University of Oregon music professor weighs in on Taylor Swift’s latest album

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – It is the day Swifties have been waiting for: Taylor Swift’s 11th album “The Tortured Poets Department” is here, but not without a surprise.

Two hours after its release, the pop star released more than a dozen additional songs – calling it a 31-song “anthology.” Swift first announced the album during the Grammy Awards back in February.

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Toby Koenigsberg, an associate professor of jazz piano at the University of Oregon, said Swift’s re-recorded albums paired with the Eras Tour helped contribute to the star’s rising success.

“Not only is she a musical virtuoso, but she’s sort of a cultural virtuoso,” Koenigsberg said. “She’s really good at almost playing the culture like an instrument. And a key thing about this is…these are separate things. They kind of go together like one holistic expression.”

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He also spoke to the lasting effect of Swift’s famed “Easter eggs” that hint at future material and keep fans coming back for more.

“I think one of the things that she’s really good at is having a relationship with her listeners that kind of goes beyond just the music, but also dovetails with the music,” he said. “We saw that earlier when she was a sort of innovator in terms of social media to market and promote her music, and we see it now with the Easter eggs and various things that fans can speculate about and talk about.”

But the fun for fans isn’t done yet. A special video release for Swift’s new album is also expected Friday evening.

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