Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks have both shared poems on the physical version of her new album ‘The Tortured Poets Department’.
READ MORE: ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ review: a rare misstep
Fans who purchased the star’s 11th studio album, which arrived today (April 19) and you can listen to below, are being greeted by a written poem by the Fleetwood Mac frontwoman as they open the LP gatefolds or CD booklets.
As with her other records, Swift has also included her own hand written poem after the lyrics in the booklets.
Nicks’ poem that accompanies the record is dated August 13, 2023, with a dateline saying it was put to paper in Austin, Texas. The header says, “For T,” which then is followed by the words “and me…”.
“He was in love with her / Or at least she thought so,” Nicks begins. “She was broken hearted – Maybe he was, too – Neither of them knew. She was way too hot to handle… He was way too high to try.”
The poem goes on to say that “He’s afraid of her / He’s hiding from her / And he knows that he’s hurting her” before adding “She tells the truth / She writes about it / She’s an informer”. Nicks concludes, “She was just flying through the clouds / When he saw her… / She was just making her way to the stars / When he lost her.”
Swift’s poem meanwhile begins with the title: “In Summation” before she describes a transition from one romantic relationship to another, noting that “the pendulum swings,” and “The chaos it brings / Leads the caged beast to do / The most curious things.”
She continues: “Lovers spend years denying what’s ill fated / Resentment rotting away / galaxies we created,” before adding: “Tried wishing on comets / Tried dimming the shine / Tried to orbit his planet / Some stars never align / And in one conversation, I tore down the whole sky.”
She later states: “He never even scratched the surface of me. None of them did,” before concluding: “All’s fair in love and poetry. Sincerely, The Chairman of The Tortured Poets Department.”
Revewing the record, NME awarded it three stars and described it as a “rare misstep” for Swift.
It added: “Arriving at the peak of her imperial phase, Swift’s 11th studio album is surprisingly flat and, at times, cringeworthy.”
Elsewhere, Swift this morning revealed that the ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ is in fact a double album and she shared the remaining tracks. She also revealed its full title, ‘The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology’.
She also shared the trailer for her upcoming ‘Fortnight’ music video, which will also star Post Malone.
Fans have also taken to social media to suggest that the record is about The 1975‘s Matty Healy. The pair were romantically linked for a short period time in 2023.
Following the LP’s release, Swift will resume her career-spanning ‘Eras Tour’ in Europe next month before heading to the UK and Ireland in June. Swift is due to play eight shows at Wembley Stadium in London this summer as part of the run, with support coming from Paramore.
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