The Tortured Poets Department – a mournful resignation of “white-knuckled” vulnerability

As we all know, some things in life are certain – heartbreak, grief, and desire being examples. Another? Well, Taylor Swift breaking music history records that were previously held by herself. Far too quickly, The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD) stole the title for the biggest album debut on Spotify; the lead single ‘Fortnight’ featuring Post Malone opened with 25.2 million streams, shattering the record for biggest single debut on the platform’s history – surpassing Swift’s own ‘Anti-Hero’. Honestly, no one’s surprised. But what of the music itself? For clarity, this review will encompass both the original TTPD album and the extended double version.

It’s easy to see that Swift’s storytelling shines at the forefront of this project. We get the promised poetry…

While the numbers speak for themselves, Swift’s greatest highlight on TTPD is, by far, her lyricism. They too, say it all – and they do it ever so mournfully. It would be easy to take Twitter’s words for the gospel and laugh at the 1830s racism line in ‘I Hate It Here’, but let’s not be entirely dense – anything can sound ridiculous when dragged out of context, and a dash of media literacy wouldn’t hurt anyone in this case. With a bit of effort, it’s easy to see that Swift’s storytelling shines at the forefront of this project. We get the promised poetry with lines like “You swore that you loved me, but where were the clues? / I died on the altar waiting for the proof” from ‘So Long, London’, and “‘Wild winds are death to the candle’ / A rose by any other name is a scandal” from ‘The Albatross’, in which Swift subtly alludes to Coleridge’s spell-binding poem The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner. It’s all familiarly Swiftian now, but her acute and simple lyrics are not to be forgotten about either. There’s a taste of malice in the effortlessly sharp “Everyone knows that my mother is a saintly woman / But she used to say she wished that you were dead” – found in the surprising and delightfully daring Kim K diss track ‘thanK you aIMee’.

It’s also no shock that close friends and collaborators Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner are on board with this record. There is, however, a slight risk of overexposure when it comes to Antonoff’s production – while he has been and continues to be one of the best players on Swift’s team, the game is bound to grow old. But it’s a double-sided coin – my personal favourites and standouts from TTPD were produced by Antonoff after all. There’s something deliciously satisfying in Post Malone’s shimmering harmonies on ‘Fortnight’ (especially in the bridge); the smooth drums and slick guitar groove of ‘Guilty as Sin?’ are catchy and, hilariously, reminiscent of a 1975 song – almost as if the song itself is haunting Matty Healy (no idea why though). ‘The Black Dog’ is also not one to be ignored – Antonoff introduces these punch-kick instrumentals when Swift yells “Old habits die screaming” and suddenly everything falls into place like the most miserable set of heartbroken dominoes.

Antonoff remains one of my favourite music producers – but as a duo, they’re limping in a three-legged race, forgetting they have four to run on

It’s clean, sure, but I think that’s it. There are the highlights; there are the songs with an OK production; then, there are the misses. I can’t help but wonder if Swift and Antonoff have stretched each other out to their limits already – sure, some tracks work beautifully, but for a whole project? That’s where the colour is rinsing out, leaving the album somewhat soggy. It hurts to admit, in all honesty – Antonoff remains one of my favourite music producers – but as a duo, they’re limping in a three-legged race, forgetting they have four to run on. I understand though. Swift needs a friend to mourn and record with in the studio, but she could definitely do with a fresh pair of ears – and she could definitely do without the awkwardly-placed, frenzy of synths and in-your-face reverbs in songs like ‘Down Bad’ and ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart’. They’d have the potential to shine so brilliantly otherwise – the most raw and depressing songs about drug abuse and heartbreak usually do.

With the second half of the double album, we’re introduced to more of Aaron Dessner – who, in turn, does offer a different sound. Now, we’ve got hints of folklore and evermore woodland escapism, stepping away from the saturated, moody synth-pop of Midnights. And even though TTPD does sound like a cross-between these sounds, Dessner’s overall presence does elevate the album, even if Antonoff’s tracks stand out a little more in terms of quality. If Dessner is a line that measures up to be consistently pretty good, Antonoff fluctuates around him, hitting marks that Dessner both strives for and actively avoids. There are intimate, soothing pianos in tracks like ‘loml’, ‘Peter’, and the very weirdly named ‘Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus’ that act like a much-needed breath of air amid Antonoff’s hyperbolic instrumental manipulation – it’s precious, at this point. Then, we have the myth-woven songs ‘The Prophecy’ and ‘Cassandra’ – a narrative taken from the Greek story of Cassandra, a Trojan princess who was given the gift of prophecy but cursed so that her true ones would never be believed. Here, the breathy vocals and delicate instrumentals are just as carefully painted as Swift’s lyricism and storytelling ability – making a very satisfying two-track run for all English Lit lovers and Classics buffs out there.

And it is most definitely tortured – this record is Swift at her most vulnerable, most mature, most pained

Overall, Taylor Swift can consistently prove that she is a force to be reckoned with. That much is for certain. This album is, unsurprisingly, masterfully crafted in terms of its writing; it certainly lives up to its titular pledge for poetry. And it is most definitely tortured – this record is Swift at her most vulnerable, most mature, most pained. While there’s a risk of the album being bloated or too repetitive, her storytelling and lyricism remain earth-shatteringly gorgeous – that is, with a little bit of effort to actually understand it of course. It’s not difficult; there’s no gatekeeping involved. There’s also nothing inherently wrong with a combination of folklore/evermore-style intimacy and Midnights-synth-pop at all – in fact, it’s desired by most – but there are certain elements of old-country, tumbleweed twangs present in the album that just sound strange and unfamiliar (‘Fresh Out The Slammer’, ‘I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can’).

That being said though, unfamiliarity is not equal to distaste – for example, the new 2000s pop rock track ‘So High School’ is exciting and playful. But something is still lacking in TTPD, especially when compared to Swift’s other classics from previous eras. It is, admittedly, hard to predict which tracks will take on a ‘Cruel Summer’ legacy or be screamed along to by every single adoring fan/non-fan that’s ever heard it – think ‘Style’, ‘Exile’, or ‘Getaway Car’. Perhaps it is the oversaturated production in some places or a general desire for an album that prioritised quality over quantity. The double album is a rare blessing, of course – but one might prefer a seventeen-track, single album that does just that instead. Truthfully though, Swift cannot be toppled. She is the voice of our generation – one that knowingly and successfully weaponises empathy and vulnerability. We can only applaud as she takes the world by storm. There is a mountain of honesty that she just insists on climbing, a hole of emotion that she desperately keeps digging for. It’s admirable and beautiful – but let’s hope she doesn’t peak just yet or hit rock bottom.

Recommended Listening: ‘Fortnight’, ‘Guilty As Sin?’, ‘The Black Dog’, ‘loml’

★★★