All the Ways Taylor Swift TeasedThe Tortured Poets DepartmentAhead of Its Announcement

Mar. 15, 2025

Taylor Swiftgave us so many signs about her new album,The Tortured Poets Department.

Asthe singer took home best pop vocal albumat the Grammys on Feb. 4, she shocked fans asshe announced plans for her 11th studio album, which has been two years in the making.

Immediately after she left the stage, her social media accounts shared more information on the upcoming drop, including the cover art, the titleThe Tortured Poets Department, and the tagline, “All’s fair in love and poetry.”

Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty

Though the announcement came as a surprise to fans, Swifties know that the singer is a mastermind when it comes to leaving Easter eggs about new music. In fact, fans have now gone back through the archives and noticed several clues the singer left aboutThe Tortured Poets Department.

Ahead, here are all the signs Swift gave about her new album.

The “Bejeweled” music video teasing her next music era

Taylor Swift/YouTube

When Swift dropped her music video for “Bejeweled” fromMidnights, many fanspicked up on an Easter eggin which Swift was seen holding a clock that said “Exile ends” with the numbers 2 and 3. Looking back now, fans think Swift could have been signaling her new music era would come after this date, since the announcement ofThe Tortured Poets Departmentwas made on Feb. 4.

Taylor Swift’s preppy style

Gotham/GC Images

Throughout the summer of 2023, Swift was frequently seen stepping in and out of the studio in New York City (possibly recordingThe Tortured Poets Department?) and her various street style looks could have been a major clue about the album’s theme as she leaned into preppy, schoolgirl-style outfits.

On one outing in June, Swift paired lace-up oxfords, crew-length socks and a pleated blue skirt withan oversized light blue and white striped blouse, which appeared to be from The Row,the same brand Swift donsin herThe Tortured Poets Departmentalbum cover.

As the months grew colder, Swift continued to lean into the “dark academia” style as she donned moody hues, blazers and plaid skirts, channeling her role as the chairman of the Tortured Poets Department.

Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff teasing her 11th album in the studio

Taylor Swift/Instagram

One of the next (and perhaps biggest) Easter eggs came in October 2023 as Swift and Jack Antonoffcelebrated “Cruel Summer” reaching No. 1on theBillboardHot 100, five years after its initial release.

In addition tosharing a chaotic videoof them talking about the special track, Swift also shared two photos of her and Antonoff throwing up their hands in excitement as they posed in the studio together. And just how many fingers were they holding up in the photos? You guessed it, 11.

Travis Kelce calling Taylor Swift’s lyrics poetry

Duringhis cover story forWSJ. Magazine’s December/January issue, Kelce gave rare insight intohis relationship with Swift, including sharing the story ofhow their romance came to be. He also gushed about Swift’s talent as a songwriter, withthe publication referencinghow Kelce said it was a miracle how Swift could turn life into poetry. Could Kelce have been in on the big secret about Swift’s upcoming album? It certainly seems plausible.

Taylor Swift’sTimecover headline

John Shearer/Getty

As Swift was namedTime’s 2023 Person of the Yearin December 2023, fans clued in on many Easter eggs featured inthe publication’s accompanying portraitof the singer, from references to her songs to images of her cats.

One thing fans didn’t immediately pick up on was the publication’s headline for the article,The Poet Laureate of Pop Culture. Looking back now, this could have been Swift’s way of teasing the new album’s title. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time Swift used an interview to signal new music.

Taylor Nation’s cryptic posts about secrets

In the month leading up to Swift’s album announcement, her official fan site Taylor Nation began to drop some subtle clues. In January 2024, Taylor Nation posted a throwback photo of Swift and Antonoff on the set of the “Bejeweled” music video, in which the singer donned a huge wig.

They crypticallycaptioned the post, “How many secretsss do we think are hiding in that hair?” With the extra s’s at the end of the of secrets, many assumed that they were teasingReputation (Taylor’s Version), however, it’s clear now they were actually signaling Swift’s 11th album, which the singer said she had been keeping a secret for two years.

Taylor Swift changing her social images to black and white

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty

Just hours before the Grammys, Swift sent fans into a spiral as she changed all of her social media profile images to a black-and-whiteMidnightsalbum cover. As many theorized she was teeing up for aReputation (Taylor’s Version)announcement, she later shocked everyone as she announced her 11th studio albumThe Tortured Poets Department, which also features a black-and-white image of Swift.

Taylor Swift’s website going dark

In addition to the profile picture change, Swift’s entire website went dark just moments before the Grammys. The website included a 321 error code as well as the text hneriergrd, which fans deciphered to mean “red herring.” Knowing how fans would interpret the blackout as aReputationtease, Swift was seemingly telling her fans in advance that they didn’t know the whole story.

Some tech-savvy fans also did a deep dive intothe website’s code, noting that it included words such as “chairman,” “bruises” and “muses” whichSwift later shared as lyricsfrom the new album in her Instagram post.

source: people.com