REVIEW | An Emotional Breakdown: Your Complete Guide To Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department
Photo Credit: Beth Garrabrant
A new era has begun. We are, of course, referring to Taylor Swift’s 11th studio album, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. We hope readers will enjoy (or be destroyed by) TTPD as much as we have.
Track 1 - Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)
A synth-pop style song, the tone begins to soften when she sings “And I love you / It’s ruining my life.” “Fortnight” features Post Malone, and the combination of vocals during the bridge creates the illusion of a conversation, which adds depth and power to the story.
Track 2 - The Tortured Poets Department
The delivery of the cruelly honest lyrics and Swift’s low notes balances well with the production, which utilizes a quicker tempo. The narrative is intriguing, touching on Swift sees herself in comparison to other artists with lyrics like “You’re not Dylan Thomas / I’m not Patti Smith”. However, we found the tune throughout the song to be somewhat repetitive.
Track 3 - My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys
The uptempo music pairs interestingly with the sad, heavy lyrics, which is seen throughout the album. We found the diversity of the metaphors Swift uses throughout the song like “I'm queen of sand castles he destroys” and “The sickest army doll / Purchased at the mall” to creatively express Swift’s feelings.
Track 4 - Down Bad
In this track, Swift uses a metaphor of being abducted by extraterrestrial life and learning cosmic truth. The verses and chorus seem to mirror each other. The former draws on Swift’s metaphor and is paired with an airy tone, while the chorus brings her back to reality, containing short, fast-paced synth beats that complement Swift’s curt lyrics, giving it an upbeat motif.
Track 5 - So Long, London
A beautiful ballad, this song is full of raw emotion and truth and is a perfect showcase of Swift’s songwriting abilities. She uses poetic lyrics and soft, ascending beats to convey a bittersweet farewell. The introduction of the song sounds somewhat like wedding bells or the ring of Big Ben’s Great Bell.
Track 6 - But Daddy I Love Him
Rich imagery in the lyrics throughout the song, matched both the tone and Swift’s voice well. Swift breaks the fourth wall by saying “I’m havin’ his baby”, followed immediately by “No I’m not, but you should see your faces.” We found this amusing and unexpected, as Swift had never done something like that before in her music.
Track 7 - Fresh Out The Slammer
The intro of this unique song has a country sound with a scratchy guitar and there is a complete musical shift in the last minute. One of the first things we noticed in this song was the cat meowing after Swift sings “Rolling thunder, he don’t understand me.” Swift herself is a big cat lover, so we found this fitting.
Track 8 - Florida!!! (feat. Florence + the Machine)
“People have these crimes that they commit; where do they go? To Florida and… try to reinvent themselves. 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,” Swift told Amazon Music. We thought that Swift’s higher voice pairs beautifully with Florence Welch’s lower register.
Track 9 - Guilty as Sin?
Drawing from the poetic lyricism of evermore through a pop filter, the production paired well with Swift’s honesty. Swift regularly changes octaves, singing deeper during the verses and having a more light airy tone during the chorus, and we found this added more intrigue to the track.
Track 10 - Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?
Swift addresses the negative comments she has received from the public and describes the resilience she developed throughout the years. The heavy emotion in the song tells the story of her experience. Her vocals and lyrics are only made stronger by the beautiful and powerful production, which is bold, cinematic and compelling.
Track 11 - I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)
Swift’s lyricism pairs with a slow, dark, western-inspired tune to create a hypnotic and venomous melody. While relying on a repetitive chorus, the powerful ending, “Whoa, maybe I can’t” makes it stand out. The delusional drawl of the chorus suggests that Swift is attempting to convince herself that she could counteract the flaws of her partner.
Track 12 - loml
Swift mentions both “love of my life” and “loss of my life”, providing different meanings for the acronym. This haunting acoustic ballad stand out from the other tracks. We found this one to be the most melancholic and touching song; the soft piano is a beautiful accompaniment to Swift’s tender voice.
Track 13 - I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
Upbeat music paired with depressing lyrics convey heavy irony. The first time we heard the song, we found it sort of absurd that she would use this way to send her message across. However, over time, we began to appreciate the satirical aspect of the song.
Track 14 - The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
Beginning softly and slowly, Swift’s tone is reflective, almost apathetic, and becomes emotional as tension builds. She reaches a peak at the bridge, a stark contrast to the rest of the song, and its emotion is amplified by the fierce beat. This song’s cutthroat lyrics make it one of the most emotive on the album.
Track 15 - The Alchemy
Although this song continues the lulling rhythm heard throughout the album, it also incorporates cheerful-sounding synth beats. Alchemists were obsessed with learning to turn lead into gold, and we interpret this as Swift transforming herself and her love into something just as beautiful. We noticed several direct references to American football, implying that it’s a love song for Travis Kelce.
Track 16 - Clara Bow
Clara Bow was an American actress from the silent film era and like Swift, was attacked by the media. This track illustrates Swift’s personal experiences about the process of rising to fame. The allusions to previous industry icons, as well as the wispy and reflective tone, make this song quite powerful.
After TTPD’s release, the countdown on Swift’s Instagram was replaced with one for two more hours. This was revealed to be for the release of THE ANTHOLOGY, a deluxe version of the album with 31 songs.