By Jessica 
Did Jack Antonoff just reveal Taylor Swift’s next album is coming? When Taylor Swift’s producer hints at new album release this year with cryptic social media posts, the internet explodes with theories. April 2025 brought another wave of speculation after Antonoff shared mysterious studio updates, but insiders know these breadcrumbs often lead somewhere unexpected. I’ve analyzed every verified statement, trademark filing, and release pattern to uncover what’s actually happening behind the scenes.
What Jack Antonoff’s Cryptic Posts Really Mean
In early April 2025, Jack Antonoff sparked major speculation with several mysterious social media posts:
- “can’t f**king wait for these…”
- “hi from the studio thinking about sotc”
- Reposting a fan theory with his comment “i love my work”
These vague statements instantly triggered theories about new Swift music. But is this actually proof of a brand new album?
Not exactly.
During the same period, Antonoff publicly praised “Fresh Out the Slammer” from The Tortured Poets Department, calling it his favorite track on the album in an April 5, 2025 tweet. This suggests his recent social media activity might be connected to existing projects rather than something entirely new.
“I’ve seen his cryptic posts trigger fan theories before, but they rarely pan out the way people expect,” says music journalist Sarah Michaels. “Remember when everyone thought his studio photo with Taylor meant a surprise Christmas album?”
The Jack-Taylor Creative Relationship: What Recent History Tells Us
Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift’s musical partnership spans over a decade. They first collaborated on “Sweeter Than Fiction” in 2013, and their creative chemistry has produced some of Swift’s most acclaimed work across multiple albums including 1989, Folklore, and The Tortured Poets Department.
Their most recent collaboration on TTPD involved:
- 16 songs co-produced by Antonoff
- Months of intensive studio work throughout 2022-2023
- A project they’ve heavily promoted throughout 2024
Some music critics have even suggested their partnership may have reached its creative peak with The Tortured Poets Department. As Rolling Stone noted in April 2024, their recent collaborations have shown signs of “running in place” with “homogenized comfort zones” and “hollowed-out percussion”.
Aaron Dessner’s Perspective: 60+ Unreleased Songs
Aaron Dessner, Swift’s other key producer since the Folklore era, revealed something fascinating about their collaborative output: they have recorded over 60 songs together since beginning their partnership.
While promoting The Tortured Poets Department in April 2024, Dessner shared that they’d been working on these songs for over two years, indicating an extensive backlog of material exists.
But Dessner hasn’t made any public statements about a 2025 album. His recent social media activity and interviews have focused primarily on:
- Celebrating The Tortured Poets Department’s success
- His work with his band The National
- Reflecting on past Swift collaborations
The complete absence of future album hints from Dessner is telling, especially considering his major role in Swift’s recent projects.
New Collaborator Alert: Erik Arvinder Joins Swift’s Team
A significant development emerged on April 13, 2025, when Universal Music Sweden confirmed that Erik Arvinder, a Swedish violinist, conductor, and producer, is working on Swift’s next music project.
Arvinder brings impressive credentials, having collaborated with Lady Gaga and Harry Styles, and his involvement suggests orchestral elements may feature prominently in Swift’s upcoming work. According to Yahoo Entertainment, a video (since deleted) showed Arvinder speaking in Swedish about completing work on Swift’s album before moving to another project.
His expertise in arranging strings and conducting orchestras signals what could be a stylistic evolution for Swift, potentially incorporating more cinematic, orchestral qualities into her sound. This marks Swift’s first confirmed new collaborator for upcoming music in 2025.
While this news confirms Swift is working on new music, the question remains: is Arvinder contributing to:
- Orchestral arrangements for Reputation (Taylor’s Version)?
- String sections for Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version)?
- Or truly new compositions for TS12?
This development adds intrigue but doesn’t contradict the compelling evidence pointing toward re-recordings as Swift’s priority for 2025.
The Re-Recording Project’s Hard Deadline
Here’s why the re-recording project almost certainly takes priority over new music in 2025:
| Re-Recording | Original Release | Re-Recording Release | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fearless | 2008 | April 9, 2021 | Completed |
| Red | 2012 | November 12, 2021 | Completed |
| Speak Now | 2010 | July 7, 2023 | Completed |
| 1989 | 2014 | October 27, 2023 | Completed |
| Reputation | 2017 | Expected 2025 | Pending |
| Taylor Swift | 2006 | Expected 2025 | Pending |
The key factor many fans don’t realize: Swift faces a critical legal deadline for her remaining re-recordings.
Swift filed “Intent to Use” trademarks for all Taylor’s Version albums in February 2021. Under USPTO rules, these trademarks have a final deadline of August 16, 2025. If she doesn’t use these trademarks in commerce (meaning releasing the albums) by then, she loses her trademark priority.
This creates a hard mid-2025 deadline for both remaining re-recordings, making it extremely unlikely she’d prioritize a brand new album before completing this project.
Taylor Swift’s Post-Eras Tour “Gap Year” Plans
Multiple credible reports suggest Swift plans to take a well-deserved break in 2025:
- The Eras Tour concluded in December 2024 after an exhaustive global run
- According to Elle UK, Swift is “planning to go on hiatus from music to ‘focus on other projects and her personal life'”
- Sources told American Songwriter that while Swift has “a new album in the works,” she likely won’t tour again until 2026
This “gap year” concept directly contradicts the idea of launching an entirely new album cycle, which would require:
- Months of studio work
- Music video production
- Global promotional tours
- Extensive media appearances
However, completing the re-recording project would be entirely compatible with taking a relative break, as much of the creative work was done years ago.
What Taylor Swift’s Release Pattern Tells Us
Taylor Swift has established a remarkably consistent pattern:
- 2020: Original albums (Folklore, Evermore)
- 2021: Re-recordings (Fearless TV, Red TV)
- 2022: Original album (Midnights)
- 2023: Re-recordings (Speak Now TV, 1989 TV)
- 2024: Original album (The Tortured Poets Department)
- 2025: Logic suggests re-recordings (Reputation TV, Debut TV)
This pattern, combined with the trademark deadlines, makes it almost mathematically certain that 2025 will focus on completing the re-recording project rather than launching TS12.
The Latest From Official Taylor Swift Channels
During my research, I found:
- No announcements from Taylor Swift herself
- No hints from Taylor Nation (her management team)
- No confirmation from Republic Records
When asked about Swift’s future plans at industry events, record executives have been notably tight-lipped. However, in February 2025, Express UK reported that Swift is “in the development stages of her new album which will be released at the end of the year,” citing an AEG source.
Whether this refers to a re-recording or truly new music remains unclear.
The Verdict: What’s Actually Coming in 2025
Based on all verifiable evidence as of April 2025:
A brand new Taylor Swift album in 2025 is possible but not her primary focus.
What fans can reasonably expect:
- Reputation (Taylor’s Version) – likely summer 2025
- Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version) – likely fall 2025
- Possibly more singles from The Tortured Poets Department
- Potential vault tracks from the re-recordings featuring new collaborators like Erik Arvinder
The producer hints that got fans excited are likely related to these projects, with Arvinder’s involvement suggesting the re-recordings may feature enhanced orchestral arrangements to make them truly special.
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FAQs About Taylor Swift’s Next Album
When will Reputation (Taylor’s Version) be released?
While no official announcement exists, trademark deadlines suggest it must release by August 2025. Based on Swift’s typical release schedule, expect it sometime between May and July 2025.
What has Jack Antonoff actually said about new Taylor Swift music?
Antonoff has made vague posts like “can’t f**king wait for these…” but has never explicitly connected these comments to a new Swift album. His most specific recent comment was praising “Fresh Out the Slammer” from The Tortured Poets Department.
Who is Erik Arvinder and what’s his role in Swift’s music?
Erik Arvinder is a Swedish violinist, conductor and producer confirmed by Universal Music Sweden to be working on Swift’s next music project. His orchestral expertise suggests Swift may be incorporating more symphonic elements into her upcoming work.
How many unreleased Taylor Swift songs exist?
Aaron Dessner revealed they’ve recorded over 60 songs since Folklore. This doesn’t include collaborations with other producers or songs Swift wrote independently. This extensive vault of material could potentially be used for special editions, vault tracks, or future albums.
Will Taylor Swift tour again after the Eras Tour?
Multiple reports indicate Swift plans to take a break from touring in 2025. Sources close to Swift suggest she may tour again in 2026, but on a smaller scale than the Eras Tour.
Is Taylor Swift working on TS12?
While Swift is known for working on music constantly, and Arvinder’s involvement confirms new music is in development, the evidence suggests her primary focus for 2025 remains completing her re-recording project. TS12 is likely being developed but would more likely arrive in 2026.
What happens if Taylor Swift doesn’t release the remaining re-recordings by August 2025?
If Swift doesn’t release Reputation (Taylor’s Version) and Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version) by the August 2025 trademark deadline, she would lose her trademark priority and need to restart the application process, potentially creating legal complications for the project.
While Taylor Swift’s producer hints at new album release this year have excited fans, and the addition of Erik Arvinder confirms new music is in development, the evidence still points to 2025 being primarily dedicated to completing her re-recording project before launching an entirely new era.
Published: April 13, 2025 | Last Updated: April 14, 2025