Taylor Swift’s 'The Tortured Poets Department' Album is Full of Breakup Tracks
Taylor Swift’s latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” released on Friday, has been making waves in the music industry. The album features 31 tracks across two albums, and fans have been dissecting the lyrics of each song since the clock struck midnight on the day of the release.
Swift surprised fans with 15 bonus songs, titled “The Anthology,” two hours after releasing the album. The pop star had been writing so much “tortured poetry” over the past two years that she didn’t know what to do with it all. In true TSwift fashion, she surprised her fans with a bonus album.
Best Songs From Taylor Swift’s 'The Tortured Poets Department' Album
Swifties have been eagerly parsing through the songs and dissecting lyrics from the double album. The album contains breakup tracks showing Taylor Swift owning her chaos and messiness.
Here are some of the best songs from the double album:
“So Long, London”
This track is a sequel to “London Boy” from 2019’s “Lover,” which details the highs of Swift’s relationship with her former longtime partner Joe Alwyn. “So Long, London” follows Swift’s tradition of saving the most devastatingly beautiful tune for Track 5, with emotional vulnerability and truth beyond what the singer usually shows. The lyrics are the star of the song, and Swift sings them with an edge that could kill.
“Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”
This song is a searing indictment of the music business, where Swift describes how the “circus life” made her “mean.” She mocks the rumors about herself that have surfaced during her time in the spotlight and executes it all with raw, fiery vocals. The impactful chorus makes this song more memorable than some melodically repetitive peers.
“But Daddy, I Love Him”
In this track, Swift addresses the criticism she faced for her brief relationship with controversial 1975 frontman Matty Healy. Swift says she would rather “burn [her] whole life down” than “listen to one more second of all this bitching and moaning” about the fling. The verses lean into Swift’s country roots, then bloom into a familiar pop-infused chorus. Swift is probably the only artist who could squeeze the phrase “sanctimoniously performing soliloquies” into an upbeat tune.
“I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”
This sparkling song is a classic move of Swift’s: an upbeat tune that just makes you want to dance. Some of her most crushing lyrics accompany the bubbly melody. Swift admits that while selling out stadiums and bringing the dazzling Eras tour across the country this summer, she was reeling from her breakup with Alwyn. The incongruity of the lyrics and the peppy melody conveys the pain she was experiencing at the height of her career.
“The Black Dog”
This soft ballad opens the second installment of the album with a startlingly relatable breakup experience. Swift details her ex-boyfriend, presumably Alwyn, walking into the Black Dog (in London) bar, leaving her wondering how he doesn’t miss her more. The song suggests that she’s having difficulty letting go of the relationship.
“The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”
In another song rumored to be about Healy, Swift says she doesn’t want her ex back; she just wants to know if “rusting [her] sparkling summer was the goal.” The scathing song details the end of a relationship that deeply affected Swift. The bridge is one of the best on the album, with haunting lyrics and stellar production.
“So High School”
This track boasts one of the album’s stickiest melodies, recalling a late-’90s or early-2000s nostalgic sound, which is mirrored by the sentimental lyrics. The tune is rumored to be about Swift’s relationship with Travis Kelce, which, per this song, ignites a child-like giddiness in her.
“Florida!!!” (feat. Florence + the Machine)
Fans eagerly anticipated the collaboration between Swift and Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine, and it didn’t disappoint. The duo sings that the titular state is “one hell of a drug” in the rousing song about not feeling at home anywhere they go.
“Peter”
Referencing the story of Peter Pan, this ballad explores the pain of distance growing between Swift and someone from her past. The song marks the second time Swift has alluded to the story of Peter Pan.
“Down Bad”
This pure pop hit is coupled with a catchy, made-for-radio tune. The song resembles a hybrid of “1989” and “Midnights.”
Conclusion
Each song has lyrics about Swift's own problems, but she owns them. This makes the album special because it shows how much she has grown as an artist.
