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This is the phrase that broke the Swiftie community.
Hours before the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, taylorswift.com was down. However, it was not just any website crash, it was a manufactured error notice, created to stir up drama in the community. Minutes later, Swift’s profile picture changed, signaling the entrance of a new era. That era — “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT” — was announced as Swift won her 13th Grammy.
In her announcement post, Swift treats the album like submitting evidence in a court case, stating that she “enters into evidence [her] tarnished coat of arms.” This overarching theme of a court case is further emphasized in the lyrics, “We hereby conduct this post mortem” in the song “How Did It End?” The words “post mortem” directly means “after death.” This allegedly alludes to her breakup with British actor Joe Alwyn, a relationship I thought was going to be her final.
The first listening experience I had with this album was reminiscent of my experience with her past album, “Midnights,” in which every song resonated with me. The album was truly a no-skip album, each song contributing to my jaw dropping lower and lower. Choosing specific songs to highlight was difficult, but I believe the four selected represent the album as a whole, serving as a proper onboarding as a member of “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT.”
“Fortnight” (feat. Post Malone) is the opening track and lead single of the album. It sets a precedent for the album, opening with a dark bass, slowly incorporating more grungy elements as the song progresses. Post Malone’s voice works so well with Swift’s, serving as a mellow, grounding element to her ethereal high notes. I will never forget how I felt when the melancholy notes followed by the plucking of the bass. This album is likely to change the trajectory of my experience as both a music listener and a Swiftie.
The title track, “The Tortured Poets Department,” takes Swift’s standard of excellent storytelling and blends it with an innovative production from Jack Antonoff, who is mentioned on the song. As soon as it started, I knew I would love it. This song visualizes the ending of a tumultuous relationship. It describes how, despite all the couple’s similarities, they didn’t work out, leaving both parties asking each other “who’s gonna know you like me? Nobody.” My favorite part of this song has to be the instrumental and the backing vocals, which oddly transported me to a chilly day with Death Eaters (from “Harry Potter”) swirling around the air.
Introducing a light, sparkly instrumental to the album, “Down Bad” reflects the theme of one of Swift’s past hits: “I Knew You Were Trouble.” Since its release, this song has constantly played in my head. The song goes in many places, but always returns to being “Down Bad,” which contributes to my love for this song. This song in particular reminds me of “Red,” and, with the elevation of her latest works, a lethal combination in music.
“loml” is the saddest song on this album, and one of the saddest in her entire discography. What begins as standing for the “love of my life” becomes the “loss of my life,” slowly emphasizing the fractures Swift has created in the listener’s heart. The song gives people a clear look into Swift’s emotions, a window many people are used to crowding around. Yet, this is not just a window, but instead an invitation to select people, done by stitching together metaphors alluding to her life. Upon listening to this song, I knew I had to take a momentary break to compose myself, as this song has broken me in a way only Swift has done before.
While recovering from all of the songs on this album, I opened Instagram and saw a new post from @taylorswift. There was a double album. At 2 a.m. on April 19, 2024, Taylor Swift announced “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY,” meaning there will be another meeting of “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT.”
