Taylor Swift’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department, which was released today, combines genres from her previous albums to detail the events that unfolded as a result of a doomed relationship.
The breakup between Swift and long-term boyfriend Joe Alwyn was shocking news to fans of the singer. A running theory has been that this album features songs that tell listeners what happened to send their relationship south.
The album seemingly also includes explanations of the aftermath of their relationship, such as her questionable relationship with Matty Healy and her current relationship with Travis Kelce.
One of the most compelling songs on the album is “But Daddy I Love Him.” Swift sings about the disregard she felt toward the people who tried to tell her that the person she loved was not right for her. The song is relatable because having your vision clouded by love is something that many have experienced before. The negative aspects of the relationship can seem to disappear when one is too focused on the good parts.
“So Long, London” is about Swift’s effort to make a cherished relationship work, to no avail. The lyric, “I stopped CPR, after all, it’s no use / The spirit was gone, we would never come to” is an especially emotion-evoking line. With the context of this song, it proves to be even more heartbreaking.
Considering the song title, fans theorize that this song is about Alwyn. Swift previously wrote a song about him titled “London Boy” on her album Lover, so it is possible this could be a follow-up to that track – the love that they once felt for each other coming to a tragic end.
The instrumentals in this album are also a key element. Leading up to the release of the album, fans had been trying to figure out what the genre would be.
The song “Fresh Out The Slammer” starts with a guitar intro, and what follows are melodic vocals that are sung with electronic sounds in the background. This song is unique in the sense that this is not a sound that Swift has featured on any previous releases.
There are also a number of songs that are reminiscent of previous albums. The title track and “Fortnight” have the same indie-pop sound that many songs on Midnights had. Meanwhile, “loml” – an acronym for “love of my life” – and “Clara Bow” are more closely related to Swift’s folk albums Folklore and Evermore.
But the mix of genres in this album is what makes it so enthralling. Swift has expertly written the songs and crafted the sound to make this record one of the best out of her career.
