When I first reviewed “Midnights,” Taylor Swift’s album released in 2022, it was based on my initial thoughts after listening to the album for the first time. Of course, now I know that wasn’t the best idea, as I had initially asserted that “Midnights” was disappointing when it is now one of my favorite albums of Swift’s. I’m going into this review of Swift’s latest album with more of an open mind than I did last time. With that being said, let’s dive into Swift’s latest album, The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD), and its sister album, The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology.
Expectations of the album before the double release were mixed. Some thought The Tortured Poets Department would be like Folklore and Midnights combined, and they honestly were. Additionally, almost everyone thought it was going to be all about Swift’s ex, Joe Alwyn, whom she dated for six years before their breakup in April 2023. However, after hearing the lyrics, fans began to speculate that some of the songs were about the lead singer of The 1975, Matty Healy. Swift was romantically linked to the singer for a few months last year, but most fans were and still are not fans of him as a result of his involvement in various controversies.
Swifties overall seem to be more in favor of Swift’s current flame, Kansas City Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce. Fans have speculated the songs “So High School” and “The Alchemy” are about him thanks to various allusions to high school and football in each, respectively.
The album is nothing we’ve seen from Swift before due to how personal and deep it is. Heartbreak is the primary topic, which while not uncommon in Swift’s discography, is uniquely explored through various themes such as anger, mourning, death, and delusion. There are also some theories that The Tortured Poets Department is about the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Swift confirmed fan theories after she dropped five Apple Music playlists based on each stage.
The album doesn’t come without its fair share of critics as seen from both The New York Times and USA Today’s reviews, assertions that “Taylor Swift could use an editor” and “the torture is in the songwriting” respectively. Yet, it seems like Variety and Rolling Stone have a more favorable view of the album, with both publications awarding it 5/5 stars. In fact, according to Variety, the album combines “cleverness with catharsis.” Personally, I love both albums and yes, it’s not my favorite Taylor Swift album (that’s 1989) but I still think it’s a great album. It may be an incredibly long album with 31 tracks but that just means you have plenty of songs to choose from.
Like any new Taylor Swift album, The Tortured Poets Department is already breaking records. Forbes calls TTPD “a once-in-a-decade kind of success story” and said it is responsible for 8% of all album sales in the U.S. this year. Swift even broke her own record of the most streamed album in a single day with 300 million streams, previously held by Midnights with 200 million streams. On top of that, TTPD earned 1.76 billion streams worldwide in its first week, marking the biggest global streaming week since Billboard began its Global 200 chart.
Swift posted a note on Instagram after her Grammy win, “And so I enter into evidence My tarnished coat of arms. My muses, acquired like bruises. My talisman and charms. The tick tick tick of love bombs. My veins of pitch blank ink. All’s fair in love and poetry, Sincerely, The Chairman of The Tortured Poets Department.” So from a member of the Tortured Poets Department, are you ready for it because The Tortured Poets Department is here and it’s to stay.