social media: “An anthology of new works that reflect events, opinions and sentiments from a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time – one that was both sensational and sorrowful in equal measure.
“This period of the author’s life is now over, the chapter closed and boarded up. There is nothing to avenge, no scores to settle once wounds have healed.
“And upon further reflection, a good number of them turned out to be self-inflicted. This writer is of the firm belief that our tears become holy in the form of ink on a page. Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it.
“And then all that’s left behind is the tortured poetry.”
