Taylor Swift is known for planting secret messages – known as ‘easter eggs’ – in everything from her music videos to interviews.
So when the singer announced her new album The Tortured Poets Department at the 2024 Grammy Awards, the Swifties got straight to work unpacking every hint in sight.
From the cover art to the tracklist, which seems to hint at Swift’s breakup from actor Joe Alwyn, fans have been meticulously unpacking every clue.
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But there’s one more subtle thing the superstar has been teasing about the album – and she’s been doing it for months.
Swift has been dropping clues left, right and centre about the album aesthetic through her neutral clothes, accessories and social media aesthetic.
All of Swift’s works have a colour attached to them (think pink for Lover, orange for Evermore and of course red for Red), so it makes sense her new one would too.
Read on to see every ‘hint’ the singer has made about the aesthetic for The Tortured Poets Department.
A new street style to ‘lay the groundwork’
Months before we’d ever heard of The Tortured Poets Department, Swift was already teasing her new album aesthetic through her street style.
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In late 2023, the singer seemed to don a lot of white while out and about in New York, or on her way to the studio.
Almost a year ago on May 22, Swift rocked up to the recording studio in New York City between her tour shows in a white tucked blouse with black shorts and beige sandals.
The best outfits Taylor Swift has worn on her Eras tour
Two days later, she showed up once again in white, this time a two piece top and skirt.
Then a couple of months later, Swift was once again seen out in New York City on June 27 wearing a white shirt, this time from designer Doen.
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Just the day before, the Enchanted singer was seen wearing a white striped shirt and pleated skirt as she stopped by Electric Lady Studios.
Like Swift told us on Midnights, she really is a mastermind.
Swift dresses like an ‘albatross’ at the Grammys
When she first announced The Tortured Poets Department at the Grammys, fans initially thought Swift’s Schiaparelli dress was a hint for Reputation (Taylor’s Version).
The singer wore a white ballgown with black gloves, which is the colour scheme of her 2017 album Reputation.
However, the dress might have been a clue for her brand new album all along after fans spotted a connection between the look and a bonus track name on The Tortured Poets.
At her Sydney show on February 23, Swift announced an alternative version of her upcoming album called The Albatross.
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The title appears to refer to the bird of the same name which is white with black wings – aesthetically similar to Swift’s white dress and black gloves look worn at the Grammys.
A new social media theme
When Swift started The Eras Tour in March 2023, she would post vibrant coloured photos from each city to her Instagram.
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However, after posting the cover art for her upcoming album The Tortured Poets Department on February 6, there was an instant change in her feed aesthetic.
Swift began to use a sepia coloured filter over all her posts from her tour and the ones promoting her movie, The Eras Tour Concert Film.
New nails on tour
Swift didn’t just change her social media aesthetic after the album announcement.
Eagle eyed fans were quick to spot the singer had switched up her nail polish to tease the neutral colour scheme of The Tortured Poets Department.
When she first started the Eras tour over a year ago, Swift debuted a coloured set of nails in an Instagram post for the show.
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The nail colours seemed to represent each of Swift’s ten previous album ‘eras’, from green for her self titled album through to a dark blue for her recent album Midnights.
But for her first show after announcing her 11th studio album, Swift ditched the colours in favour of an all-white manicure set, which she has kept for her International shows, including those in Australia.
Even her boyfriend is on board
Taylor Swift appears to have roped her boyfriend Travis Kelce into her album hints.
Just weeks after his girlfriend announced a new album, the NFL star was spotted wearing a neutral toned shirt to his brother Jason’s retirement conference.
Swifties were quick to spot Kelce’s shirt seemed to match the colour aesthetic of Swift’s four variant album versions titled The Manuscript, The Bolter, The Albatross and The Black Dog.
“It’s practically carbon copy of the TTPD colours that he is wearing. If it was unintentional, the coincidence is pretty supportive!” one fan wrote on X.
A special message two weeks before release day
Just two weeks out from The Tortured Poets Department, Swift further hinted at the album colour aesthetic with one single detail.
The singer posted a message to celebrate the album countdown on X (formerly Twitter).
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“Only a fortnight til The Tortured Poets Department…” she wrote, including a single white heart emoji at the end.
Between the shirts, the Grammys dress and the nails, white seems to be the colour on the singer’s mind for her new era.
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