Is Taylor Swift planning to drop two albums at once?
While The Tortured Poets Department is bad news for Joe Alwyn, it’s good news for her untold millions of fans.
But will hearing Taylor’s new album be the only exciting development before she returns to her Eras World Tour?
Fans believe that Taylor has a surprise for them. And some hardcore Swifties believe that Taylor is preparing a second, surprise album to drop alongside The Tortured Poets Department.
‘The Tortured Poets Department’ has a Friday, April 19 release date
Taylor Swift’s 11th studio album has plenty of anticipation of its own.
Between her once-surprising romance with football player Travis Kelce and her Eras World Tour making her into a billionaire, 2023 was a huge year for her. 2024 might be even huger.
Taylor has been leaving a trail of clues (as is her habit) for diehard Swifties to follow. This means that her most devoted fans have spent the weeks, days, and hours leading up to her album release conjuring up theories about what Taylor has in store for everyone.
TikTok denizen and self-described “obsessed” Swiftie Emerson (@swiftlyobsessed) shared a theory on Monday, April 15.
The theory, posted to TikTok where information and disinformation both spread like wildfire, suggested that The Tortured Poets Department will actually be part of a “double-album drop” with another LP.
It all comes down to a QR code teaser as part of a mural on Chicago’s River North District that same night.
Taylor Swift gave you all of the clues
The “ttpd13” QR code led to a 13-second clip on Swift’s YouTube page, which in turn shows a typewriter with “Error 321” and a very faint “13.”
This might not be The Da Vinci Code, but it’s an exciting teaser for fans who spent the previous two months counting down the minutes for the album’s release.
“Error 321” is what Taylor’s (seemingly crashed) site read hours before the Grammy Awards where she announced her new album. Of course, it also included the jumbled phrase “red herring,” which very reasonably leads people to suggest that this is misleading.
As for what fans imagine that the bonus LP might be, Emerson suggests that Taylor might be releasing a re-recording of Reputation, her sixth studio album.
The underrated 2017 album still carries the taint of controversial record producer Scooter Braun.
Taylor has produced a number of “Taylor’s Versions,” so many it’s a bit of a meme. Perhaps it’s already time for Reputation (Taylor’s Version) to launch?
Is Taylor Swift really dropping TWO albums?
As numerous social media commenters — on TikTok and on other, better platforms — pointed out, she’s unlikely to steal limelight from her own album. The Tortured Poets Department will certainly get its time in the sun.
However, some fans suggested that she might announce that Reputation (Taylor’s Version) or some other, similarly exciting project is coming out.
Taylor announced this album at an awards show, so she doesn’t mind announcements at important events. An announcement by itself won’t steal the thunder from her album release.