My love for literature, writing, and music are things I hold dearly, so when I found out that Taylor Swift’s 11th studio album would be called The Tortured Poets Department, I went a little mad. TTPD’s release is nearly a week away, and if you’re planning on staying up to listen to it once it drops, make sure you do so with lots of caffeine, because the track lengths for this album are long.
On April 11, the track lengths were leaked on TikTok, and this album is surely not a short one. The shortest song on the album is “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” at 2 minutes and 36 seconds (TBH, this is too short). The longest song on the album is “But Daddy I Love Him” at 5 minutes and 40 seconds. I’m sat.
Most songs on the album range between 3 minutes and 30 seconds to 4 minutes. It’s looking like it’ll be one of Swift’s longest album to date (not including those albums with songs “From The Vault”), and I am so here for it.
Of course, Swifties are already cooking up theories about the track lengths and their significance, especially in the comments under a TikTok posted by user @alexantonides.
I AM FREAKING OUT #fyp #swifttok #erastour #tstheerastour #taylorswift #thetorturedpoetsdepartment #TTPD @Taylor Swift @Taylor Nation
One user pointed out that TTPD and Lover are around the same length. Gosh. Another user noted that Track 5 (if you’re new here, Swift’s fifth tracks are always a hit/best song on the album), called “So Long London” is 4 minutes and 22 seconds long, which points to the “2’s” Swift has been hinting at. So, can we expect a “So Long London” music video on April 22? I sure hope so!
Despite “So Long London” being one of the longer tracks on the album, some fans think the song will be “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” pt. 2. It’s unclear where this rumor stems from, but lots of Swifties were under the impression that “So Long London” would be 9 minutes and 28 seconds long. And of course, with Blondie, nothing is a coincidence.
The significance of 9:28 and “So Long London,” relates to Swift’s ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn. On September 28 (9/28), Joe and Tay (allegedly) started dating. While the song is not the next ATWTMVTVFTV (try saying that ten times fast), it’s sure to be a fan favorite. I’m already claiming it as one of the best track 5’s in Swift’s discography.
Another track on the album titled “loml” has fans speculating what the “L” in “loml” stands for. My mind immediately registered it as “Love of My Life,” but Antonides pointed out that it could also be “Loss of My Life.” I’m itching to know what it is!
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