Our Tour of “The Tortured Poets Department”

All’s fair in love and poetry… right? On April 19, 2024, American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” The album questions what’s fair in romance and frames her struggles in a poetic light. Swift announced the album at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards and expanded it into a double album upon release, subtitled The Anthology, adding a surprise second volume of songs. Here’s our deep dive into Swift’s tortured poetry.

“Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)”: 7.5/10

• The album starts strong with an unexpected yet euphonic collaboration between Taylor Swift and Post Malone. The subtle synth-pop behind their vocals is similar to Ms. Swift’s 10th studio album, “Midnights”, but has a completely different vibe to it. The song is slower than her typical pop and the lyrics are more reflective. “Fortnight” means a two-week span and the lyrics delve into a short-lived, forbidden love affair. Swift is dramatic with her words, saying her immense love is “ruining [her] life” and she feels “stuck in an endless February.” This dramatization of prevalent themes such as love, loss and longing is the type of album this is. Swift emphasizes the deep, lasting effects of small things. I was pleasantly surprised by how good her voice sounded intertwined with Malone’s. I’m used to hearing Malone rap, so it was nice to hear how beautiful his voice was in a slower context. He was the perfect choice to convey the emotions in this song. 
• Favorite lyric: “I love you, it’s ruining my life.”

“The Tortured Poets Department”: 6/10

• The soundtrack transitions into the album’s title track, incorporating similar synth-pop elements. The song has a light, positive sound to it while still fitting the poetic aesthetic of the album, mentioning typewriters and decoding. Some fans speculate that certain lyrics in this song reference Matty Healy, the lead singer of The 1975 with whom Swift had a short but intense relationship. The main lyric is “but you told Lucy you’d kill yourself if I ever leave,” leading fans to believe she’s talking about Lucy Dacus from Boygenius, an old friend of Matty Healy’s. Although this is good evidence, she could’ve been talking to Lucy Dacus about someone else or the lyrics may be more fictional than factual. Either way, the song follows a ruinous yet rich relationship filled with emotional struggles. 
• Favorite lyric: “Sometimes I wonder if you’re gonna screw this up with me.”

“My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys”: 5.5/10

• The chorus of this song is incredibly catchy and the consistent references to dolls intrigued me. Swift seems to place herself in the position of a doll, telling the classic childhood tale of a child who gets tired of playing with their favorite toy and eventually discards it. In a broader context, Swift refers to an ex who sabotaged their relationship when it was going well because he grew tired of it. Swift is the broken toy, making her the “queen of sand castles he destroys,” and ending a relationship that was initially happy and cute. My only big qualm with this song is the repetitive production backing it. By the end of the song, I get a bit tired of listening to it and feel ready to move on to something more interesting. However, the lyrics are well-written and metaphorical, keeping me engaged.
• Favorite lyric: “He saw forever so he smashed it up.”

“Down Bad”: 6.5/10

• When I read the title of this song, I knew it was going to be relatable. It depicts the feeling of being “down bad” for someone before being ghosted or abruptly broken up with. With a large portion of Swift’s fan base being teenage girls, this song hits hard for many listeners, myself included. Getting ghosted is unfortunately common nowadays, especially among the younger generation, and it’s comforting to hear someone as famous as Swift undergo a familiar experience. It humanizes her and fans can empathize with her “teenage petulance,” obsessed anger and heartbreak. I appreciate how down-to-earth and honest she is. 
• Favorite lyric: “How dare you think it’s romantic/Leaving me safe and stranded.” (Alludes to a lyric from “New Romantics” from her fifth studio album “1989”).

“So Long, London”: 9/10

• This is easily one of my favorite songs on the entire album. I love how emotionally raw and vulnerable Swift is with this song, the heartbreak seeping through in her vocals. The fifth track on her albums is always a sentimental piece, and this one is no exception. The lyrics of this song are especially devastating since it’s practically confirmed to be about the end of her long-term relationship with English actor Joe Alwyn. The track says goodbye to Alwyn and London, a person and a place she truly loved for so long. The parallels to “London Boy” from her seventh studio album “Lover” are painful. It also reminds me of “You’re Losing Me” from “Midnights” with the connection between the lyrics and the production. In “You’re Losing Me”, Swift uses the sound of a slowly dying heartbeat to symbolize the slow death of a relationship. Similarly in this song, Swift sings the phrase “So Long, London” in a staccato manner at the beginning to create a sound adjacent to wedding bells, implying Swift saw a permanent future with Alwyn that never became a reality. It’s genius how she uses the double meaning of “so long” to her advantage, bidding farewell to her London boy but also reminiscing on a long, bittersweet time of her life. It hurts to see Swift fall so harshly out of love and the emotional distress and turmoil it’s caused her but I’m glad she can use songwriting as an outlet. The honesty of her music makes it unique and powerful to listen to. 
• Favorite lyric: “You swore that you loved me but where were the clues?/I died on the altar waiting for the proof.”

“But Daddy I Love Him”: 7/10

• Whenever this song plays, I get the inexplicable urge to run across the shore of a beach in a sundress on a warm summer day. With the titular lyrics alluding to “The Little Mermaid” and the image of “running with [her] dress unbuttoned,” this song evokes the feeling of being recklessly in love with someone and screaming it confidently on a shoreline. As a public figure since the release of her first album in 2006, Swift has been under scrutiny and judgment for a while. Her dating decisions are largely criticized and this song calls people out for attacking her on a subject that’s none of their business. The song is playful and fun, teasing the general public for being so invested in her love life and reminding them that they don’t have control or a say over her just because she’s a celebrity. Swift is a grown woman who’s perfectly capable of making decisions. 
• Favorite lyric: “Growing up precocious sometimes means not growing up at all.”

“Fresh Out The Slammer”: 6.5/10

• Questions surrounding Swift and Healy’s quick relationship seem to be answered with this song. The song describes feeling trapped in a previous relationship and running back to an old lover once escaping. This ties to Swift’s life by suggesting she felt trapped towards the end of her and Alwyn’s relationship and was eager to rekindle an old flame with Healy once she and Alwyn broke up. Many fans believe that Healy and Swift’s relationship has been on and off since 2015 when they first briefly dated. Although there’s no proof, this long history would explain why they got together so quickly after Alwyn was out of the picture. Regardless of what the real story behind this song may be, it’s memorable and melodious. 
• Favorite lyric: “Handcuffed to the spell I was under/For just one hour of sunshine.”

“Florida!!! (feat. Florence + The Machine)”: 4/10

• Although this collaboration between Taylor Swift and Florence + The Machine is musically fitting and fun, this song wasn’t for me. The style of the song is very different, which was jarring to me. It feels out of place compared to the rest of the album. However, these two artists sounded great together and I enjoyed the concept of running away and starting a new life in Florida. Fresh starts are important and this song convinced me that Florida is the place to do so. I also liked the connection to the line in “Fortnight” about moving to Florida and buying a new car. It made the song fit into the storyline of the album, but still not the vibes of it. 
• Favorite lyric: “Barricaded in the bathroom with a bottle of wine.”

“Guilty as Sin?”: 7.5/10

• This risqué song deals with the guilty lust one feels for someone else while trapped or alone in a current relationship. These thoughts once again link back to Swift’s personal life, suggesting Healy was on her mind towards the end of her relationship with Alwyn. The song admits that while it’s wrong, she can’t help but fantasize about being with someone else who could potentially treat her better and satisfy her needs. She daydreams about “messy top lip kiss[es]” and “touching his skin,” despite the scenario being out of her grasp. The possibility of it tantalizes her and the song expresses her hidden frustration.
• Favorite lyric: “Am I allowed to cry?”

“Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”: 8.5/10

• This track is another one of my favorites. The revengeful energy makes me look forward to “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)”. Swift challenges critics who make false assumptions about her life, tarnishing her reputation and damaging her mental health. Although Swift is arguably the biggest female pop star right now, this doesn’t mean that her life is always glamorous and fun. On the contrary, Swift has endured harsh criticism, painful breakups and issues owning her work. These experiences have toughened her up but many critics disregard what she’s been through and dislike her character. Swift calls them out, saying they “wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised [her].” I admire Swift’s grit as she opens up about how difficult it is to have so much negativity directed towards her. Her mention of the “circus life” in the lyrics correlates to themes in the song “mirrorball” on her eighth studio album “folklore”. In “mirrorball”, Swift observes how the shiny objects are made up of a bunch of broken pieces. In the same way, people, Swift included, often have to break themselves apart to shine and make others like them. This song portrays a dramatic shift in Swift’s mindset. She’s no longer willing to try everything to make the public like her. Instead, she’s authentic to herself, and she doesn’t care if it makes her seem “mean”. Swift is a force to be reckoned with and she’s not afraid to remind us. 
• Favorite lyric: “I was tame, I was gentle/Til the circus life made me mean.”

“I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)”: 3/10

• It’s a delusion that everyone’s believed in at least once. This song discusses what it’s like to date someone problematic and harbor the hope of “fixing them”. Swift attempts to convince her friends, family, fans and maybe even herself to accept and approve of a controversial relationship. She pleads with the troubled man, learning the hard way that some people can’t be changed. The end of the song presents this unpleasant realization, pushing Swift to take a step back from her man. Although this song provides an interesting perspective and possible insight into Swift defending Healy, who has a track record of making problematic comments, I wasn’t the biggest fan of it. Much like “Florida!!!”, the Western sound of the song didn’t seem to fit with the album even if thematically it did. 
• Favorite lyric: “A perfect case for my certain skillset.”

“loml”: 8/10

• This slow, sorrowful piano ballad mourns the loss of a serious relationship. Swift wields “loml” as a double-edged sword, describing the “love” and “loss” of her life simultaneously. This song is some of her most honest, heart-wrenching work. It’s easy to hear the quiet contemplation in her voice as she sings these lyrics, recalling a relationship that meant a lot to her. This beautiful piece never fails to make me cry with its gentle yet tragic combination of the words and the piano. The soft, sad understanding that she’s lost someone important and will never get them back makes the song hauntingly stunning.
• Favorite lyric: “‘I’ll never leave.’/‘Never mind.’”

“I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”: 9.5/10

• This song gained immediate attention after its release for good reason. This bright, upbeat pop song sprinkles a glimmer of fun into what is otherwise a sad, complex album. But don’t be fooled – this track is equally sad in meaning, if not more, than the rest of the album. The lyrics juxtapose the positive melody, revealing how hard it was for Swift to perform on the Eras Tour while struggling with her mental health and heartbreak over a recent rejection. The audio samples of the metronome and countdown directions in Swift’s in-ear piece while on stage were cool touches. It places us in the singer’s shoes, inviting us to imagine how stressful it must have been for her to perform in front of a crowd of millions while dealing with so much in her personal life. I also interpreted the pauses between specific phrases to be Swift hyperventilating, on the verge of panicking but snapping herself back into performance mode to put on a show for her beloved fans. Her ability to turn stress into inspiration is amazing and Swift deservedly prides herself on pushing through and succeeding. I won’t be able to look at my Eras Tour concert experience the same way again. 
• Favorite lyric: “I cry a lot but I am so productive./It’s an art.”

“The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”: 6/10

• If songs could kill, the person this one is about would be in danger. Swift shares her belittling opinion of an ex, wondering why she dated such an immature man and criticizing him for “rusting [her] sparkling summer,” which was when the fling took place. Ultimately, Swift grieves over how she felt taken advantage of and how her time was wasted with this man. Whoever it is, he’ll certainly be rethinking his actions.
• Favorite lyric: “You didn’t measure up in any measure of a man.”

“The Alchemy”: 7/10

• Taking a total 180, this romantic song describes the chemical power of being in love. Dopamine rushes to Swift’s brain “like white wine” as she runs to the “sign on [his] heart.” With all the sports metaphors, this song is likely referencing her new relationship with NFL star Travis Kelce. It’s nice to see this pairing bloom and cause a happy, cute love song on this darker album.
• Favorite lyric: “Cause the sign on your heart said it’s still reserved for me.”

“Clara Bow”: 10/10

• This is undeniably my absolute favorite song from the album. With its soothing, sweet sound and introspective lyrics, I adored this song from my very first listen. The title is based on the famed actress Clara Bow, who was a star of the silver screen era. Her classy appearances in black-and-white and iconic sparkling dresses cast her, as well as a few others, in the spotlight as one of the world’s most famous women. Swift considers the influence these women have had on society, including herself. At the end of the song, Swift accepts that her era of fame is slowly but surely coming to a close and she’ll eventually have to step aside to make room for young, upcoming stars. Swift’s slight jealousy of these new stars and fear of being replaced is a bit similar to the song “lacy” by Olivia Rodrigo, in which Rodrigo feels envious of a dazzling girl who’s better than her. The parallels are compelling given Swift and Rodrigo’s history. Both songs are gorgeous and my favorites from their retrospective albums. The finale of the first half of the album makes me think about Swift stepping out of the spotlight. It’s strange to imagine a future without Swift’s music, especially since I’ve grown up with her, but her immense impact will never be forgotten. 
• Favorite lyric: “It’s hell on earth to be heavenly.”

Overall Ranking (Tanvi’s Version): 7/10

• The first half of “The Tortured Poets Department” does a great job of setting up the album, introducing heavy themes of love and loss, life and death, celebration and heartbreak and so on. The dramatic lyrics and detailed metaphors fit the mind of a tortured poet such as Swift so well and I loved the aesthetic behind the music, from the different shades of gray to the mentions of poetic objects. My only issue with this part of the album was the production. At times, it felt repetitive or random, making the soundtrack lyrically overwhelming and sonically underwhelming. However, I may simply be tired of Jack Antonoff’s production style as a long-time Swiftie. Overall, these songs are some of Swift’s most emotionally vulnerable and nuanced work, and while they may not be for everyone, I really enjoyed them.

‘The Anthology’

“The Black Dog”: 8/10

• A somber yet strong start to ‘The Anthology’ as Swift describes the familiar hurt from a past relationship, combined with her noticing the other person is doing perfectly fine without her presence. She realizes he never stopped sharing his location with her, so she watches as he enters a bar called The Black Dog, and she revisits their memories. This track is the perfect mix of the melancholic essence of this album and the occasional angry Taylor shout-singing voice—specifically in the “…Old habits die screaming…” lyric— that I adore. 
• Favorite lyric: “…And hire a priest to come and exorcise my demons/Even if I die screaming…”

“imgonnagetyouback”: 8.5/10

• Similar to Olivia Rodrigo’s “Get Him Back,” this track holds the juxtaposition of wanting to walk down the aisle and smash your lover’s car in the same hand. If there’s one thing I love, it’s a double entendre, so I knew this one would be one of my favorites. The sultry undertones and confident lyricism illustrate how she knows her (ex?) lover will always come back to her— whether that be for the better or worse.
• Favorite lyric: “…Pick your poison, babe, I’m poison either way…”

“The Albatross”: 9/10

• After discovering that an albatross doubles as a white ocean bird and an inescapable problem, again, I knew this one would be an all-time favorite of mine. Through Swift’s immense allusions to romanticism, Shakespearean texts, and essentially everything they taught you in high school English courses, she sings about the symbolism of the albatross. In Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” a sailor shoots an innocent bird because he sees it as a bad omen. Ironically, this inflicts bad luck upon himself and his crew. Swift depicts the albatross as a ‘dangerous’ woman and explains how such women are constantly at fault for the actions of men. Like the sailor in Coleridge’s poem, his actions brought on this curse; the albatross was simply flying overhead.
• Favorite lyric: “…Wild winds are death to the candle…”

“Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus”: 7.9/10

• In this brilliantly mournful track, the feeling of consistent regret arises as she describes a tumultuous relationship with a past partner. She imagines a version of them intertwined with a new partner, “…named Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus…” while she too is out with someone new, described as the stark opposite of her former lover. She repeatedly asks if the memory of their involvement will ever fade, and feelings of abandonment begin to encompass the listener. The track ends with her continuous bewilderment of her and her past partner’s ending.
• Favorite lyric: “…Could it be enough to just float in your orbit?/Can we watch our phantoms like watching wild horses?…”

“How Did It End?”: 8.5/10

• The biggest question after a relationship ended: how did it end? They aren’t asking how the person is dealing with the relationship’s end, not about the effects of the relationship, but instead, they’re asking for the gory details of how it all came crumbling down. This emotional ballad discusses reeling with a breakup while her fan base—consisting of a mere 53% of the U.S. population—sits, watches, and goes home to once again discuss her love life. The line between sympathy and invasiveness becomes unclear as everyone, even Swift herself, dissects and searches for the basis of their relationship’s end. 
• Favorite lyric: “…Come one, come all/It’s happening again/The empathetic hunger descends…”

“So High School”: 6.9/10

• This alternative rock-esque beat creates the perfect vibe: early 2000s high school rom-com, but amplifies that to a national level. Taylor Swift’s claim to fame began while she was still enrolled in high school, so in a way, this prevented her from having those cliche occurrences, like the kind of classic teenage romance described in this track. Recently, Ms. Swift has given us some intimate glances into her current love life—specifically on her YouTube Shorts—and despite the constant criticism that accompanies this, she shared it with her fans. I believe that in order to accomplish such a level of intimacy with one of the largest fan bases in the world, her romantic relationship must contain that timeless kind of love. As a longtime fan, I’ve witnessed her loves and losses, and it’s comforting to see her thriving in all areas of life.
• Favorite lyric: “…Truth, dare, spin bottles/You know how to ball, I know Aristotle…”

“I Hate It Here”: 8.7/10

• To preface, this seems to be quite a controversial track, so here’s my spiel: in this song, Swift provides a commentary on how easy it can be to idealize places or things without fully considering the reality of the situation. She sings, “…I’d say the 1830s but without all the racists/And getting married off for the highest bid…” which caused a great deal of backlash from critics. Upon first hearing it, the lyric didn’t particularly stick out to me, but after listening to the voices of those upset, I see how it was insensitive to those who actually had to deal with racism back then, and even now. As someone who truly believes I should have been born in 1949 (so I could be a teenager in the late 60’s), I too have wished to be born in a past decade, minus the people who would hate me because of my Black skin. But I can very much see how someone of color might feel offended by this lyric as Swift is a rich, powerful White woman with white privilege. Some have said the lyric is harmful because she unnecessarily incorporates race into an unrelated topic and does not properly address the issue. I’m not disregarding the matter, but I do think it’s important to remember that while Taylor Swift may be a household name, she will always make errors. I believe there were no ill intentions behind the lyrics, but the insensitivity to those who don’t share her same privileges or circumstances does not disappear.
• Despite the consistent discourse regarding this song, it’s one of my top tracks. I moved across the country with the idea that people in Boulder could never be as horrible as some of the people I knew at home, but to my dismay, I learned that people suck everywhere. As someone who used to be more invested in my paracosm— which is a fantastical world that exists only in my imagination—than my actual life, I know how easy it is to shut out the world and hide away in my fictitious safe space. Although this song definitely has more of a pessimistic outlook, I deeply resonated with each and every lyric.
• Favorite lyric: “…Nostalgia is a mind’s trick/If I’d been there, I’d hate it/It was freezing in the palace…”

“thanK you aIMee”: 6.5/10

• This is a track embodying the beauty of getting revenge by bettering yourself. On one hand, she’s still angry at the person who caused her such an immense amount of pain, but on the other, she’s grateful for the motivation it gave her. Swift acknowledges that without the trauma she endured, she would not be the artist she is today.
• Favorite lyric: “…And one day/Your kid comes home singing/A song only us two is gonna know is about you…”

“I Look in People’s Windows”: 7.9/10

• Here, Swift explores the idea of a chance encounter with her past lover. Perhaps they’ll be sitting at the table next to the window she peers into, and their eyes will meet one more time. She envisions herself in such scenarios, but forlorn feelings envelop everything else and remind her that she is only reminiscing. She recalls the details of their relationship and longs for closure, but she’s left to ponder the “if only.”
• Favorite lyric: “…Does it feel alright to not know me?/I’m addicted to the ‘if only’…”

“The Prophecy”: 9.8/10

• As I too believe I’m the girl before ‘the one,’ this song is my absolute favorite on TTPD. Swift longs for a different destiny, but alas, this is the prophecy she was fated for. In the chorus, amidst a beautiful, harmonic guitar in the background, she pleads to the sky to change her prophecy. Ironically, this is oxymoronic because changing a prophecy is impossible. Despite the impossibility, she continues to beg to speak to anyone who can change her fate; she’ll trade all her fame and fortune just for someone who wants her company. 
• Favorite lyric: “…I guess a lesser woman would’ve lost hope/A greater woman wouldn’t beg…”

“Cassandra”: 8/10

• This track alludes to the Greek mythology of Cassandra, the Ancient Greek princess and prophetess of Troy. In short, Cassandra was permitted the gift of prophecy, but ultimately, was cursed so no one would believe her prophecies, no matter their accuracy. Swift relates this to herself as she too warned everyone of S*****r B***n, and his legal thievery, but they chose to ignore her. That is until she was proven correct, and when the truth came out, it was quiet.
• Favorite lyric: “…They say what doesn’t kill you makes you aware/What happens if it becomes who you are?…”

“Peter”: 8.8/10

• Upon my first listen, shockingly, I loved this one. Similar to one of my favorites from Maisie Peters’, Wendy, the subject of this song is referred to as Peter Pan— a character known to never grow up. At first, it seems like Swift begins to apologize to Peter, wondering if she was partially to blame for their ruin. Even the goddess of timing herself saw how they were meant to be, but did she really? Or was it all an illusion? In the bridge, she hopelessly sings of how she’s done waiting for him to come back, and she’s lost hope that he will ever grow up. Through her mournful lyricism and the piano melodies, Swift expresses the anguish of unfulfilled promises.
• Favorite lyric: “…The goddess of timing/Once found us beguiling/She said she was trying/ Peter, was she lying?…”

“The Bolter”: 8.5/10

• In this upbeat track, ‘The Bolter’ is a girl with an avoidant attachment style who tends to quickly flee from relationships. They always start the same; beginning with a kiss and ending with a slammed door. Each time she leaves, she’s reminded of when she was a little girl and she fell into some icy, cold water—but she made it out alive. Regardless of the negative effects of leaving, this woman feels better when she bolts because staying would only cause more problems. Swift utilizes her skillful wordplay—in my favorite lyric— as she describes how there is “escape in escaping” and how the woman feels freedom when she flees.
• Favorite lyric: “…There’s escape in escaping…”

“Robin”: 8/10

• Through the vivid imagery and creative language of this song, Swift narrates a child’s innocent world before the harsh transition to adulthood. She observes in awe as the child carelessly lives and plays like that of an untamed animal. Yet, I feel there is some kind of sinister energy lingering in the background of this track. She reassures listeners that the child may be safe for now, but when they begin to grow up, their guidance and protection will be crucial.
• Favorite lyric: “…You have a favorite spot on the swingset/You have no room in your dreams for regrets/You have no idea…”

“The Manuscript”: 8.8/10

• To end this woeful double album, Swift recalls a past relationship in which she dreamed of their love maturing and evolving like fine wine. But after their ending, she regressed and felt like a child, only able to sleep in her mother’s bed. As some years passed, she began to look backward, reflecting on all the pain she endured. Through this self-reflection, she deduces that the only way to get over it is to properly get through it. Similarly, upon the release of the album, Swift tweeted, “Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it. And then all that’s left behind is the tortured poetry.”
• Favorite lyric: “…Now and then, I reread the manuscript/But the story isn’t mine anymore…”

Overall Ranking (Maddie’s Version): 7.7/10

• The research I conducted to properly write this review was nothing short of scholarly, so I understand why it took two years for Taylor Swift to release this album. This alluring, complex, and incredibly loaded record was, in my opinion, one of the best albums released this year. Perhaps I am a bit biased—I am a fan of Swift and have been since I can remember—as I love when artists momentarily take on the title of ‘English teacher,’ so take my words with a grain of salt. Overall, this review took me on a fluctuating journey where at moments I was dancing and grooving, and then seconds later, was in a puddle on my bedroom floor. The variety of songs gives listeners the most vulnerable view of Swift to date. She simultaneously reflects on all that she has faced while confidently pushing us to focus on an auspicious future.

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