Certain keywords have been banned from the social media platform X amid rumors that Taylor Swift’s upcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department, has leaked online. Users were prohibited from searching the phrase “Taylor Swift leak” on April 17, just two days before the record’s scheduled release date. Snippets of songs from the album have been circulating online, with some fans speculating that the songs come from a Google drive containing the entire TTPD record. Swifties have come to the pop star’s defense, shaming those seeking out leaks which have not been confirmed as real or fake.
Swift has had previous experiences with her albums leaking before their release dates. Her album 1989 leaked three days before its scheduled drop, despite her efforts to keep the music under wraps. Similarly, the lead single from her third album, Speak Now, was leaked online before its official release. Swift has implemented fail safes to prevent unauthorized access to her music, such as keeping the only copy of her album on her phone and having dancers perform to a “click track” in music video shoots to avoid songs being heard.
Despite her efforts, some of Swift’s albums still ended up leaking before their release dates. 1989, Reputation, and Lover all leaked ahead of schedule by several days or hours. Swift has continued to put defenses in place to keep her music secure, such as having dancers perform to non-existent music during video shoots and only sharing new songs with specific individuals under controlled circumstances. Ed Sheeran confirmed Swift’s attempts at secrecy by sharing his experience of hearing a song he did with her through a locked briefcase with an iPad.
Swift has expressed her discomfort with leaks and security concerns surrounding her music. She has shared her fears of wiretapping and people eavesdropping on her music. Despite facing leaks of her music, Swift has managed to maintain control over her music through various security measures. The leaks of her albums have not deterred her from continuing to find ways to keep her music under wraps until the official release dates. Fans have continued to support Swift by discouraging the spread of leaked songs and urging others to wait for the official release of The Tortured Poets Department.
