All the clues so far from the tortured poets department

Taylor Swift fans are scrambling to decipher clues left around a new pop-up library in Los Angeles, as the singer prepares to release her 11th studio album, The Department of Tortured Poets.

Ahead of the record’s release on Friday, April 19, Swift teamed up with streaming service Spotify to create an outdoor library at The Grove in Los Angeles, which will remain open through Thursday (April 18). It can be visited by fans between 10am and 9pm each day.

She also shared a video teaser that follows the camera as she exits the Midnights room and enters the tortured poets department, a stark office with bright white lights.

Here are the clues fans have deciphered (or think they’ve found) so far, from an artist with a notorious love for Easter eggs.

A teaser shows six glitter gel pens left on the table as we follow the camera out of the room. Midnights room (referring to Swift’s 2022 Grammy-winning album).

Swift revealed ahead of release Midnights that she has secret “genres” that she references when writing new music: Quill lyrics, Fountain Pen lyrics, and Glitter Gel Pen lyrics.

“I’ve never spoken about it publicly before, because, well, it’s stupid,” she said during a speech for Songwriter-Artist of the Decade at the annual ceremony of the Nashville Songwriters Association International.

“But I also have, in my mind, secretly established genre categories for the lyrics I write. Three of them, to be exact. They are affectionately titled Quill Lyrics, Fountain Pen Lyrics, and Glitter Gel Pen Lyrics.

She continued: “I created these categories based on the writing implement I imagine I had in my hand when I scribbled it, figuratively speaking. »

Citing her hit single “Shake It Off” as an example, Swift said her Glitter Gel Pen category “lives up to its name in every way.”

“Frivolous, carefree, bouncy, perfectly syncopated to the rhythm,” she explained.

Which suggests that, given that glitter gel pens have been left behind, fans should expect songs written in Swift’s “Quill” or “Fountain Pen” styles.

A book of lyrics

Protected by glass, Swift’s library contains a book containing snippets of lyrics from her upcoming songs. On Tuesday, April 16, he revealed the lyrics: “Even statues collapse / If we keep them waiting.”

Other lyrics were revealed both in the book and on billboards across the United States, including in Times Square: “One less temptress / One less dagger to sharpen.”

Open drawers

The library’s Dewey Decimal System drawers (mistaken by some young fans for mailboxes or even a miniature morgue) have six of the 72 drawers open, revealing their contents, including dried flowers and lace. One fan speculated that six drawers could refer to her six-year relationship with British actor Joe Alwyn. However, this theory seems to have been debunked as other fans report that more drawers have since been opened.

The clock is set to 2:00

The library clock is set at 2 p.m., which could refer to the fact that the page of the open book was turned to reveal more lyrics each day at 2 p.m. Other fans have speculated that a lot of things seem to be happening to Swift around this time; she referenced 2 a.m. on songs including “Enchanted”, “The Way I Loved You”, “Breathe”, “Mine” and “I Wish You Should”.

Miami, Florida!

A small globe on one of the library shelves bears a pin stuck in Miami. Probably an allusion to “Florida!” » a song about TTP featuring Florence and the machine.

Friday December 13

A daily calendar is posted in the library, marked with the date Friday, December 13, which happens to be Swift’s upcoming 35th birthday.

Fans think this could indicate plans for another release…perhaps the (highly anticipated) re-recorded version of his 2017 album, Reputation?

Another date pointed out in the video is the release date at 8 p.m., when Swift announced the release of a new music video.

Quick exits The Department of Tortured Poets on Friday April 19.