Taylor Swift’s hotly anticipated “The Tortured Poets Department” is here along with a surprise second album—31 tracks released Friday in which the megastar purges her inner turmoil while scorching former lovers.
The first album was released as scheduled at midnight (0400 GMT), but two hours later, an additional 15 tracks appeared—giving legions of Swifties plenty to chew on.
By Friday evening, Spotify declared the album its most-streamed in a single day, with Swift also becoming the most-streamed artist in a single day.
The 34-year-old billionaire is one of music’s most shrewd users of social media, employing her massive online presence as well as her songwriting to create a sense of intimacy with fans through so-called “Easter eggs” and hidden messages.
“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 installment of TTPD: The Anthology. 15 extra songs. And now the story isn’t mine anymore… it’s all yours,” she posted in revealing the extra music.
Swift’s album comes on the heels of a remarkably successful and busy year for the artist, whose “Midnights” won her a record-setting fourth Album of the Year Grammy.
She put on the first tour to break the $1 billion mark and is on track to make a second billion by the time it’s over.
Swift also released two re-recordings of her earlier albums to resounding success, and broke box office records with an Eras Tour film.
But she also ended a six-year relationship with the British actor Joe Alwyn, after which she was linked to—and dramatically de-linked from—front man Matty Healy of the 1975.
Now she’s dating NFL star Travis Kelce, whose Kansas City Chiefs just won the Super Bowl.
And all of the drama is immortalized in song.
