Taylor Swift is a distant relative of prominent 19th-century American poet Emily Dickinson, genealogy company Ancestry told American broadcaster NBC’s Today on March 4.

Ancestry said the Evermore singer and the poet are sixth cousins, three times removed.

“Swift and Dickinson both descend from a 17th-century English immigrant – Swift’s ninth great-grandfather and Dickinson’s sixth great-grandfather, who was an early settler of Windsor, Connecticut,” it added.

Swift’s ancestors apparently “remained in Connecticut for six generations until her part of the family eventually settled in north-western Pennsylvania, where they married into the Swift family line”.

Born in 1830 in Amherst, Massachusetts, Dickinson is regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry.

A recluse in her family’s home, she published anonymously while she was alive.

Fans of 34-year-old superstar Swift will find this revelation timely and fitting, as her upcoming album, titled The Tortured Poets Department, is set to be released on April 19.

Swift once referenced Dickinson while talking about the different types of lyrics she writes for her songs.

In 2022, while receiving the Songwriter-Artist of the Decade Award from Nashville Songwriters Association International, Swift said: “If my lyrics sound like a letter written by Emily Dickinson’s great-grandmother while sewing a lace curtain, that’s me writing in the Quill genre.”

Swift has classified her lyrics into three categories: Quill lyrics, Fountain Pen lyrics and Glitter Gel Pen lyrics.

According to Today, Swifties also speculated that Swift’s ninth studio album, Evermore, was inspired by the poet.

Not only did the Grammy winner announce the album’s release on Dec 10, 2020 – the anniversary of Dickinson’s birth – but the title itself may also be a reference to her poem, One Sister Have I In Our House. It features the word “forevermore”, which echoes the title of Swift’s album.

Swift, who is in Singapore for her Eras Tour, announced a final limited special edition of The Tortured Poets Department, themed around a bonus track.

Titled The Black Dog, Swift revealed the variant during the surprise song segment of her set on March 3, when she performed a mash-up of Evermore’s Long Story Short and The Story Of Us from Speak Now (2010).

The Black Dog joins The Manuscript, The Bolter and The Albatross as variant-exclusive bonus tracks for The Tortured Poets Department.

Like the previous editions, The Black Dog variant features unique packaging and photos besides the bonus track.

“‘Old habits die screaming…’ File Name: The Black Dog,” wrote Swift on Instagram on March 4 alongside photos of the cover art.

Fans will be able to order The Black Dog edition via Swift’s website through March 6.