As millions looked to the sky on April 8 for a total solar eclipse that spanned much of the Eastern
United States, pop star
Taylor Swift revealed new eclipse-themed lyrics from her upcoming album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” On Swift's
Instagram story there was a video of an old-fashioned typewriter typing out the following stanzas: “Crowd goes wild at her fingertips Half moonshine, Full eclipse.” Fans immediately began speculating about the lyric’s meaning. Some guessed the words are from the upcoming song, “Clara Bow,” which is included in her track list. Clara Bow was an
Actor who rose to prominence during the silent film era of the 1920s. As a celebrity, her life became tabloid fodder and she became known for being photographed while drinking and dancing. Among the reasons fans wrote that they believed it was from “Clara Bow” included Bow’s usage of “moon manicures.” One fan also wrote on X that a total solar eclipse happened in 1925 , which was a big year for Bow. Another fan believed Bow and Swift’s lives drew parallels. “these are clara bow lyrics i feel… drawing parallels between her own life and the life of a notable
Actress who was also deeply troubled ohhh,” the X user wrote. Another person also noted that there is a photo of Bow on a
moon Motor Car from a promotional photo shoot. “Moonshine was popularized during prohibition, the same time that scandals started surrounding Clara Bow’s career. She left the public eye in 1933, the same year prohibition ended. Aka a full eclipse from the public eye fueled by moonshine?” yet another user commented on X , connecting the actor with the lyrics. Others guessed it was from “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” or “I Can Do I With a Broken Heart.” Many more fans and observers noted that Swift had used the rare solar event to promote her album. “Taylor said let me give the girls a caption to use on their eclipse photos,” @folkIegends quipped. It’s also not the first time Swift has made an announcement on the day of a solar eclipse. During the 2017 event, she deleted all of her posts on her
Social Media platforms and shared a cryptic 10-second video of a reptilian tail on social media. It turned out to be a promotion for her then-upcoming album , “Reputation,” which debuted on Nov. 10, 2017. “The Tortured Poets Department” releases April 19, 2024. “The Tortured Poets Department” will feature 16 standard songs. “The Manuscript” “The Bolter” “The Albatross” “The Black Dog” While Swift herself has not exactly explained the title of her upcoming album, that has not stopped her fans from speculating that it's a reference to her former partner, Joe Alwyn . In a 2022 interview , Alwyn had previously said he was in a group chat with his
Friends titled “The Tortured Man Club.” On Feb. 16, while performing in Melbourne, Australia, Swift told fans that she had “needed” to make this upcoming album. “‘Tortured Poets’ is an album, I think more than any of my albums that I’ve ever made — I needed to make it,” she said at the time. “It was really a lifeline for me. The things I was going through, the things I was writing about, it reminded me of why songwriting actually gets me through my life. I’ve never had an album where I’ve needed songwriting more than I needed it on ‘Tortured Poets.’” News of Swift and Alwyn’s split made headlines in spring 2023. She has since been dominating the news cycle with her ever-popular “Eras Tour,” and public romance with NFL player Travis Kelce.