Taylor Swift has returned to the musical stage with her album ‘The Tortured Poets Department,’ released on April 19, containing 16 songs. However, after “The Tortured Poets Department” was released, fans were in for a surprise.
At 2 a.m. that morning, Swift surprised fans and released ‘The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology,’ which contained the original tracks plus an additional 15 songs. Four of these songs were available on limited edition vinyl released ahead of the album, but the other 11 were completely new, and their titles had not been previously disclosed to fans. The album, which contains a staggering 31 tracks, and is a total of 2 hours and 2 minutes long, is a true masterpiece of heartbreak and healing, and is one of Swift’s best albums to date.
This feat of a two hour long album is made even more impressive considering how busy Swift has been in the past year. ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ quickly follows Swift’s re-release of her album “1989” on October 27, 2023. In addition to this, Swift has been touring on her “Eras Tour” since March of 2023, traveling across four continents. Considering all of this, it is truly astonishing that she was able to produce an album of this magnitude.
The album starts out with the track “Fortnight,” a song with dark, nostalgic lyrics and an upbeat sound. Lyrics like “And for a fortnight there / We were forever,” or “Thought of calling ya / But you won’t pick up,” reflect the wistfulness that can be found on the rest of the album. Post Malone accompanies Swift on the track and despite being a rapper, he does little rapping on the song. His backup vocals really help to tie the entire song together, and is a choice well made. The song is the lead single off of the album, and a music video for it was released at 8 pm on April 20th.
Right after “Fortnight” the album moves into the title track, “The Tortured Poets Department.” In the song, Swift explores the trials that come with a relationship but finishes with the idea that in the end, it can be worth it to stick through the tough times. The song is rumored to be written about Swift’s recent ex-boyfriend Matty Healy, lead singer of the 1975, appearing to reference him several times throughout the song.
Where “Fortnight” and “The Tortured Poets Department” both sound extremely similar to songs on Swift’s album “Midnights,” the next track “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” switches it up with sounds that call back to Swift’s 1989 era, a more mainstream pop album. This only does the album favors, however, as it helps to mix it up, and despite the lyrics that discuss a painful breakup, presents the listener with a more upbeat sound.
The remaining thirteen songs on the original album can be divided into two categories: gut-wrenching songs about a breakup, and songs about finding new love. For example, in “So Long, London,” Swift talks about trying to save a doomed relationship, and ultimately failing. But immediately following this song, we are hit with “But Daddy I Love Him,” which is about finding new love amidst people’s judgment.
Another that stands out is “Florida!!!” as it contains a feature by Florence + The Machine. Florence Welch, the lead singer of the featured band, offers gorgeous singing, alongside Swift, while delivering a haunting message about disappearing, and buying your past.
The final track on ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ is titled “Clara Bow,” and has a slightly different meaning than all of the other songs. While the majority of the tracks are about love, or a breakup, “Clara Bow” is about the rise to fame. Clara Bow, who the song is titled after, was a famous actress during the 1920s and 30s and Swift references her in the beginning, when she sings “You look like Clara Bow in this light / Remarkable.”
As the song goes along, it progresses chronologically, moving on from one “it girl” to another, referencing Stevie Nicks as well. At the end of the song, Swift sings “You look like Taylor Swift / In this light / We’re loving it,” and proceeds to go on about how the future is bright for whoever this new “it girl” is. It is a very powerful message for the end of the album and leads the listener to look towards the future as the album ends.
The additional songs on ‘TTPD: The Anthology’ begin with “The Black Dog.” In this song, Swift sings about breaking up with someone, but still being able to see their location, and spiraling as she watches them walk into a bar. However, she also explores the other meaning behind the title, as the phrase “the black dog” can be used as a metaphor for depression. This first track helps to set the tone for the rest of the additional songs, which are less upbeat than the ones on the original album, and contain sadder lyrics.
The additional songs give the listener a wider range of themes and sounds than the original album. For example, “thanK you aIMee,” a track that seemingly references Kim Kardashian, and her past feud with Swift, discusses how in the end, not all challenges are a bad thing. In “I Hate It Here,” the most personal song on the album, and the saddest in my opinion, Swift discusses her feelings of not belonging, and escaping into her mind.
It is in this second part of the album that Swift really begins to expand her usage of vocals as well. For example, in “So High School” when she belts out a love song about feeling like you’re in high school again, she uses more enthusiasm in her vocals than had been previously used on the entire album.
On an album with 31 songs, it is natural that there would be a few songs that listeners would like less than the others. For me, this is the song “Robin.” Compared to the rest of the tracks on the album, the lyrics seem a little nonsensical, and it is not exactly clear what message is trying to be brought across. This being said, it is still a song I enjoy listening to, but it definitely does not make it into my top ten songs on the album.
Overall, the album is a masterpiece and it’s safe to say that it is all that will be on my playlists for the next few months. If you have not listened to it yet, I would strongly recommend giving it a try. You certainly do not have to listen to all 31 songs in one sitting, but giving at least a few songs a listen would be worth it. An album like ‘The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology’ is something that everyone can appreciate, no matter what.
