Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department: review

Among the many merits that can be recognized a Taylor Swift there is undoubtedly that of being a queen in the transform your personal experiences into real fairy tales. Today, Friday 19 April 2024, his eleventh studio album was released, The Tortured Poets Department. A record chock full of images, stories, confessions that allows it to be totally transparent towards its audience.

It goes without saying: the anticipation for this album was immense. And the amazement of the fans was even greater when, at the time of the album’s release, they found – instead of the 16 tracks announced – a double albumfor a total of 31 songs (with more than two hours long).

She surprisingly announced it herself on social media. “I’ve written so many haunted poems over the last two years and I wanted to share them with you, so here is the second episode of TTPD: The Anthology. 15 more songs. And now the story is no longer mine… it’s all yours.”

Listening to the tracks of this new album (the fourth in the last four years), Taylor Swift’s ability to transform each of her personal experiences into a narrative in which to identify herself emerges strongly. On the one hand purely musical the touch of Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner of the National is strong – alongside the singer-songwriter in Folklore and Evermore – And there are no major innovations to be seen compared to the last one Midnights. But it is in the lyrics that the artist gives his best.

The uptempo synth pop sounds leave room for many reflections from the singer-songwriter who in this album digs deep into himself, admits faults, send it to hell who deserves it and invites everyone to a mature and courageous self-awareness.

Throughout this journey, however, there is a common thread, which is that of game. Taylor Swift, in fact, is the most acclaimed pop star on the planet. At several points in the record she confesses the complexity of her fame and criticizes the morbidity of the tabloids; she does so by admitting the turmoil that this creates for her on a personal and emotional level. But at the same time, the record is full of references to stories from the past, to men who made her suffer and who forced her to react. In several songs, references to the British actor seem evident Joe Alwyn (with whom she had a seven-year relationship) and the frontman of the band 1975 Matt Healy.

But there also seem to be phrases dedicated tocurrent partner, American football player Travis Kelce. Phrases which, clearly, do not speak of separation but of rebirth (listen The Alchemy).

Taylor Swift, therefore, decided to be shameless, direct, sincere. She did so by admitting – perhaps as she had never done before – weaknesses and dramas. But at the same time he uses all of this to pitch a message of empowerment. And, yes: all with the awareness of leaving some clues here and there that fans are already analyzing thoroughly on social mediawondering who certain words can be addressed to and for what reason.

The image of Taylor Swift that emerges, listening to the 31 new songs, is that of a woman who – despite successes and achievements – had to fight for their independence, to have the power that everyone recognizes today. From the turbulent relationships of My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys to those who stop decisively in So Long, London (here the reference to Alywn, for example, is obvious for many). But Daddy I Love Himthen, it seems a fairy tale focused on judgment, between the story of “a horse too high for a simple girl” and that of the “elderly people who gather in the town hall”, to point out all his mistakes with cruelty. In this song, Taylor exclaims: «God save the worms who judgewho say they want what’s best for me […] Thinking about changing my heartbeat when he touches me.”

The racing theme returns Fresh Out the Slammer: this time, the race is to a person released from prison and manages to regain what belonged to her. Once again, poetry is central here, thanks to the parallelism of prison with that of relationships considered as prisons.

There are religious references in Guilty As Sin? (from the crucifixion to a large stone rolling away) and there they are vents against your haters in Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?, where he addresses all the rumors surrounding his professional and personal life. In this passage, in fact, he provokes: «I put narcotics in all my songs. And that’s why you’re still singing with me.”

Fame is at the center of many songs. In I Can Do It With a Broken Heart Taylor Swift gives astrong image to its audience, talking about the moments in which you are under the spotlight even though everything, on an emotional level, can destroy you. “All the pieces of me shattered as the crowd chanted, ‘Again!’ I was smiling like I was winning, I was hitting my targets because I can do it with a broken heart».

If it’s true that his Eras Tour (who will also pass through our country for two sold-out concerts at the San Siro Stadium, in Milan, on 13 and 14 July) started on 17 March 2023, it has been confirmed that the breakup of her relationship with Joe Alwyn is occurred just a few weeks later. It is probable, therefore, that this crisis was a cause of great difficulty in her sold-out performances in those first months of tour. But the message of this song is strong: I can do everything. Even with a broken heart.

Talk about celebrity also in Clara Bowa song that refers to one of the greatest stars of silent cinema (It’s the first time Swift has used movie stars as the title of one of her songs, even though her references to old Hollywood glories are numerous). Clara Bow, although she was considered one of the icons of sexual freedom, was often criticized because her love life was considered excessively libertine.

In the song dedicated to her, Taylor Swift sings «Take the glory, give it all, promise to be dazzling» and seems to invite us to reflect on how much certain urban legends can hurt. Especially if you are women. And successful.

The dark side of love is explored on multiple fronts. In I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) talks about when you delude yourself that you can change your partner’s attitudes and behavior.

In The Smallest Man Who Ever LivedInstead, she comes down hard on a man who treated her badly. Here Taylor ejects frustration, anger and disappointment. And he sings: «Did you sleep with a gun under our bed? Were you writing a book?”. And he closes with a promise: «I will forget you but I will never forgive you».

Track after track, Taylor confirms his affection for the pop-rock songwriting tradition made in the USA. But he doesn’t seem to be addicted to it. There title track it proves it. As well as the duet with Florence Welch in Florida!!!: the vocal exchange between the two is wonderful. And even in this case the words they choose to sing are not banal: «All the bodies that have been on my body and in my mind sink into the swamp. Is that a bad thing to say in a song?” they sing.

The other featuring on the album is Fortnight with Post Malone, on the radio from today. Regarding this song, Taylor stated: «I am a huge fan of Post for his writing, his musical experimentation and the melodies he creates that stay in your head forever. I witnessed firsthand the magic of her creativity when we worked together on Fortnight».

On the record, Taylor – a female artist with the most certifications in 2023 – also indulges some ballads with strings, piano. lomlfor example, is a very sweet and intimate song from cinematic aspiration: the acronym used for Love of My Life (love of my life) becomes, at the end of the piece, Loss of my life).

Speaking about this project, the singer-songwriter who has sold almost 200 million copies had explained: «An anthology of unpublished works that reflect events, opinions and feelings of a fleeting and fatalistic moment, sensational and painful in equal measure. This period of the author’s life is now over, the chapter has been closed. There is nothing to avenge, there are no scores to settle once the wounds have healed. And, upon further reflection, a good number of them turned out to be true self-inflicted».

And again: «The writer is firmly convinced that the our tears become sacred in the form of ink on a page. Once we’ve told our saddest story, we can let go of it.”

Taylor Swift decided to actually do it. To free yourself of many burdens that you have experienced in recent years. She did it in a clear manner, admitting everything and playing with sagacity the rumors circulating about her. With The Tortured Poets Department Taylor Swift tells her audience that it can be both heroine and anti-heroine. That, regardless of this, you can always win. Very powerful, even if heartbroken.