Taylor Swift just unveiled a new album at the 66th Grammy Awards on Sunday, and it’s not the one her fans were expecting.
Upon accepting the award for pop vocal album, Swift thanked the Recording Academy for its support, which is a “direct reflection of the fans.” As a token of her gratitude to her devoted fan base, she announced her newest release, “The Tortured Poets Department,” is on its way.
“I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret that I’ve been keeping from you for the last two years,” she said. “Which is that my brand new album comes out April 19.”
She concluded her speech telling fans that she would post the cover art for her newest release on Instagram — and she made good on that promise. “All’s fair in love and poetry…,” she captioned a photo of the cover art. Her Instagram post also included a new set of what look to be lyrics to a song.
The self-proclaimed chairman of the Tortured Poets Department took her fans by surprise on Sunday. Ahead of the ceremony, fans speculated that Swift would announce “Reputation (Taylor’s Version),” a rerecorded version of her 2017 album.
Swifties noticed that the singer un-archived a 2017 Instagram post announcing the arrival of “Reputation,” which featured hits “Look What You Made Me Do” and “Getaway Car.” Swifties also noticed that the singer recently updated her social media profile pictures with a black-and-white version of the same photo.
For the uninitiated, Swift’s “Reputation” featured a black-and-white photo of the singer as its album art. At the 61st Grammy Awards in 2019, “Reputation” earned a nomination for pop vocal album.
On Sunday, fans also noticed that Swift’s merchandise store was locked and required a password for access.
Fueling even more “Reputation” speculation, Swift donned a white Schiaparelli gown. She accessorized the flowy gown — which featured a leg slit — with a black bedazzled clock choker, black arm-length gloves and black peep-toe heels.
“The Tortured Poets Department” will arrive after a landmark year for the Grammy-winning singer. In 2023, Swift launched her highly lucrative Eras tour, broke box office records with a film about her tour and began her highly public romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
When Swift made Time magazine history as the first woman to appear twice on its annual Person of the Year cover, she told the magazine, “This is the proudest and happiest I’ve ever felt, and the most creatively fulfilled and free I’ve ever been.”
Coming into Sunday’s awards show, Swift was nominated for six Grammys. Her “Midnights” took home a pop vocal album and album of the year wins.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
