Taylor Swift revealed the lead single for her highly anticipated new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” exactly 10 hours before the new album drops.
The “Cruel Summer” singer announced on Thursday afternoon that “Fortnight” — the album’s opening track featuring Post Malone — is the record’s official first single.
“I’ve been such a huge fan of Post because of the writer he is, his musical experimentation and those melodies he creates that just stick in your head forever,” Swift wrote on Instagram. “I got to witness that magic come to life firsthand when we worked together on Fortnight.”
The 34-year-old also revealed that she and Malone, 28, would be releasing a music video for the track at 8 p.m. ET on Friday.
In a video posted to YouTube Shorts, Swift also hinted at something called the “For a Fortnight Challenge.” However, she didn’t share any more details about what it is.
Fans first caught wind of the announcement on Wednesday after the pop star quietly added a countdown to her website, which was set to go off at exactly 2 p.m. EST.
Behind the clock, the page — notably labeled as “For a Fortnight” — featured “TTPD” as well as Swift’s lucky number, “13,” in typewriter font.
Ever since announcing the release of her eleventh studio album, Swift has been mysteriously highlighting the No. 2 in her promotional content.
During the 2024 Grammys, the “Anti-Hero” singer flashed a “two” with her fingers after revealing she had been working on the record “for the last two years.”
Swift, the queen of leaving her fans clues about future projects called “Easter eggs,” also used the same peace sign emoji in several of her social media uploads in recent months.
Fast forward to this week, the songstress posted a video called “the TTPD Timetable” on her Instagram, which featured several clocks set to 2 o’clock.
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The animated video started out in Swift’s “Midnights” room — where she did promo for her last album. One wall was covered with four photos, which the singer had previously posted on October 22, 2022.
After moving out of the “Midnights” room, the camera entered a white office set up with two desks and two typewriters.
There were also a number of timepieces set to the same time on display at her Spotify pop-up shop in Los Angeles, which was meticulously curated to reflect themes within the album.
Since coincidences don’t exist in the Swift-verse, Swifties have been flooding X to voice their theories about why the singer has been emphasizing the number.
“Why all the 2’s,” one fan mused. “I know she’s held onto this for two years. Do we think there’s two things being released??? Double album? Album and book? Help. I’m being tortured.”
“I think there’s gonna be a 2am edition just like midnights’ 3am,” another suggested.
“The Tortured Poets Department” comes out on Friday, April 19.
