Taylor Swift has done it again! With the release of her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, Swift continues to captivate fans with her emotional lyricism!
This album in particular was not what I was expecting, but all 31 songs completely outshined my expectations!
Let’s take a look into some of my personal favorites from this truly remarkable collection of songs!
- “I can do it with a broken heart”
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This line truly encapsulates the pain of a breakup, yet simultaneously shows young women the resilience that can be found within. The fact that TS most likely wrote this while she was on tour absolutely breaks my heart, but as you always will, she overcomes this heartbreak and is seemingly in the happiest relationship thus far.
I especially love how upbeat this track is despite the underlying sadness. It’s insanely easy to belt this song while completely forgetting the deeper meaning.
Breakups can be hard, but if Swift can go through them and conquer the world, you can too!
- “You know how to ball, I know aristotle” – “SO High School”
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I absolutely love the influx of TikToks that have been made in conjunction with this sound. I’ll be the first to say that this song is one of my favorites given the adolescent nature, and this line really sets it apart! It is such an empowering line that is not only insanely catchy and fun to sing, but everyone can make their own twist on it!
This song is the epitome of girlhood and makes me so happy to listen to!
And weirdly enough, as the semester comes to an end, this brings me back to my high school days!!
- “Everything comes out Teenage petulance, f*ck it If I can’t have him” – “Down Bad”
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Easily one of my favorite songs on the album. “Down Bad” is so incredibly catchy and I absolutely love the energy Swift delivers. I swear, this song has more F-bombs than any of her others, but I secretly LOVE it.
This is one of her more despondent breakup ballads and I can truly feel all of the thought that was put into it!
Badass energy- per usual.
- “My Friends all smell like weed or little babies” – “Florida!!!”
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I’ll be honest, I was quite apprehensive about this song during my first stream given the comedic nature of this line, but I love the deeper meaning. Everyone is at a different point in their life, whether than be having grimy children, working a 9-5 finance job, or smoking 24/7, but we’re all doing our best!
Escaping reality and relocating is something so frowned upon, but Swift makes it more normalized, and we love her for it!
I’m also a sucker for anything from Florence and the Machine, so I KNEW that I would love “Florida!!!”
- “Sanctimoniously performing soliloquies I’ll never see” – “But Daddy I love him”
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Okay grammar Queen!
Easily one of the most well-written songs on the album, Taylor has exceptional ways of stringing words together, even when I don’t initially understand their definitions.
Weirdly enough, it feels so powerful to belt this line, especially in conjunction with “I’m having his baby, no, I’m not, but you should see your faces”.
Such a weird shift in narrative, but it oddly works so so well.
Don’t get me wrong, I still have lots and lots of listening to The Tortured Poets Department under my belt, but this was my initial- raw reaction to some of my favorite lines!
I’m curious to see if these will still be my favorites months from now, but who knows!!
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