Album Review: The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift

By Cecelia Moore

Music Journalist

On April 19, Taylor Swift released her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department. Across its 16 tracks, with 15 bonus tracks as part of The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology, Swift takes you inside her deepest, most vulnerable feelings in her discography. Featuring her best lyricism to date alongside powerhouse producers and co-writers Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, Swift has yet again outdone herself. Her brutal honesty and humanity shine throughout every track, reminding listeners that despite her glittering celebrity, there is a human being behind it all.

With any upcoming Taylor Swift album, track five is often the most anticipated for its emotional, confessional nature. Joining the company of “All Too Well” and “Dear John” comes “So Long, London.” Opening the song with vocals mimicking church bells, then kicking into an anxious heartbeat, Swift carries you through the trenches of a devastating breakup. “How much sad did you think I had / Did you think I had in me?” Swift poses the question to her ex-lover. Swift’s pen remains deadly sharp through the bridge stating, “And you say I abandoned the ship / but I was going down with it / My white-knuckle dying grip / Holding tight to your quiet resentment.” Swift is an expert at creating an image, but this track is her most masterful example. She utilizes every aspect of her vocals, instrumentals, and production to place you directly in the scene, watching it deteriorate before you.

Swift is known for her dedicated, often obsessive and intrusive fanbase. “But Daddy I Love Him” calls out the “judgmental creeps who say they want what’s best for me.” While Swift has often encouraged fans to interact with her and her life, she is drawing a necessary line through her most effective medium. “I’ll tell you something ‘bout my good name / It’s mine alone to disgrace / I don’t cater to all these vipers dressed in empath’s clothing,” denounces the entitlement many fans have acquired by being generously invited into Swift’s life. Sitting promptly after “So Long, London,” Swift has made it clear that while listeners are welcome to appreciate her work, it’s not a pass to dissect her life. The track is exceptionally effective, driven by an exciting upbeat melody, Swift is bluntly asking for the respect she deserves.

Swift’s ability to reinvent herself remains one of her most powerful tools, and this album is no exception. “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” explores a sultry, country sound previously unoccupied in her discography. Sonically, you’re placed in a dark saloon in the late 1800s as Swift describes the man she’s with. “They shake their heads / Saying ‘God help her’ when I / Tell ‘em he’s my man,” paints a familiar image, playing into tropes while fitting them perfectly to her own life, and a universal truth.

This album speaks to fans of all of Swift’s eras, with country, pop and folk elements. More specifically, folklore and evermore fans will be happy to hear “The Albatross.” Swift revisits the themes of “mad woman” and uses powerful metaphors to tell a story. “Cross your thoughtless heart / Only liquor anoints you / She’s the albatross / She is here to destroy you,” speaks to how Swift was treated when she was at her lowest. However, she later states, “I’m the albatross / I swept in at the rescue / The devil that you know / Looks now more like an angel,” displaying that despite being beaten down before, she defends anyone who deserves it, regardless of her prior treatment. The track is central to Swift’s experience in the music industry and gives insight into her graciousness in how she handles it.

Collaborating with Florence + The Machine, Swift produced “Florida!!!” which stands out in the album. She relishes the idea of running away to Florida when life gets too hard to handle, the lyric “Florida,” comes as a revelation. Moody, anxious, and heavy, the chorus rings through periodically to break the tension. The addition of Florence Welch on the track is a stunning choice that makes the song shine as one of Swift’s best.

With this album, it’s clear that Swift is fed up. “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” expresses Swift’s frustration with not being taken seriously. The second chorus sings “I was tame, I was gentle ‘til the circus life made me mean / Don’t you worry folks, we took out all her teeth / Who’s afraid of little old me?” expressing how her career has drained her spirit. “I wanna snarl and show you just how disturbed this has made me / You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me,” displays Swift’s frustration with the civilians and journalists who criticize her choices and life, placing them in her shoes. Swift’s knack for turning her pain into art is exemplified here, and this message should be taken to heart.

“The Black Dog” joins The Anthology, expressing heartbreak in classic Swift fashion. She wonders how her ex can have fun at a bar, The Black Dog, while she is stuck missing him. The chorus builds into the pivotal line of the song, “Old habits die screaming,” produced and sung in an unexpected scream. The dynamic nature of the song beautifully paints the gut-wrenching pain of being forced to break a cycle.

The Tortured Poets Department is Taylor Swift at her best in every regard. Every lyric is intentional and thoughtful, and produced at a shockingly fast pace. Swift is more honest than ever, and you can hear her freedom ringing throughout every note of this album. Regardless of what any critic has to say, Swift has allowed herself to do what’s most genuine to her, while remaining at the top of the charts. The Tortured Poets Department reaches beyond Swift’s achievements and finds its home in the unabashed authenticity that has and continues to define Taylor Swift’s career.