Taylor Swift is such an expert at what she does, some may call her a mastermind. She’s arguably the most well-known pop artist of this generation.
At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards Ceremony in 2023, Swift won several awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album for her 2022 album “Midnights.” During her acceptance speech, she brought fans to the edge of their seats as they expected an announcement for “reputation (Taylor’s Version).” Surprising fans once again, Swift announced the release of a brand new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” live during her speech.
Swift revealed she had been working on the album for roughly two years with close friend and long-time coworker Jack Antonoff. A few days later, she released the track titles, cover art and artist collaborations in an Instagram post. Fans speculated the release of a double album and were proved right when Swift released “The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology” at 2 a.m. on April 19.
“The Tortured Poets Department” is a breakup album following the split of Swift’s six-year relationship with actor Joe Alywn, the subject of her previous albums “reputation,” “Midnights” and “Lover.” The album also includes multiple songs about her on-and-off relationship with The 1975 lead vocalist Matty Healy. The album contains heartbreaking songs carrying powerful messages with a melancholy vibe comparable to “folklore” and “Midnights.” Below is The Black & White’s ranking of the first half of the double album’s songs from worst to best.
- “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone (5/10)
The album begins with an unsatisfying opener where the production fell short of its true intention. Swift’s original goal with this track was to summarize the album and its dramatic themes of longing and fatalism; however, the song feels awkward and redundant. It’s rumored that Alywn cheated on Swift during their relationship, and the lyrics in this song are likely about the repercussions of being cheated on and the betrayal and manipulation that come with it.
Best Lyric: “And I love you, it’s ruining my life.”
- “The Tortured Poets Department” (5/10)
Despite Swift not giving listeners a title track since “evermore” in 2020, this was an unfortunate letdown. With clunky lyrics that don’t work well together, Swift struggled to make the song flow. For the entirety of the song, she hints at wanting to get married and her partner not feeling the same. Swift talks about her partner’s fight with feelings of depression and tendencies to use drugs, ignoring Swift’s calls of desperation and desire to settle down.
Best Lyric: “Who’s going to hold you like me? Nobody. No f*cking body. Nobody.”
- “Fresh Out the Slammer” (5/10)
The “slammer,” an informal term for prison, likely refers to Swift and Alywn’s former relationship. The song reveals that the couple’s six-year relationship didn’t end messily, but the two simply fell out of love. While this song carries an underlying message, it doesn’t reach the level of storytelling of later songs on the album.
Best Lyric: “But it’s gonna be alright, I did my time / Now pretty baby, I’m running back home to you.”
- “loml” (5.5/10)
Nostalgia hits listeners with the first lyrics after quiet piano notes at the song’s beginning. Swift titles the track “loml,” which typically stands for “love of my life,” to describe a great loss in her life as she reflects on the ups and downs of her relationship. Despite its vulnerability, the track didn’t live up to its bigger potential and doesn’t add much to the album’s overall execution.
Best Lyric: “Who’s gonna stop us from waltzing back into rekindled flames / if we know the steps anyway?”
- “The Alchemy” (6/10)
In the summer of 2023, Swift became involved with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and fans speculate this song may be a love letter to him. With multiple mentions of “touchdowns” and “winning streaks,” Swift uses the term “alchemy” to explain the tension and chemistry between the two. Despite its upbeat topic, the song is relatively slow and doesn’t stand out from the rest of her discography.
Best Lyric: “I haven’t come around in so long / But I’m making a comeback to where I belong.”
- “Guilty as Sin?” (6/10)
Fans noticed parallels between this song and her 2022 song “Carolina,” written for the film “Where the Crawdads Sing.” In “Carolina,” Swift writes, “Oh, Carolina knows why for years they’ve said / That I was guilty as sin and sleep in a liar’s bed.” “Guilty as Sin?” may be a reference to the movie’s main character, Kya, who was tried for the murder of Chase Andrews, whom she was romantically involved with. Upon first listening, this track wasn’t anything new among the rest of the songs. After giving it a second listen, however, the hidden meaning behind the lyrics grabbed my attention. The title summarizes Swift’s struggle with wanting someone she can’t have and dealing with lust. Throughout this song, Swift makes subtle jabs at her fandom and the general public for all the criticism she’s received about her love life, singing about how the public thinks she moves on too quickly and referencing multiple songs from her 2017 album “reputation.”
Best Lyric: “They don’t know how you’ve haunted me so stunningly.”
- “Down Bad” (6.5/10)
In this song, Swift reminisces on the intense feelings that characterize the beginning of a relationship. The story follows the breakup between Swift and Matty Healy, whom she has been romantically linked to on and off since 2014, as she uses figurative language to compare her feelings to death and put her pain into perspective. Despite their brief relationship, Swift likely felt more emotionally attached to Healy than she did to Alwyn during their relationship based on the lyrics. The album contains several mentions of Swift being in an insane asylum as she grapples with torturous feelings.
Best Lyric: “F*ck it if I can’t have him / I might just die, it would make no difference.”
- “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” (7/10)
In the early summer of 2023, Swift was spotted with The 1975 lead singer Matty Healy several times. During their brief relationship, Swift received backlash for Healy’s controversial actions. Throughout the song, Swift repeats how she can “change him” and that despite what everyone says, she chooses to see the best in him. Swift addresses the problems of their relationship as she writes, “The jokes that he told across the bar / Were revolting and far too loud.” While the song has a catchy tune, it’s relatively short with no deeper underlying meaning.
Best Lyric: “They shake their heads, saying, ‘God help her’ when I tell ‘em he’s my man.”
- “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” (7/10)
In this catchy song with a captivating and fun chorus, Swift uses a heavy amount of symbolism. She refers to her ex-boyfriend as a “boy” and herself as a “toy” to show how she was the more mature, self-assured individual in the relationship, but her partner had power over her. She repeats in the pre-chorus, “‘cause you should’ve seen him when he first got me,” following the album’s theme that the relationship between Swift and Alywn was blissful at first, but eventually, both individuals stopped trying.
Best Lyric: “He saw forever so he smashed it up.”
- “Clara Bow” (7/10)
This track is a reference to Clara Bow, a popular film star in the 1920s who struggled with her mental health as a result of fame. Swift repeats a theme consistent in previous songs, referencing the people from her small town who assumed she’d never make it. Swift sings about singer Stevie Nicks, and how people would compare them. In the last verse, she writes “…you look like Taylor Swift,” reflecting on her fears that she’s falling out of style and newer, younger artists are rising to the top. This emotional song inspired by the “it-girl” of the 1920s talks about the pressure that comes with fame and explores Swift’s deepest fears.
Best Lyric: “Beauty is a beast that roars down on all fours / Demanding more.”
- “Florida!!!!” featuring Florence + The Machine (7.5/10)
“Florida!!!!” is the second collaboration on the album and fans suspect this euphoric song is about Swift’s breakup with Alwyn, which the public learned of in the middle of her world tour, “The Eras Tour.” Fans speculate that the name references Tampa, Florida, as it was the first stop on the U.S. leg of the tour following the couple’s split. The song has an intense beat, especially in the chorus, and would leave fans speechless if performed live in a stadium.
Best Lyric: “I need to forget, so take me to Florida / I’ve got some regrets, I’ll bury them in Florida.”
- “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” (7.5/10)
This song is another representation of Swift’s relationship with Matty Healy as the song’s lyrics make subtle references to his looks and public struggles with addiction. Swift writes about how she was used for her fame, and the lyric “Were you sent by someone who wanted me dead?” may be a clever reference to how Swift’s reputation was threatened because of his controversial actions. While the song carries a bittersweet melody, it picks up towards the chorus as Swift expresses her longing for closure from the couple’s breakup.
Best Lyric: “You hung me on your wall / stabbed me with your push pins / in public, showed me off.”
- “So Long, London” (8/10)
Swift has a reputation for making each album’s fifth track especially vulnerable, with previous fifth tracks including “All Too Well” from Swift’s album “Red,” arguably the most iconic breakup song to date. Continuing this trend, “So Long, London” is a compelling anthem about giving up in a relationship that’s no longer worth it, similar to the single “You’re Losing Me” from Swift’s “Midnights.” Swift starts the song with a faint chorus, saying goodbye to memories made during her relationship. She creates a beautiful melody with numerous references to when a relationship has simply run its course and flat-lined.
Best Lyric: “I stopped CPR, after all it’s no use.” “And you say I abandoned the ship / But I was going down with it.”
- “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” (8.5/10)
It is well known among fans that 13 is Swift’s lucky number, so the 13th track of any of her albums usually carries some special significance. This song is a complex representation of mental health struggles and pretending to be okay. In the chorus, Swift sings in a honeyed voice, “I’m so depressed, I act like it’s my birthday every day,” portraying her mental battles, specifically when performing for sold-out stadiums. Swift has written numerous songs about mental health like “this is me trying” or “The Archer,” yet this song is different, being ironically energetic and upbeat.
Best Lyric: “Lights, camera, b*tch, smile / Even when you wanna die.” “All the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting, “More!””
- “But Daddy I Love Him” (9/10)
It’s speculated that Swift has taken inspiration from movies like “The Little Mermaid” or “The Notebook” where main characters clash with their condescending fathers about their true loves. In this song, Swift tells a dark and chaotic story about the world of people who “try and save you ‘cause they hate you.” Swift also added an interactive element to the song, breaking a fourth wall with her listeners. She tricks them into believing she’s having the baby of the man she loves, then sings “no, I’m not, but you should see your faces.” She ties in the idea expressed in previous tracks of acting like a perfect daughter, while all she wants to do is run away to a fantasy world with her lover. These harsh lyrics build up to an intense bridge, where Swift claims her fans don’t truly know her.
Best Lyric: “I don’t cater to all these vipers dressed in empaths clothing.”
- “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” (10/10)
This song is unique from the rest of the album, as Swift directs her attention to the public, addressing the many narratives and rumors about her that the media created. The heavy lyrics lead up to the bridge where Swift releases her anger at the fans for having such high expectations surrounding her musical capability and tearing her apart when she doesn’t live up to them. She writes about how becoming a celebrity changed her and how fans become disappointed in her despite being the ones who made her famous. The lyrics about how Swift is “…always drunk on my own tears, isn’t that what they all said / That I’ll sue you if you step on my lawn,” mirror a previous song, “my tears ricochet” from the album “folklore,” and address supposed tension between Swift and other singers.
Best Lyric: “I was tame, I was gentle ‘til the circus life made me mean / You caged me and then you called me crazy / I am what I am ‘cause you trained me.”
Overall, The Tortured Poets Department carries significant meaning as Swift reflects on past relationships and the lessons she has learned from them. While her talent for songwriting is no secret, it’s especially demonstrated in this album with a collection of heartbreaking songs summarizing the end of a relationship. Despite the first few songs that may lack some depth, the last tracks of the album ramp up with heart-wrenching lyrics that raise more questions than speculation confirms.
