On Feb. 4, 2024, Taylor Swift shocked the world again by announcing her 11th studio album after winning her 13th Grammy. If you are Swiftie, you know the number 13 is Taylor’s favorite number (her birthday), and she incorporates it into many of the easter eggs she lays out for her devoted fans. Before Taylor announced The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD), many fans were speculating that she was going to announce Reputation (Taylor’s Version), since mere hours before the Grammys, she changed all of her profile pics to black & white.
Taylor disclosed that she had been keeping the TTPD a secret for over two years. Upon this discovery, many speculations came about. Personally, hearing this news reminded me how after Folklore and Evermore, the two sister albums, many people theorized that there would be a third album coming out called Woodvale. Immediately upon hearing the name and seeing the album cover, I thought TTPD was giving the same indie pop vibe as Folkore & Evermore, which I was thrilled about. However, I have recently seen many posts stating that TTPD has been registered as Synth Pop. If you are like me and are not sure what Synth Pop is, the Oxford Dictionary defines it as a type of pop music featuring heavy use of synthesizers and other electronic instruments, originating in the early 1980s. Think 1989 and Midnights, these albums are products of synth-pop production, which makes sense since Taylor is a big fan of using inspiration from 80s music in her music, given her birth year, 1989. I love Taylor’s pop music, so believe me when I say I cannot wait, but I won’t lie and say I’m not hoping for a more alternative, indie vibe, or stripped-back ballads. I guess we will see, you never know how accurate these Instagram posts are.
Now obviously after the news broke about TTPD, everyone started speculating about what this album will be about. The consensus has been her breakup with British actor, Joe Alwyn. I have never been a fan of theorizing about Taylor’s past relationships with her songs, especially on social media. I think oftentimes, people send hate to her ex-boyfriends over a relationship that was so long ago and they quite frankly know nothing about it. Well, this new album is likely about Joe, I hope people have learned from past mistakes and do not send any unnecessary hate his way. Taylor has discussed in interviews that although her songs are personal to her, she does not like to disclose who the songs are about, and she rather fans be able to relate them to their own life.
24 hours after announcing TTPD, Taylor broke the internet yet again by releasing the tracklist. With tracks featuring Post Malone and Florence & the Machine, I think we are in for a real treat, and it aids my theory that we are getting an alternative album. The track titles I believe tell us a lot about what the album may be about. Starting with “But Daddy I Love Him” and “Clara Bow,” both hold a common theme of losing one’s voice. Fans have speculated “But Daddy I Love Him” is a reference to the 1989 film, The Little Mermaid, where Ariel gave up her voice to be with the guy she loved. Further, Clara Bow was an actress who rose to fame in the silent film era of the 1920s. She also faced scrutiny from the media, similar to Swift. I am excited to see how this song is done, as writing a song about a real-life public figure is something Taylor has done before, and quite well might I add. “The Last Great American Dynasty” on Folklore is about the life of socialite, Rebekah Harkness, and it is a magical re-telling of Harkness’ legacy. Additionally, her song titles have referred back to similar titles on previous albums and lyrics in the previous songs. I love this concept as I love seeing her relationship with love and other emotions through the different eras. “So Long London” calls back to Lover’s “London Boy,” and “Fresh Out the Slammer” hints towards Reputation’s “…Ready for It?” with the lyrics, “and he can be my jailer.” There were also some literary references which I think aids to the more Folklore-esque vibe from the album. “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” is a clear reference to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, which tells the story of illusion and false perceptions of people’s lives. I think that maybe this will talk about how her relationship may have seemed perfect on the outside, but it was crumbling on the inside.
This album has been characterized as a break-up album based on the titles and the vibes from the album covers. However, I am expecting the majority of the album to be about a relationship of two people who love each other, so much that they are trying everything they can to keep their relationship alive, despite wanting completely different things. I think it will be an album of loneliness, despair, love, heartbreak, hope, and reflection. I feel some of the tracks may even touch into the aftermath of her breakup, especially “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart,” which I feel may have to do with her starting the Eras Tour still reeling in all of the emotions of her breakup. Even if all of these theories are wrong, I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us, on April 19, 2024.