Getty Image / Ashok Kumar
Taylor Swift’s much-anticipated record, The Tortured Poets Department, is finally here. But, some music fans got access to the album a little bit earlier than they planned to.
The album was due to come out at midnight Eastern Time Friday, with millions of American fans waiting up for the album and countless more around the world getting to listen to it at a much more convenient time.
But, Taylor Swift seems to love nothing more than surprises, and that’s what she gave her fans.
While other streaming services continued counting down until midnight, the album was available for streaming on Apple Music roughly fifteen minutes earlier than it was supposed to be.
The Tortured Poets Department is out early on Apple Music!
— 🏁 (@concertleaks) April 19, 2024
And, with all due respect to Spotify, which is my go-to for music streaming, Apple Music may have just won the music streaming war.
Taylor Swift had been giving Easter Eggs on Apple Music the last few days related to the album. Earlier Thursday, she revealed the full text of the word puzzle about the album, which read “We hereby conduct this post mortem.”
The 16-track standard album is 65 minutes long and is sure to be her 10th consecutive original album to hit number-one on the Billboard Charts. It comes as she’s in the midst of one of the most dominant stretches in American pop culture history.
Swift was named Time Person of the Year last December after her Eras Tour smashed records and became arguably the hottest concert ticket ever. Her 2022 album, Midnights, won the Grammy for Album of the Year at the Grammy’s back in February. While accepting a different award that night, she announced The Tortured Poets Department to much fanfare.
Swift, who is also in the middle of re-recording her first seven albums due to a dispute over her master copies, entered a high-profile relationship with Kansas City Chiefs superstar tight end Travis Kelce that captivated America. As the Chiefs made their run to their second-straight Super Bowl, Swift was there every step of the way to draw headlines.