Taylor Swift’s fans are abuzz following an early online leak of her latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department.”
Tracks from the album have surfaced on social media, reportedly originating from a Google Drive link that includes all 17 songs.
While some fans eagerly listened to the leaked tracks, others contend that loyal fans should wait for the official release this Friday.
At the Grammy Awards in February, Swift revealed her 11th studio album, marking her first set of completely new songs since “Midnights” in October 2022.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, fans are divided: some refuse to listen prematurely, while others post fake links to obscure the leak and prevent further spread.
One user proclaimed, “If you’re a TRUE Taylor Swift fan, you aren’t listening yet.”
Another user emphasized, “It’s not just about fandom—it’s about respecting the hard work of others.”
“They’ve carefully planned this release; let’s not spoil it for everyone,” another added.
One fan expressed a desire to wait until Friday to “fully experience the first listen.”
Speculation arose among fans that some leaked tracks might be AI-generated fakes, though some of these were identified as older, lesser-known songs by Swift.
This isn’t Swift’s first encounter with AI-related issues. Earlier, the platform X blocked searches for her name following the spread of explicit AI-generated images.
Swift’s latest album release is eagerly awaited by her fanbase, especially as it adds new songs to her ongoing blockbuster Eras tour in Europe this summer.
“Midnights,” featuring hits like “Anti-Hero,” “Bejeweled,” and “Karma,” also experienced a pre-release leak but still debuted with impressive sales, selling 1.6 million copies in its first week in the US.
The album’s success continued at the Grammys, where Swift became the first artist to win Album of the Year four times.
Recently, Swift joined the ranks of the world’s richest, appearing on a billionaires list alongside names like Elon Musk, thanks to her net worth reaching $1.1 billion.
