Taylor Swift explains controversial decision to announce new album at Grammys

Some found that the four-time Album of the Year winner stole the spotlight with her announcement

Taylor Swift has addressed her controversial decision to announce her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.

The 33-year-old “Anti-Hero” singer – who made history as the first and only artist to have won four Album of the Year Grammys – revealed her next album after picking up the trophy for Best Pop Vocal Album for Midnights.

The timing of Swift’s announcement left social media users divided. Many fans were elated by the news, while some critics found her timing to be inappropriate.

During her Eras Tour concert in Tokyo on Wednesday (7 February), the pop star explained that “I had this plan in my head and I told my friends, I told [producer] Jack [Antonoff], but I hadn’t really told many other people”.

“I thought, ‘OK, so if I’m lucky enough to win one thing tonight, I’m just going to do it. I’m just going to announce my new album’,” she can be heard telling the crowd in videos posted to X.

“My backup plan is I was going to do it tonight in Tokyo,” Swift revealed before directly addressing the haters.

“(People say) ‘Why do you make so many albums?’ I’m like, ‘Man, because I love it. I love it so much.’ I’m having fun, leave me alone,” Swift said.

Going into the Grammys, speculation had already begun that Swift was set to release a new album. Many fans had originally assumed she was going to announce the re-release of her 2017 Reputation album.

“I know that the way the Recording Academy voted is a direct reflection of the passion from the fans,” the “Cruel Summer” singer said during her acceptance speech for Best Pop Vocal Album.

“So I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret that I have been keeping from you for the last two years,” she continued. “Which is that my brand new album comes out April 19, it’s called The Tortured Poets Department, I’m going to go and post the cover right now back stage, thank you I love you.”

Swift ended the night on a historic note with her fourth Album of the Year win, bringing her total Grammy Award wins to 14. She has previously won the major award for her albums Fearless, 1989 and folklore.