Calling her over-the-top things like “the reigning queen of pop” or “a pop culture phenomenon” doesn’t even seem to do her justice these days. Following her triumph at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards where she clinched Best Pop Vocal Album for Midnights, when most artists would be content in celebrating a huge win, Swift surprised everyone by revealing news about her eleventh studio album during the ceremony.

Born from the ashes of her previous work and nurtured during the record-breaking Eras Tour, The Tortured Poets Department might just be Swift's rawest and most personal batch of songs to date. Inspired by the five stages of grief, the album feels like a lifeline, a cathartic release born of vitally important messages disguised as pop songs full of unyielding emotion. Within its sixteen soul-stirring tracks, the album features some unexpected collaborations, including Post Malone on "Fortnight" and the ethereal sounds of English indie rockers Florence And The Machine on "Florida!!!". Swift's exploration of grief, love, and the human condition takes center stage though, mixing a vulnerability and resilience that resonates on a level that maybe only she can reach these days.

In a candid revelation, Swift describes The Tortured Poets Department as a lifeline she desperately needed to grasp. Conceived in the wake of Midnights, the album became a clandestine labor of love, with Swift pouring her heart and soul into each haunting melody and lyric. The act of songwriting transcends mere expression here - it's a light of hope in the darkest of nights.

And when you’re at the level of Taylor, simply releasing a new album isn’t quite enough for your fanatical fans, so there are four physical editions of the album that offer exclusive bonus tracks, each titled after a particular theme: "The Manuscript," "The Bolter," "The Albatross," and "The Black Dog."