In her latest release, “The Tortured Poets Department,” Taylor Swift invites listeners into a world of emotional revelation, with an album that is both enchanting and riveting.
Compared to past albums, “The Tortured Poets Department” shows how Swift has evolved as an artist. It showcases her exceptional singing and demonstrates remarkable growth in her songwriting and sound. In this album, she talks about her struggles with mental health, how her love life has been publicized and it is a reflection of how damaging it has been.
The album has 16 songs, however, Swift caught fans off guard with the release of a double album titled, “The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology,” featuring an additional 15 songs. With a total of 31 new releases fans were ecstatic to discover the variety of new tempos and dramatic lyrics that make this album and some of its tracks stand out.
Long-time Swift collaborator Jack Antonoff links up to create a synth-pop vibe to “The Tortured Poets Department.” Their collaboration is stoic and dramatic, displaying a beautifully poetic album.
Songs like “Florida!!!” with Florence + the Machine and “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys,” present how great the two work together.
Even songs produced by Aaron Dessner recall back to her previous work such as “So, Long London,” a goodbye ode that parallels “London Boy” from her Lover era.
The album opens with “Fortnight,” which features Post Malone. Although his verse is short, it sets the theme for the rest of the album.
The song sounds calming, and the tempo is delicate. Swift and Post Malone’s voices compliment each other and also harmonize really well. It sounds like they both knew what they wanted to achieve with the song. Swift said in a tweet she wanted to collaborate with Post Malone because of his writing skills, musical experimentation and the melodies he creates.
Her song “Down Bad” sounds like a typical pop song, but it paints a picture of love, loss and heartache, especially with the lyrics, “Now I’m down bad, crying at the gym. Everything comes out teenage petulance.”
In the beginning of the song, the tempo is slow and light, but as the song continues the rhythm picks up with the delivery of relatable and vulnerable lyrics.
Many fans speculate this song is about Swift’s previous boyfriend Joe Alwyn because of the lyrics “Showed me that the world is bigger than us. Then sent me back where I came from. For a moment I knew cosmic love.”
It’s been suggested by many fans that Alwyn wanted to remain private in the relationship and he wasn’t much into being in the spotlight, and things ultimately ended for the couple.
Fans have also theorized the song could be about Swift’s ex-boyfriend, Matty Healy, lead singer of the band The 1975, whom the singer started to date in May 2023.
The two dated for several months with Healy and Swift being spotted out in public and at her “The Eras Tour.”
Some other songs that could potentially be about Healy are “I Can Fix Him (No I Really Can)” and “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” with lyrics such as “You hung me on your wall. Stabbed me with push pins. In public, showed me off. Then sank in stoned oblivion.”
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The most compelling aspect of “The Tortured Poets Department” is Swift’s willingness to embrace vulnerability. The tempo of the song starts off slow but picks up into an airy beat, which captivates listeners.
The standout song on the album is “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” because Swift confronts people commenting and spewing rumors about her personal and professional life.
With this anthem, Swift proves once again that she is not just a pop star, but a true artist whose creative talent knows no bounds. “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” is a powerful song about Swift being vengeful in the past, but has taken the high road to being the bigger person, which is a complete flip from her image and 2017 album “Reputation.”
The melody of the song flows smoothly and the lyrics paint a vivid portrait of storytelling and empowerment. It showcases Swift’s self-discovery and resiliency.
The final two songs, “The Alchemy” and “Clara Bow,” serve as outstanding tracks to end the album, because they act as a bridge in the connection between singers and her fans.
“The Alchemy” is a powerful song about Swift finding the golden person in her life and instead of fighting the feelings they both feel for each other, they should accept their love for one another. The song’s dreamy production really stands out and has an enchanted blend of instruments, which display a tale of love.
Fans speculate the song could be about her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, with lines such as “Where’s the trophy? He just comes running over to me. Touchdown.”
Specifically with “Clara Bow,” the song title is referring to silent film star Clara Bow, whom Swift resonates with due to their similar struggles with fame and mental health struggles.
Fans on social media have nothing but praises for “The Tortured Poets Department” and it has been trending since its release, with fans analyzing and sharing their favorite lyrics.
Fans have been going wild over the song “But Daddy I Love Him” because of the lyric, “I’m having his baby. No, I’m not, but you should see your faces.”
The particular lyric itself is trending on Twitter with so many reactions from people. The song could be referencing her football player boyfriend Kelce as no one was expecting Swift to be so bold with the line, garnering so many memes because of it.
The song’s lyrics are unhinged and funny and it doesn’t take itself so seriously. It’s an enjoyable song with an upbeat tempo.
“The Tortured Poets Department” explores Swift’s personal and professional trials, depicting her journey through pain but also celebrating her newfound strength and her genuine connection with a significant other, portrayed through melodies and lyrical depth, serving a testament to her talent and creative vision.
