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"Fortnight" featuring Post Malone is the lead single and first track from Taylor Swift's eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, released on April 19, 2024.

Background[]

On April 17th, QR codes in different cities around the world led fans to YouTube shorts in which one letter was typed on a typewriter in each. Fans quickly realized that when put together, the "Letters from the Department," as Swift called them, spelled out a message, which was revealed to be the phrase "for a fortnight." When typed into the url for Swift's official website, a countdown appeared that ended at 2:00 PM EST on April 18th.[1]

The countdown on Swift's website ended with the announcement that the first single would be "Fortnight."[2] Similar to the #TSAntiHeroChallenge, Taylor also announced the #ForAFortnightChallenge for YouTube shorts.[3] CD singles of the song were sold on her website for a limited time.[4]

Music video[]

The music video revolves around Swift in the Tortured Poets Department, a place where poets are studied by a group of scientists. Swift and Post Malone, who plays her love interest, are followed through a series of events where they are experiencing emotions seemingly from a past relationship.

Behind the scenes[]

Swift released a behind the scenes view of the music video on June 21, 2024.

Gallery[]

Lyrics[]

[Verse 1: Taylor Swift]
I was supposed to be sent away
But they forgot to come and get me
I was a functioning alcoholic
Till nobody noticed my new aesthetic
All of this to say
I hope you're okay
But you're the reason
And no one here's to blame
But what about your quiet treason?

[Chorus: Taylor Swift]
And for a fortnight there
We were forever
Run into you sometimes
Ask about the weather
Now you're in my backyard
Turned into good neighbors
Your wife waters flowers
I wanna kill her

[Verse 2: Taylor Swift & Post Malone]
All my mornings are Mondays
Stuck in an endless February
I took the miracle move-on drug
The effects were temporary
And I love you
it's ruining my life (I love you, it's ruining my life)
I touched you
For only a fortnight
(I touched you) But I touched you

[Chorus: Taylor Swift]
And for a fortnight there
We were forever
Run into you sometimes
Ask about the weather
Now you're in my backyard
Turned into good neighbors
Your wife waters flowers
I wanna kill her

And for a fortnight there
We were together
Run into you sometimes
Comment on my sweater
Now you're at the mailbox
Turned into good neighbors
My husband is cheating
I wanna kill him

[Bridge: Taylor Swift & Post Malone]
I love you, it's ruining my life
(I love you, it's ruining my life)
I touched you for only a fortnight
(I touched you)
I touched you

I love you
It's ruining my life (I love you, it's ruining my life)
I touched you for only a fortnight
(I touched you)
I touched you

[Outro: Post Malone & Taylor Swift]
Thought of calling you
But you won't pick up
Another fortnight lost in America
Move to Florida
Buy the car you want
But it won't start up
Till you touch, touch, touch me

Thought of calling you
But you won't pick up
Another fortnight lost in America
Move to Florida
Buy the car you want
But it won't start up
Till I touch, touch, touch you

Lyric video[]

Audio[]

Physical copies[]

Personnel[]

  • Taylor Swift - Artist, producer, songwriter, publisher & music video director and actress
  • Post Malone - Featured artist, songwriter & music video actor
  • Jack Antonoff - Producer, songwriter, programmer, guitar & percussion
  • Sean Hutchinson - Drums & recording engineer
  • Louis Bell - Vocal producer & recording engineer
  • Serban Ghenea - Recording engineer
  • Bryce Bordone - - Recording engineer
  • Laura Sisk - Recording engineer
  • Oli Jacobs - Recording engineer
  • John Sher - Recording engineer
  • Jack Manning - Recording engineer
  • Lauren Marquez - Recording engineer
  • Michael Riddleberger - Recording engineer
  • Randy Merrill - Recording engineer
  • Ethan Hawke - Video actor
  • Josh Charles - Video actor
  • Stephanie Heiner - Video actress
  • Anthony Dimino - Video assistant director
  • Ethan Tobman - Video production designer
  • Chancler Haynes - Video editor
  • Jil Hardin - Video producer
  • Rodrigo Prieto - Video director of photography
  • Jemma Muradian - Video hair stylist
  • Lorrie Turk - Video makeup artist
  • Joseph Cassell - Video stylist & costume designer
  • Dom Thomas - Video executive producer

Additional music video crew[]

  • Pamela Heller Cohen
  • Connie Agawin
  • Junie Kang
  • Joanna Klein
  • Dan Perri
  • Melissa Rodgers
  • Levi Vieira
  • Ashleigh Scott
  • Ryan Smith
  • Jason M. Bergman
  • Jack FitzWilliam
  • Tom Graham
  • Pat Romano
  • Hilary Adele
  • Tiana Aiello
  • Talal Alabdali
  • Emily Buckingham
  • Gianni Catania
  • Sugar Ferrini
  • Catherine Hahn
  • Venita Kidd
  • Caroline Macou
  • Keira Maroney
  • Di Na
  • Avantika Nehru
  • Kiley Ogle
  • Allie Raye
  • Jane Richardson
  • Lorraine Schwartz
  • Dakota Simone
  • Elliot Soriano
  • Morgan A. Worrell
  • Roslyn Di Sisto
  • Fletcher Alliston

Live performances[]

"Fortnight" was added to The Eras Tour setlist on May 9, 2024, as the sixth song in the The Tortured Poets Department set.

Trivia[]

  • This song, along with the rest of The Tortured Poets Department, leaked on April 17, 2024, two days prior to the scheduled release.
  • The premiere countdown for the music video is different from the usual premiere countdown played before the video starts.
  • A black dog is seen in the music video, referencing the song "The Black Dog".
  • A storybook with "US" is seen on a book in the behind the scenes video, which may be a reference to "us." or "The Story Of Us".

References[]

THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT
"Fortnight" • "The Tortured Poets Department" • "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys" • "Down Bad" • "So Long, London" • "But Daddy I Love Him" • "Fresh Out The Slammer" • "Florida!!!" • "Guilty as Sin?" • "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" • "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)" • "loml" • "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" • "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" • "The Alchemy" • "Clara Bow"
THE ANTHOLOGY
"The Black Dog" • "imgonnagetyouback" • "The Albatross" • "Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus" • "How Did It End?" • "So High School" • "I Hate It Here" • "thanK you aIMee" • "I Look in People's Windows" • "The Prophecy" • "Cassandra" • "Peter" • "The Bolter" • "Robin" • "The Manuscript"
Collaborations
Taylor Swift songs featuring other artists
"Anti-Hero" (Bleachers) • "Bad Blood" (Kendrick Lamar) • "Breathe" (Colbie Caillat) • "Castles Crumbling" (Hayley Williams) • "coney island" (The National) • "Electric Touch" (Fall Out Boy) "End Game" (Ed Sheeran, Future) • "evermore" (Bon Iver) • "Everything Has Changed" (Ed Sheeran) • "exile" (Bon Iver) • "Florida!!!" (Florence + The Machine) • "Fortnight" (Post Malone) • "I Bet You Think About Me" (Chris Stapleton) • "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" (ZAYN)• "Karma" (Ice Spice) • "Lover" (Shawn Mendes) • "ME!" (Brendon Urie) • "no body, no crime" (HAIM) • "Nothing New" (Phoebe Bridgers) • "Run" (Ed Sheeran) • "Safe & Sound (The Civil Wars) • "Snow On The Beach" (Lana Del Rey) • "Soon You'll Get Better" (The Chicks) • "That's When" (Keith Urban) • "The Last Time" (Gary Lightbody) • "You All Over Me" (Maren Morris)
Songs featuring Taylor Swift
"Babe" (Sugarland) • "Best Days of Your Life" (Kellie Pickler) • "Birch" (Big Red Machine) • "Both of Us" (B.o.B) • "Gasoline" (HAIM) • "Half of My Heart" (John Mayer)
"Highway Don't Care" (Tim McGraw ft. Keith Urban) • "Renegade" (Big Red Machine) • "The Alcott" (The National) • "The Joker and the Queen" (Ed Sheeran) • "This Is What You Came For" (Calvin Harris) • "Thug Story" (T-Pain) • "Three Sad Virgins" (Pete Davidson, from SNL) • "Two Is Better Than One" (Boys Like Girls) • "us." (Gracie Abrams)
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