"The Tortured Poets Department" - Taylor Swift: An Album Review
When Taylor Swift released "The Tortured Poets Department" in April 2024, she gave us 16 songs containing heartbreak, grief, anger, delusion, and the negative side of fame. The album encompasses songs about relationships falling apart and songs about feeling lost and trying to move forward. Some songs are heartbreaking, some are angry, and some are just completely insane in the best way. With so much on one album, "The Tortured Poets
Department" has a lot to say.
"Fortnight" (the lead single) is a song about a short-lived relationship that somehow has a lasting effect. The song looks back on a romance that could have been something more, while also dealing with the feeling of moving on without ever letting go. It also deals with her previous album, "Midnights", as the last song on the deluxe version, "Hits Different", has a line that goes, "Is it okay? Is it you? Or have they come to take me away?" and "Fortnight" starts with, "I was supposed to be sent away but they forgot to come and get me."
"The Tortured Poets Department" follows two people who are both completely caught up in their world with their relationships feeling more like a fantasy. The song mixes romance with a lot of chaos, as she compares the relationship to a dramatic story while being facetious about how ridiculous it can be.
"My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys" is a song about a relationship that goes from feeling special to falling apart. Taylor compares herself to a toy that was loved till broken, feeling as if she was wanted and then thrown away. There is also a lot of denial throughout the song as she tries to convince herself that maybe the relationship wasn't doomed.
"Down Bad" is a song about the sudden end to a relationship similar to abduction by aliens and then being dropped back on the earth. It is about feeling completely consumed by someone, only to be left and forced to deal with the aftermath.
"So Long, London", the album's Track 5 (a Track 5 in a Taylor Swift album is typically the most emotional song on the entire record), is about the end to a long relationship and the feeling of acceptance of the time to leave. She looks back on all that she gave to the relationship and how much she had lost trying to keep it together.
"But Daddy I Love Him", the album's most upbeat track thus far, is about falling in love with someone despite those around you telling you not to. She pushes back against the people judging her relationship, making it clear that she does not want their opinions dictating who she can be with.
"Fresh Out the Slammer", my second favorite off the album, is about the excitement of finally leaving the restrictive relationship and immediately running back to someone else. There is a strong sense of freedom throughout the song, but also of never having stopped thinking of the person waiting for her. This song is particularly Wild West themed, which is a sound she hasn't really explored before, and is what makes this song so unique to me.
"Florida!!!" is about wanting to flee everything and start over somewhere completely different. It is an almost ridiculous fantasy of leaving her old life behind, changing her identity, and forgetting everything that happened. The upbeat production makes the whole idea feel fun and carefree, even with the lyrics about fleeing her problems.
"Guilty as Sin?" is a song about being emotionally involved with someone while still being in another relationship. The song focuses more on the fantasy of what can be instead of anything that is, with the narrator questioning whether even thinking about someone else makes her guilty. There is much longing and temptation throughout the song, with the line between imagination and reality blurred.
"Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" is a song about being shaped by other people's judgment and refusing to let them control you anymore. The song compares fame and public scrutiny to being put on a stage, with every mistake being watched and criticized.
"I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)" is about being completely convinced that someone can be changed despite everyone else seeing the problems. The song leans into the idea of thinking you're the one person who can bring out the good in someone, even with plenty of warning signs. At the end, she says, "Woah maybe I can't," showing how even she realizes that some people can't be fixed.
"loml", probably my favorite song of all time, is a song that looks back on a relationship that once seemed to be going to last forever, only for everything to fall apart. The song plays with the idea of someone being the "love of my life" and then becoming the "loss of my life." It is also, in my opinion, one of her best written ballads.
"I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" is a song about putting on a confident face and continuing to live even with everything falling apart behind in the scenes. The upbeat production contrasts with the lyrics which describe trying to perform, work, and act like everything is fine while dealing with heartbreak.
"The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" is a song about the anger and disbelief that comes after she realizes someone she trusted was never who she thought they were. The song starts off almost quietly, questioning what happened to the relationship, before turning into a much more explosive confrontation. By the end, the heartbreak has turned into pure anger, with the relationship being reduced to someone who was never worth all the pain in the first place. The bridge is also often considered by fans to be one of her best bridges ever.
"The Alchemy" uses sports imagery to describe the feeling of finally finding someone who makes everything fall into place. The relationship is compared to a winning game, with references to teams, touchdowns, and coming back stronger after a loss.
"Clara Bow" compares Taylor's rise to fame with the careers of other women that rose before her. The song goes through different generations of women in the spotlight, showing how each is admired for a certain image before the attention moves on. It also reflects on the pressure of being constantly compared to the people who came before you.
Overall, "The Tortured Poets Department" is my favorite album of all time. I love how different the songs are from each other while still fitting together, and there are so many lyrics and moments that have stayed with me. Some songs are heartbreaking, some are angry, and some are completely insane, but this is part of what makes the album so fun to listen to. Between the songwriting, the production, and the stories throughout the album, there is a lot to come back to every time I listen to it.
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