Taylor Swift is far from finished with her storytelling. In a surprise 2 a.m. announcement, Swift revealed that her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD), originally with 16 tracks, is now a double album featuring 15 brand-new songs.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Swift shared, “I’d written so much tortured poetry in the past 2 years… here’s the second installment of TTPD: The Anthology… the story isn’t mine anymore… it’s all yours.”
Among the fresh tracks, two songs—“thanK you aIMee” and “Cassandra”—may be aimed at Kim Kardashian, who was involved in the infamous 2016 public drama between Swift and Kanye West. The feud started when West released his song “Famous,” claiming, “I made that bitch famous.” Swift later stated that she wasn’t informed about this derogatory lyric, while West, backed by Kardashian, said he had her approval. Kardashian released a snippet of their phone call to back West’s claims, igniting further controversy.
Swift seems to reference this feud in “thanK you aIMee,” where hidden capital letters in the song’s title may spell out ‘KIM.’ In the song, Swift’s lyrics reflect on overcoming a bully, thanking them for the pain they caused, as it ultimately led to personal growth. “Screamed, ‘F— you, Aimee’ to the night sky,” Swift sings, before acknowledging that this adversity shaped who she is today: “There wouldn’t be this, if there hadn’t been you.”
While gratitude is expressed, the song carries undertones of resentment, especially with lines like, “My mother used to say she wished that you were dead,” and “Your words are still just ringing in my head.” The track also hints that the narrator got the last laugh, with a possible nod to Kardashian’s fandom of Swift: “One day, your kid comes home singin’ a song… only us two is gonna know is about you
.” This may refer to Kardashian’s admission of enjoying Swift’s music, as she and her daughter, North West, have been seen dancing to Swift’s songs on social media.
Another new track, “Cassandra,” delves deeper into the fallout from the 2016 scandal. Drawing parallels to the mythological Cassandra, who could foresee the future but was never believed, Swift reflects on her frustration over not being trusted when the controversy first erupted. “When the first stone’s thrown, they’re screaming,” she sings, possibly recalling the public’s harsh reaction when Kardashian released the edited phone call. The lyric “When the truth comes out, it’s quiet” seems to reference the full, unedited version of the call leaked in 2020, which showed Swift had been telling the truth all along.
“Cassandra” also appears to take aim at Kardashian’s family, criticizing them for staying silent during the feud. “They knew the whole time… but they said nothing,” Swift sings, calling out what she perceives as greed and indifference. She also references Kardashian’s infamous 2016 “National Snake Day” post, which fueled the “snake” narrative against Swift. In Reputation (2017), Swift reclaimed the snake as her symbol, a subtle nod to how she turned the insult into empowerment.
Swift’s double album The Tortured Poets Department is now available, offering fans a deeper look into her reflective, poetic storytelling, and perhaps reigniting old controversies.
