Her concerts sell out completely within minutes, fans fly all over the world to attend shows and her concert film had moviegoers dancing last fall: 34-year-old Taylor Swift is a phenomenon. Fans are eagerly awaiting her eleventh album and are very curious about what the new music sounds like. Until today the full album becomes available on all streaming services, it remains a guess: Swift did not release a single single in the run-up to this album release to warm up listeners.
But apparently that’s not necessary to get people talking. Fan Julia (28) acknowledges: “The life of a Taylor Swift fan is actually just a kind of waiting, guessing and doing research.” Because this time the fans don’t know anything yet. Will it be an upbeat album filled with pop hits? Or will the songs be subdued, just like on ‘folklore’ and ‘evermore’, the albums she unexpectedly released during corona? Only Swift knows.
Love sickness
The pop star drops some hints here and there, but for now only two things are certain: what the black and white, rather sad album cover looks like and what all the songs are called. Plenty of material for fans to speculate about. Yves, a fan for ten years, thinks that there will mainly be room for heartbreak on ‘The tortured poets department’. “Some bodies will come out of the closet.”
Because although the superstar is now dating American football player Travis Kelce, it is expected that she will want to vent about the break-up with ex Joe Alwyn, with whom she was together for six years. “She never says anything in the media,” says Yves. “But through her music you hear what really happened. A Taylor tradition is that the fifth song on the album is always the most emotional song of all. This time it is ‘So long, London’. That’s where her ex came from and they lived together, so that could easily be her farewell to London. I’m afraid it’s a tearjerker. But you never know with Taylor, do you.”
Liz (30) is especially curious, but hopes that Swift will stick more to pop music this time. “I hope that this album will be a real banger, that you can just play every song loudly in the car and scream along.” She has been an idol of the artist for over fifteen years and even suggested holding a Taylor Swift Party at the De Nobel pop venue in Leiden, where she does volunteer work. With success: on June 1, Swifties can go crazy together there.
Liz’s wish for upbeat songs could just be fulfilled, says Dominic (27), who also plans to go to the party in Leiden: “We already saw on the track list that there are collaborations, including one with PostMalone. He is a real streaming king and you choose him mainly because of the pop angle, I think.” He guesses that Swift is deliberately keeping the promotion as mysterious as possible. “To mislead us a bit, there will certainly be pop songs among them. But she will also let us hear what is on her heart. She uses music as therapy and there are also songs that are five minutes long. Then she really has something to say.”
In any case, one thing is certain: today the fans are ready for it. Some came a little earlier than others, but everyone waited eagerly for this moment. Julia says: “I set my alarm and just quietly listen to the album by myself. I have a few friends who do that too, so we can discuss everything afterwards. You have to put some effort into it, but I know I’m just too curious.”
Dominic continues a tradition with friends: “We have agreed to come together and listen to each other, and really take the time to absorb everything.” He is sure: “This time too, she will dominate the charts, I have no doubt about that.”
