Taylor Swift Tortured Poets Department: A Deep Dive

Taylor Swift's latest album, "The Tortured Poets Department," has garnered mixed reviews since its release last Friday. Some critics have praised the album for its unbridled emotion and moments of genuine humor, while others believe that Swift's creative process has reached a crossroads, calling for a stricter edit.

The standard edition of the album features 16 songs that delve into Swift's inner turmoil, with major themes including imprisonment, delusion, and heartbreak. Swift also released "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology," which includes all 31 songs from the album, written or co-written by Swift and co-produced with Jack Antonoff or Aaron Dessner, her go-to collaborators since 2020.

Key Takeaways

• "The Tortured Poets Department" is Swift at her most audacious and uncensored.
• Swift revisits themes that have defined her career. Sometimes it works, though it can be seen as limiting.
• Business Insider's senior music reporter rates the full double album an 8.9/10.

"The Tortured Poets Department" is Swift at her most audacious and uncensored.

Taylor Swift's "The Tortured Poets Department" is a breakup album that is both mature and pissed-off. It is an unapologetically dramatic record that showcases unbridled emotion and unkempt drama. As breakup albums go, it is a doozy that will be soundtracking untold millions of tragic rifts to come. The LP has a proudly villainous energy as Swift embraces her messiest and most chaotic tendencies.

The album is an act of liberation that has changed and ultimately strengthened Swift. She shares her darkest impulses and most mortifying delusions, filling in the blank spaces in the story of several much-mediated affairs. Swift declares that this is her most personal album yet, going deeper into the personal zone that is her métier than ever before. She spares no one, including herself.

On the title track, Swift sings, "I think some things I never say," making an offhand joke. However, this is the album where she does say all the things she thinks, about love at least. Swift has written plenty of songs that revel in post-breakup hurt across her catalog, but "The Tortured Poets Department" is both more mature and more pissed-off. The teen slings and arrows have naturally evolved into adult entanglements and emotional affairs, taking center stage.

Swift Revisits Themes That Have Defined Her Career. Sometimes It Works, Though It Can Be Seen As Limiting.

Taylor Swift's latest album, "The Tortured Poets Department," is a reflection of her growth as an artist and a person. She revisits the themes that have defined her career, such as heartbreak, love, and self-discovery. While some critics argue that she is retreading old territory, others see it as a chance for her to explore these themes from a new perspective.

Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone notes that there is a dialogue between Swift's teenage and adult selves in the album. He adds that many of the songs are about adult Taylor, who is single again, revisiting the kind of romantic crash-and-burns she used to experience in her early albums.

However, Olivia Horn from Pitchfork argues that the songs fail to distill an overarching emotional truth, tending to smother rather than sting. She adds that Swift's lack of exploration of new musical ideas is unsurprising, given that the last three years of her life have been consumed by re-recording her old albums and touring her past selves.

Despite the mixed reviews, Sophie Gilbert from The Atlantic hopes that the album is cathartic for Swift, allowing her to purge not just an emotional moment in time but also a preoccupation with the motifs that are holding her back.

With 16 standard songs and 15 bonus tracks, the album could've used some editing.

Taylor Swift's latest album, "The Tortured Poets Department," has received mixed reviews from critics. While some have praised her virtuosity and ability to process a difficult chapter of her life, others have criticized the album's excessive length and lack of editing.

Reviewers have noted that the album's 16 standard songs and 15 bonus tracks make for a lengthy listening experience. Amanda Petrusich of The New Yorker commented that the album "suffers from being too long," while Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic stated that it's "way too long and uneven to be, from any point of view, savvy."

Tom Breihan of Stereogum also criticized the album's length, stating that the "same-sounding chunk that lasts for more than two hours and almost never cranks the energy-level up. It's excessive." Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times noted that "the clutter lingers, while Swift holds an unlit match."

Critics have suggested that the album could have benefited from some editing, allowing the sharpest moments to shine through. While Swift's bonus tracks are generally well-received, the sheer number of them in this album has left some feeling overwhelmed.

Many Critics Believe Swift and Antonoff's Creative Partnership Is Growing Stale

Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff have collaborated on several albums, including "The Tortured Poets Department." However, many critics believe that their creative partnership is growing stale. Larisha Paul from Rolling Stone criticized the album for being a "homogenized comfort zone of hollowed-out percussion and piano chord progressions that never reach the peak they're building toward." Laura Molloy from NME also noted that the album "descends into a monochromatic palette" and struggles to capture the brightness of Antonoff's previous work.

Lindsay Zoladz from The New York Times suggested that Swift and Antonoff's partnership has become too comfortable, leading to a sonic uniformity in "The Tortured Poets Department." The album features "gauzy backdrops, gently thumping synths, drum machine rhythms that lock Swift into a clipped, chirping staccato," which may suggest that their partnership is growing stale.

"I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" is an Album Highlight, Blending Upbeat Pop with Subversive Wit.

Taylor Swift's album "The Tortured Poets Department" has been receiving mixed reviews, but one song that has stood out as an album highlight is "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart." The song features synths and an electro-pop beat that pulses with energy, creating a glistening pop gem that is sure to get stuck in your head. However, the lyrics of the song are what truly make it stand out. Swift explores the psychological struggle of putting on a brave face and continuing on with life, even when it feels like everything is falling apart.

Critics have praised the song for its subversive wit and revelatory nature. Sophie Gilbert of The Atlantic describes the song as tearing down the curtain to reveal the truth behind it, scored to a frantic, pulsating, almost obscenely jaunty beat. Chris Willman of Variety compares the song to Robyn's dancing-through-tears ethos, while Mikael Wood of The Los Angeles Times notes that the song is crisp, propulsive, and almost ecstatic.

The album's shades of rock and country make for some of its freshest moments.

Taylor Swift's eleventh studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," showcases her versatility as an artist. The album's double disc features a mix of genres, with some of its freshest moments coming from its shades of rock and country. Reviewers have praised the album's blending of these genres, noting that it creates a unique sound that is both familiar and fresh.

Critics have pointed to songs like "But Daddy I Love Him" and "Guilty as Sin" as examples of the album's successful fusion of country and rock. The live-sounding drums combined with Swift's emotive voice create a perfect balance that is both powerful and moving. These songs are a testament to Swift's ability to seamlessly blend genres and create something new and exciting.

In addition to these standout tracks, the latter half of the album is filled with soft rock and alt-rock sounds that show a potential future lane for Swift. Reviewers have noted that these songs combine subtle country and rock 'n roll with slide guitars and a more ambient sense of space. This combination creates a unique sound that is both intimate and expansive.

Swift's Humor and Self-Awareness Serve to Elevate Her Lyricism

Taylor Swift's ability to blend humor and self-awareness into her songwriting has become a hallmark of her career. As Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield notes, Swift's adult break-up tales can be both devastating and hilarious. For instance, "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys" and "Down Bad" are both humorous takes on heartbreak. However, Swift also tackles serious issues with humor, such as in "Who's Afraid Of Little Old Me?" which is a satirical self-analysis that serves as a spiritual follow-up to "Blank Space."

In "But Daddy I Love Him," Swift trolls her audience by announcing she's pregnant, only to later reveal that she's not. This playful approach to serious topics is also evident in her song "New Jersey Wedding." Swift's humor and self-awareness help to elevate her lyricism, making her songs both relatable and entertaining.

Maria Sherman of AP News notes that Swift's self-awareness is evident in her song "Clara Bow," which ends with Swift singing about herself, "You look like Taylor Swift in this light / We're loving it / You've got edge / She never did." This line could be seen as self-deprecating, but it also shows Swift's frustration with her public image. Swift's ability to turn the camera inward and poke fun at herself is a testament to her creativity and willingness to take risks.

Business Insider's senior music reporter rates the full double album an 8.9/10.

Taylor Swift's latest double album, "The Tortured Poets Department," has received mixed reviews from critics and fans alike. However, Business Insider's senior music reporter Beth Garrabrant has rated the full double album an 8.9/10.

In her review, Garrabrant praised the album for its messy, horny, and funny themes. She highlighted standout tracks like "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" and "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived," which she described as excavating fury and betrayal in a singularly Swiftian way. She also commended sensual country-rock songs like "Fresh Out the Slammer" and "Guilty as Sin?" for painting Swift and her lover as partners-in-crime, driven to delinquency by the sheer force of their lust.

Garrabrant noted that the album's opening track foreshadows the fantasy falling apart in spectacular fashion. By the time the standard tracklist ends with "Clara Bow," Swift is still aggrieved, yet calmer and clear-eyed. It's the perfect bridge to "The Anthology," a collection of grounded, reflective stories that play like the comedown after a manic episode. The album's true closer, "The Manuscript," offers an apt summary of the entire torrid affair.

Garrabrant's review also included a breakdown of which tracks are worth listening to, which are background music, and which to press skip on. She rated several tracks as worth listening to, such as "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys," "Down Bad," "So Long, London," and more. Meanwhile, she rated "The Alchemy," "thanK you aIMee," and "Robin" as background music, and "Fortnight" and "The Tortured Poets Department" as press skip.

Overall, Garrabrant's review is a glowing recommendation for "The Tortured Poets Department." Despite mixed reviews from others, Garrabrant's rating of 8.9/10 suggests that Swift's latest album is a must-listen for fans of the singer's work.