While Taylor Swift was commanding the world with The Eras Tour, album re-records and her relationship with football star Travis Kelce, she was also secretly at work producing her new album, ”The Tortured Poets Department.”
“The Tortured Poets Department” is the 11 studio album by Taylor Swift that was released on April 19, 2024. This was a highly anticipated album by Swifties and non fans alike. She released clues about the album through cryptic messages on her Instagram and through a pop up in Los Angeles.
It is rated 14+, and consists of 16 tracks, stretching about an hour. There are themes of love and loss portrayed through the entirety of the album.
Even though the entire thing is amazing, there are five standout songs which I will be ranking.
Number 1– “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me”
In this song, Swift portrayed herself as a witch wreaking havoc on a town that tried to execute her singing, “So I leap from the gallows and I levitate down your street / Crash the party like a record scratch as I scream / Who’s afraid of little old me? / You should be.”
This alludes to the experience of fans turning on her during various stages of her career.
I love how this song sheds light on Swift’s feelings about the controversy she’s had. Besides the overall meaning, the actual melodies of the song are amazing, along with her vocals.
Number 2– “So Long, London”
This song conveys a relationship where she eventually stopped fighting for his love.
Lyrics like, “My spine split from carrying us up the hill/ Wet through my clothes, weary bones caught the chill/ I stopped trying to make him laugh/ Stopped trying to drill the safe,” portray that.
This is one of my favorite songs because the entirety of it is filled with the most heart wrenching lyrics where listeners can really tell how much pain Swift is experiencing. There are also certain parts of the production that I find incredible. For example, in the beginning, Swift’s vocals are layered in a way that sounds like church bells at a wedding.
Number 3– “Florida!!! (feat. Florence + The Machine)”
This song was speculated to be about Swift’s breakup with longtime partner Joe Alwayn. In an interview with an Amazon Music Commentary, she shed light on the track’s theme.
“And I think when you go through a heartbreak, there’s a part of you that thinks, ‘I want a new name. I want a new life. I don’t want anyone to know where I’ve been or know me at all.’ Where would you go to reinvent yourself and blend in? Florida!” Swift said.
The lyrics and instrumentals definitely create the feeling of new beginnings that Swift tried to portray. I also think choosing Florence + The Machine as a feature artist was an amazing choice for this song. Florence’s deeper vocals mixed with Swifts created the most perfect harmony.
Number 4 – “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)”
Throughout this track Swift is trying to convince listeners that she can “fix” this “dangerous man.” Even though people are telling her that she can’t fix him, Swift believes that she can, “And only I can.”
In the end, Swift learns that she doesn’t actually have the skill set, and that, “Whoa, maybe I can’t “fix” him.
This is definitely one of my favorite songs musically as it has a wild west feeling to it. I think the reason I like the western-ness of this song is because it’s a new type of music for Swift. She has never explored a genre quite like this song before.
Number 5 – “Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)
This song appears to be about two former lovers who have since moved on. Swift sings that even though this romance was short lived, it affected her deeply.
This is shown through the lyrics, “I love you, it’s ruining my life/ I touched you for only a fortnight.”
The vocals in this track absolutely blew me away. Post Malone did beyond amazing with his parts (even though they were very limited). His voice blended with Swift’s vocals perfectly.
Overall, I would rate “The Tortured Poets Department” a 5/5 stars. This has to be one of my favorite albums of all time. Miss. Taylor Swift definitely did not disappoint.
McKenna Koeck • May 17, 2024 at 8:50 am
I don’t like Taylor and I don’t listen to her, but I have to admit she is talented. 31 songs?!? on one album? and she wrote that in TWO years!?! AND she was on tour while making it!?! that’s impressive. Not many people could do that. I have a personal idea of why the album is called The Tortured Poets Department. She is a singer-songwriter, and writing songs is considered poetry. So she is also a poet. And when the rights to her music (aka her poetry) were stolen, it was like torture. The Tortured Poets department! it makes sense.