Taylor Swift’s illusive and high-anticipated new album, The Tortured Poets Department, details all of Swift’s innermost feelings, offering an emotional and intimate look into her mind. Originally marketed as having a 16 song tracklist, Swift surprised her fans by releasing an extra 15 songs from the album just two hours after the original album’s release. This extra release was titled The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology.
Kicking off the record with a slow track, Fortnight features popular rapper Post Malone. While seemingly a strange duo to be paired together on a song, Swift and Malone blend their voices together to create a melody of emotion. Perfectly rhythmic guitar matches the lyric’s expression of grief in a way that immediately sets the tone of the album.
The album’s title track, The Tortured Poets Department, describes one of Swift’s budding relationships. Swift details the playfulness and mutual obsession that comes with the honeymoon stage of a relationship in the first few months. Poking fun at her partner’s and her own pretentious behavior, this track is one of the many love songs on the album, contrasted greatly from the many songs that detail her heartbreak and hardships.
A haunting and mesmerizing vocal performance, So Long, London provides a fast-paced beat that brings about an anxious feeling, making the listener connect to Swift’s lyricism on a deeper level. With devastating lyrics describing a deep sensation of despair, So Long, London is sure to sink any listener’s heart upon the first listen. Following Swift’s pattern of having the fifth track on all of her albums be the most personal and vulnerable, So Long, London cements itself as one of, if not the most, tragic tracks on the album.
A duet with Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine, Florida!!! brings the synth aspect of synth-pop back to life with electric instrumentals backing the chorus. This track stands out as one that carries great sass in its lyricism, sometimes even poking fun at the listener. With themes of wanting to escape, Swift expertly emphasizes the idea of a mental safe haven from her troubles.
Focused on Swift’s feelings of depression while performing on The Eras Tour, I Can Do It With a Broken Heart differs from many of the other tracks in sound and meaning. Swift contrasts her lyrics, which describe her loneliness and despair post-breakup, with an extremely upbeat instrumental and cheerful vocal performance. The contrast represents how Swift feels she must force herself to appear happy whilst touring, no matter what she feels inside. I Can Do It With a Broken Heart emphasizes Swift’s individual feelings, and helps remind her listeners that she is a normal person with emotions,
just like the rest of us.
imgonnagetyouback is a crafty track similar to Olivia Rodrigo’s get him back! from Rodrigo’s most recent album, GUTS. Using the phrase “get you back” as polysemous, Swift describes what she might do to get him back in a relationship with her or what she might do as revenge for breaking her heart. With a melodic synth, Swift cleverly uses word play throughout the song to paint two separate pictures. Swift’s enticing vocal performance adds a nearly flirty tone to the track as she discusses her master plans with the listener.
Perhaps the sweetest track, So High School compares Swift and her lover to a couple in high school, highlighting the innocent and purely romantic aspects of their relationship that take up her mind. Describing a stereotypical high school relationship consisting of sweet sixteen parties, football practices and party games such as spin the bottle, So High School has been an immediate fan favorite. With daydream vocals and an instrumental that one can’t help but smile at upon hearing, Swift creates a joyous song that is sure to be admired by any listener.
A light and airy experience, I look in People’s Windows is a short and sweet track detailing Swift’s longing for her past partner. Accompanied by a guitar that plays as if it belongs in a fairy tale, Swift’s vocals evoke a mystical, fairy-like feeling that easily reflects the longing seen in the lyricism. Reminiscent of many of the tracks off Swift’s 2020 album, folklore, this song uses mesmerizing imagery to enchant listeners.
Peter, a carefully and masterfully piano backed song, is a ballad like no other. Telling a story of a young love turned breakup, Swift breaks listeners hearts as she describes how her lover promised her eternal love, only to leave her waiting for him. Swift compared her lover to Peter Pan, exemplifying his immaturity in their relationship. The mixture of childhood stories and adult heartbreak provides for a perfect contrast as Swift’s pain-stricken voice flawlessly portrays the deep emotion of the song.
Completing the double album, The Manuscript perfectly encapsulates the true meaning of the entire album as Swift reminisces on the stages of her relationship and how it came to an end. With a simple piano instrumental, Swift makes the artistic choice to focus solely on the lyrics and vocal performance of the song rather than distracting from it with an engaging instrumental. However, this simplistic instrument playing also adds to the song in its own way accentuating the morose situation Swift found herself in. Told from a third-person perspective, Swift highlights the true tragedy of her relationship, and how the heartbreak shaped her as both a person and an artist.
The Tortured Poets Department is one of Swift’s best, encapsulating a multitude of emotions and stories into one extensive album. While there are 31 songs (a lot!) on these double albums, it is impossible to get tired of listening to all the songs. Each track tells an individual story and perspective in a way that lets the listener have a small peek into the mind of Taylor Swift. Overall, The Tortured Poets Department is a solid 10/10, with a gold star on the top of the paper. The album has the potential to be long revered as one of Swift’s best, rising in popularity with each passing second.
