Taylor Swift latest: Patti Smith responds to Tortured Poets mention in song that hits out at Matty Healy

Godmother of punk responds to mention on Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ as pop titan smashes Spotify records on day of album release

Taylor Swift teases 'timetable' for The Tortured Poets Department album in new video

Taylor Swift has released her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, and fans are busy unpacking everything from lyrics to her “Fortnight” music video.

The pop titan’s latest record, announced earlier this year when she won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album (Midnights), was released overnight on Friday 19 April and has already broken two Spotify records.

In a five-star review of the album, The Independent’s critic Helen Brown praised the “playful narratives” and “hooks like anchors”.

Fans have been surprised that many songs on the album seem to take aim at Swift’s ex Matty Healy, whom she briefly dated last year, instead of Joe Alwyn, her boyfriend of six years, whom she was reported to have parted ways with around April 2023.

Patti Smith has responded after she was namechecked on the title track, writing: “This is saying I was moved to be mentioned in the company of the great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. Thank you Taylor.”

Taylor Swift releases ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ - key points

• Read The Independent’s review of Taylor Swift’s 11th album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department'
• How Taylor Swift takes aim at Matty Healy on The Tortured Poets Department
• Swift takes a shot at sparring partner Kim Kardashian
• Taylor Swift appears to share first song about boyfriend Travis Kelce

[20 April 2024 09:30 · Roisin O'Connor]

Taylor Swift enlists ‘Dead Poets’ Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles for Fortnight video starring Post Malone

[20 April 2024 09:21 · Roisin O'Connor]

Comment: Taylor Swift is doing what all women would love to do – trash their exes in public

[20 April 2024 09:01 · Roisin O'Connor]

How Taylor Swift takes aim at ex Matty Healy on The Tortured Poets Department

Taylor Swift’s latest studio album The Tortured Poets Department dropped today, leaving fans both elated and confused.

Many fans expected the album would be heavily inspired by her six-year relationship with British actor Joe Alwyn. However, Swift has taken everyone by surprise as it emerged that her songs instead seem to address her brief dalliance with The 1975’s frontman, Matty Healy.

News of Swift and Alwyn’s breakup was first reported in April 2023. A month later, the first rumours of Swift dating Healy emerged, after they were first linked back in 2014.

However, the relationship reportedly ended after just a few weeks. She is currently in a relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce.

Here are the songs where Swift seems to address her relationship with Healy:

[20 April 2024 08:16 · Roisin O'Connor]

Jon Bon Jovi thanks Taylor Swift for enticing Prince William onstage to sing ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’

Exclusive: Bon Jovi tells ‘The Independent’ that Swift ‘literally grabbed him by the arm and ran up on stage’

[20 April 2024 07:45 · Roisin O'Connor]

Taylor Swift ‘thanks’ Kim Kardashian on Tortured Poets song

Taylor Swift fans are convinced that the musician alludes to her years-long feud with Kim Kardashian on new album The Tortured Poets Department, as she seemingly makes several references to the reality star in her song “thanK you aIMee”.

The pop star released her 11th studio albumat midnight ET on Friday 19 April. Only a few hours later, she announced a surprise “2am version” that extended the record to a further 15 songs.

The first sign that the album’s 24th track from her new album might be a reference to Kardashian is the capitalisation of the letters K, I and M to spell out her first name.

There are other clues. It appears that Swift could be making a reference to Kardashian’s 10-year-old daughter North West dancing to her 2014 single “Shake It Off” on TikTok. “Shake It Off” is about ignoring “haters”.

She also mentions “Aimee” stomping over her grave, possibly nodding to the one she crawls out of in her music video for “Look What You Made Me Do”, from her 2017 album Reputation. This was widely interpreted as a “revenge album” after Swift was “cancelled” in 2016, after her feud with Kardashian errupted.

[20 April 2024 07:31 · Roisin O'Connor]

Who are The Blue Nile, the Scottish band Taylor Swift references on Guilty as Sin?

[20 April 2024 07:10 · Roisin O'Connor]

Patti Smith responds to mention on ‘The Tortured Poets Club'

Patti Smith has reacted after she was namechecked on the title track of ‘The Tortured Poets Society’, where Swift sings: “But you’re not Dylan Thomas/ I’m not Patti Smith/ This ain’t the Chelsea Hotel/ We’re modern idiots.”

“This is saying I was moved to be mentioned in the company of the great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. Thank you Taylor,” Smith wrote on her Instagram.

[20 April 2024 07:00 · Inga Parkel]

Taylor Swift promotes ‘Phantom Clear TTPD vinyl'

Following the release of her highly anticipated studio album, Taylor Swift promoted the sale of the Phantom Clear version of the vinyl.

“Entering the Phantom Clear TTPD vinyl into evidence,” she tweeted alongside a black-and-white clip of her flipping through a book. “Available exclusively at @Target now.”

[20 April 2024 06:00 · Inga Parkel]

WATCH: Taylor Swift teases ‘timetable’ for The Tortured Poets Department album in new video

[20 April 2024 05:00 · Inga Parkel]

Shop Taylor Swift The Tortured Poets Department merch

Whether you’re hosting a listening party for the new album or have tickets to the upcoming UK leg of her tour, here’s where to shop The Tortured Poets Department’s exclusive new merchandise. Swifties, assemble.

Read more:

(iStock/The Independent )

Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department is here – shop the merch now

From jumpers to jewellery, celebrate the album’s launch with the singer’s merch