Album Review: The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift

Review by Yising Kao/Photo credits to Republic Records

         Taylor Swift’s 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department, is finally here and of course, it was worth the wait! I had no idea what type of sound to expect since there were no singles released before the album came out, but I was prepared to be blown away, no matter what. It was such an exhilarating release night when Taylor announced that it was a secret double album, releasing the 2nd side, The Tortured Poets Department : The Anthology, at 2AM ET. This album is Taylor’s most vulnerable album yet. Her lyrics explain stories about personal emotions and experiences using insightful metaphors and a poetic style – I feel like I’m reading her diary when I’m listening to these songs.

Here are a few of my favorite lyrics and how I interpret them.

“Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”

         This song expresses how the media has always treated Taylor poorly. They make up rumors about her, attack her, and accuse her of lying; She’s experienced so much trauma such as being harassed and betrayed. Here are some lyrics that stuck out to me:

“I was tame, I was gentle 'til the circus life made me mean.”

“You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me.”

“I am what I am ‘cause you trained me.”

         Taylor grew up in the spotlight with so many haters who are misogynistic and cruel – these lyrics are saying that the public shouldn’t be surprised if she stands up for herself and fights back, because she is what they taught her to be, so they should be afraid of her. The negative media has left her feeling defenseless, and she’s taking her power back in this empowering anthem. This one if for the ex-people pleasers who are done taking shit from others!

“The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”

This song has one of the best bridges in Taylor’s discography.

“I would've died for your sins, instead, I just died inside.

And you deserve prison, but you won't get time.”

         I love the way that the bridge expresses how Taylor is paranoid of this person being a “sleeper cell spy” because it’s difficult to trust people when you’re famous. It’s a painful feeling to give everything you have to someone in any type of relationship, while they don’t put in as much effort as you. Using the phrase “the smallest man who ever lived” is a perfect way to capture how you can view someone as a coward who’s trying to hide from what they did to you.

“thank you AIMee”

“But when I count the scars, there’s a moment of truth.

That there wouldn’t be this if there hadn’t been you.”

         I admire how the lyrics of this song communicate the message of being rightfully angry at someone who has hurt you in the past, but realizing that you needed that situation to happen because you wouldn’t be who you are without that experience. People can say, “Why is she still hung up on that situation?” but don’t listen to them because it takes time to heal – actions and words hurt and can still sting after many years. You can choose not to forgive someone, but experiences, whether good or bad, make you who you are, and this song does an amazing job of conveying that message.

     Additionally, Taylor also incorporates fun tongue-in-cheek lyrics into this album. For example, in “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can),” she sings,

“But your good Lord doesn't need to lift a finger.

I can fix him, no, really, I can.

And only I can.”

Then at the end of the song, she sings “Woah, maybe I can’t.”

         This made me laugh because she’s so real for this. It’s a relatable feeling thinking you can make someone a better person, but they end up not being able to change.

         “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone is the first single of this album. Taylor released a phenomenal music video she directed on April 19th. The visuals are stunning and I love the vintage black and white style of the video, and how Taylor dresses up like Clara Bow, alluding to her song that’s titled that.

         My top favorite track is “So High School.” This song is definitely a glitter gel pen song – it gives me so much serotonin! This song has an addicting guitar riff and dreamy style, and the melody reminds me of the nostalgic early 2000s rom com movies, and it has a similar vibe to “Hits Different.” It’s a vibrant love song about being with someone who makes you feel free. It’s for the girls who might’ve felt like they had their youth wasted on bad relationships, but now they’ve found the perfect person to fall in love with. I hope this song is the next single!        

         “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” is also one of my favorites, as well as a fan favorite. It makes me want to cry and dance at the same time. The lyric video features clips from the Eras Tour, and it’s heartbreaking to listen to the lyrics of how Taylor was pretending to put a smile on her face while going through a traumatic breakup. Jack Antonoff produced this song – I love Jack’s and Taylor’s chemistry while working on music together. They create bop after bop!

         It's so hard to rank these songs, but one of my other favorite songs is “Guilty As Sin?” It’s about feeling guilty fantasizing about being with someone and I love how niche this topic is – the girls who get it, get it. The melody is transcendent, and this song is like a sister to “False God.”

Photo by Yising Kao

The Tortured Poets Department in Times Square!

         What I love about Taylor’s music is that I can relate it to my own life. Her music has always been like my security blanket and it’s nice to know that I’m not going through certain experiences alone. I still need some time to fully process The Tortured Poets Department and learn all the lyrics! This album is truly one of Taylor’s best projects and I’m incredibly proud of her. I hope more people will learn to enjoy her music and relate it to their own lives, instead of dissecting who each song is about. Some people may expect Taylor to only stick to pop music with hits such as “Shake It Off,” but genuine artists continue to evolve with their music and experiment with different sounds. The Tortured Poets Department showcases how Taylor isn’t afraid to step out of her comfort zone and that she wanted to share her vulnerability through heavy topics, which is a hard thing to do.

         Taylor has shared that she needed to make this album to heal, so this album is for her, firstly. In The Manuscript, Taylor sings, “Lookin' backwards might be the only way to move forward.” Everyone heals from trauma and experiences in different ways – it takes time to heal, and you need to look back on these situations instead of just immediately trying to forget them and moving on when you’re not ready to. Don’t let anyone rush you through your healing process. I really think this album will connect with people who value meaningful lyrics, have empathy for others, and reflect on their personal experiences. Listen to The Tortured Poets Department now!