Unless you quite literally live under a rock, you know that Taylor Swift released her 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department on Friday, April 19th.The album was announced a few months ago during her Grammy acceptance speech for Best Pop Vocal Album for her most recent album Midnights.
Of course, this allowed for some time to excite the fan base and for the more dedicated fans to come up with theories regarding the songs. Although there are usually disappointments in the Swiftie world regarding incorrect theories, many actually got it right this time.
Swift’s new album was revealed to be a DOUBLE album. Two hours after the initial release, at 2 a.m. EST, Swift released another 15 songs called, The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology.
The second part is definitely tailored to the fans of Swift’s sister albums, folklore and evermore. While the original tracks on TTPD feature more upbeat ,synth-pop tracks, the second half has a more mellow feel, with a focus on the lyricism that made her 2020 albums so memorable.
Let’s start at the beginning: “The Black Dog.” In my mind this is a perfect transition song from one half of the album to the other. While it is emotionally charged, it features a nice balance between being vulnerable and engaging. This song, in addition to its following track, “imgonnagetyouback” aids the transition from a fast paced beginning to a slower rand calmer conclusion.
One of my personal favorites is “The Prophecy”, an advanced lyrical track that explores the desperation of waiting for love. The first verse gets straight to the point in the most eloquent way, “Hand on the throttle/Thought I caught lightning in a bottle/Oh, but it’s gone again/And it was written/ I got cursed like Eve got bitten/Oh, was it punishment?”.
Swift sings about the love that she feels she has been begging for her whole life, as if there is some higher power conspiring against her. Songs about unrequited love are by no means few and far between, but Swift is able to reinvent the narrative by adding more depth to the story behind it.
Throughout the entirety of The Anthology, she explores many historical and fictional references, sometimes in a comical, passing manner but more commonly in a deep, metaphorical sense. In her upbeat song “So High School”, Swift sings a tongue-in-cheek line, “You know how to ball/I know Aristotle”, but she also dedicates the song, “Cassandra” to a woman from Greek mythology.
For a little background, the legend is that the curse given to Cassandra allowed her the gift of foresight, but the cost was that no one would ever believe her predictions. This song immediately following “The Prophecy” makes the songs seem entangled, a two-song story of sorts.
Swift sings the chorus, “So they killed Cassandra first/Because she feared the worst/And tried to tell the town…./Do you believe me now?”. While Cassandra is based off a fictional character, there are many similarities that reflect Swift's life in the music industry.
Another favorite of mine, “Peter” could easily have been a song on evermore. It fits in perfectly with the overall vibe and storytelling. The title implies a reference to the classic fairy tale,“Peter Pan”, and with mentions about growing up and lost boys throughout the song, it seems like a pretty solid guess.
Each verse feels very intentional and follows the specific story she is evidently telling. Personally, the bridge sticks out to me the most as she sings, “And I won’t confess that I waited/But I let the lamp burn/As the men masqueraded/I hope you’d return”. She explains how she continued to hopefully wait as life continued to move on, which can be relatable in various forms.
In addition to historical and fictional references, Swift also mentions many different names; some seemingly random, some more identifiable. One of her more vulnerable songs, “Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus” is not necessarily about the characters it is named after, but “thanK you aImeE” is assumed to be about Kim Kardashian.
Swift uses the intrigue of blending fictional accounts with her personal life to not only engage the listener, but to create an interest in the broader scope of her work. Her storytelling has always been her strong suit, and now with the addition of her remarkable and improved lyricism, her most recent work continues to prove why she is one of the most talented artists of this generation.
The Anthology appeals to the English majors, the readers, the history nerds who appreciate a well-written verse more than the average music enthusiast. But the album as a whole has something for everyone. It follows a theme of frustration, waiting, and lost love, creating an overall cohesive release once again.
Comments