This photograph taken in Paris on April 19, 2024, shows a smartphone displaying Taylor Swift’s new album “The Tortured Poets Department” on Spotify. (AFP via Getty Images/TNS)
Get out your dictionaries, Swifties. It’s time to sit down and dissect Taylor Swift’s 11th studio album, titled “The Tortured Poets Department.”
The record was released Friday at midnight, boasting 15 songs for fans to devour; however, a 2 a.m. surprise from Swift introduced 15 extra tracks for a grand total of 30 brand-new songs, leaving much material for voracious listeners to pore over.
Those who expected a synth pop album, à la Swift’s 2022 album “Midnights,” must feel sorely mistaken. Several tracks on “The Tortured Poets Department” include synth instrumentals — “Fortnight,” “Down Bad” and “Guilty as Sin?” to name a few — but none of these tunes are textbook boppy hits.
“The Tortured Poets Department” is not exactly foreign for Swift’s fans, at least in terms of sonic quality. The album contains numerous songs with simple instrumentals and driving beats, similar to those heard on 2020’s “folklore” and “evermore” records. Particularly, “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” felt reminiscent of “tolerate it” — the fifth track off of “evermore” — when it comes to general style and lyricism.
In fact, it could be argued “The Tortured Poets Department” would fit in perfectly with Swift’s pandemic pieces. An acoustic guitar is heavily featured in many of the tracks, highlighting the understated beauty of Swift’s vocals and lyricism.
This is especially evident in “The Prophecy,” which merges the aforementioned simple instrumentals and driving beats with Swift’s masterful storytelling. Its bridge adds to the song’s intriguing allure, stating “And I look unstable / Gathered with a coven ‘round a sorceress’ table / A greater woman has faith / But even statues crumble if they’re made to wait.”
Hints of Swift’s 2017 electro-pop album, called “Reputation,” also linger within this new release. “Florida!!!” and “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” show traces of anger and vengefulness; the former, despite its peppy title, is a scathing piece that belittles its very inspiration.
“Little did you know / Your home’s really only a town you’re just a guest in / So you work your life away / Just to pay for a timeshare down in Destin,” Swift bitingly sings, joined by singer-songwriter Florence Welch.
Notably, Swift’s new album is completely devoid of her so-called “glitter gel pen songs,” or tracks that are a bit silly, feel-good and make one want to get up and dance.
The album certainly possesses some seemingly joyful songs, like “I Can Do it With a Broken Heart,” which has a more upbeat sound. The track’s lyrics, while a touch disconcerting, certainly garnered some giggles at this author’s listening party.
“I’m so depressed, I act like it’s my birthday every day,” Swift sings in a hilariously relatable fashion.
This is not to say Swift’s new work lacks scream-along anthems. “thanK you AImee” and “imgonnagetyouback” are certainly tunes Swifties will screech along to, hands in the air like they’re having a religious experience.
Even so, Swift’s 2 a.m. surprise is where her songwriting abilities really shine.
Though the first half of the album does have some creatively heartbreaking lines — “I’m queen of sandcastles he destroys” in “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” and “I thought I was better off safe than starry-eyed” in “loml” — the second half is positively emblematic of Swift’s narrative skills.
Specifically, “The Bolter” paints a particularly vivid picture of a relationship that was toxic from the start, with the titular “Bolter” eventually recounting how “as she was leaving, it felt like freedom.”
Taken as a whole, “The Tortured Poets Department” is a mournful album. “The Black Dog” mentions an ex-flame forgetting to stop sharing their location, delving into the unexpectedly poignant grief that accompanies this common experience. Additionally, the title track drips with anguish, asking “And who’s gonna hold you like me? / And who’s gonna know you if not me?”
Throughout the album, there are several references to events and milestones that never came to fruition. In “Fresh Out the Slammer,” Swift reminisces about a past relationship, recalling “the park where we used to sit on children’s swings / Wearing imaginary rings.” Moreover, “loml” mentions “Talking rings and talking cradles,” with Swift wishing she could “un-recall / How we almost had it all.”
All in all, “The Tortured Poets Department” is another fantastic installment of Swift’s ever-growing discography. The album’s first 15 tracks can be a bit underwhelming at times, but the second half reminds fans of what they admire about Swift in the first place.
Only one question remains: What on Earth happened in Florida?
Rating: 3.75/5
