Two prominent faculty members of the Tortured Poets Department are toasting their chairs.
The 47-year-old national musician confirmed on Instagram on April 19 that he produced Taylor Swift’s most recent 31-song double album, The Tortured Poets Department, which was made available on Friday at midnight.
The national guitarist co-produced and co-wrote several songs on Taylor’s 11th studio LP, which came out on Friday, April 19, and he took to his Instagram account to praise his “dear friend” on her achievement.
Sharing that he’s “so excited and honored” to be a part of the pop superstar’s 11th studio album, Dessner revealed that the pair started working on the record’s songs over two years ago. In the four years since we started working on Folklore in 2020, Taylor and I have recorded over 60 songs together (17 across this anthology!).
It is hard to believe they have kept us company and evolved in beautiful and unexpected ways through so much life lived during this process,” he wrote.
“I am forever grateful to Taylor for sharing her insane talents with me and trusting me with her music,” Dessner continued, beaming. “I am constantly amazed by Taylor’s abilities as a songwriter and performer, and I think these songs are some of the most lyrically acute, intricate, vulnerable, and cathartic Taylor has ever written,” he continued.
“I am aware of how fortunate I am to have this as my career, and I am appreciative to have contributed to the creation of the expansive, magically intricate, and symbolic world of songs that Taylor has created, which we can all enjoy and inhabit. With every listen, you will uncover a new nuance, layer, or bit of significance if you keep looking.”
Dessner didn’t participate in Taylor’s 10th studio album, “Midnights,” which was released in October 2022, but she did collaborate with her on her ninth studio album, “Evermore,” which was released in December 2020.
The musician previously described the ‘Anti-Hero’ hitmaker as “one of the greatest songwriters of all time”. In a 2023 interview, he said: “I think Taylor is one of the greatest songwriters of all time.
Taylor released ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ at midnight, and then two hours later, she stunned fans by revealing the project is a double album.
This is the second installment of TTPD because I wanted to share all the tortured poetry I have written over the past two years with you. The anthology has 15 extra songs. And now the story isn’t mine anymore; it’s all yours.”
