Album Chats- The Tortured Poets Department

Welcome to Album Chats, where I will deep dive into an album old or new and share my thoughts, favourite tracks and overall rating. 

I had fallen prey to the Spotify algorithm which seemed hell bent on playing the same 12 songs over and over again until the end of time. I was frustrated by how prescriptive my playlists had become. I could not remember the last time  I had listened to something new. 

In a bid to change this I have made an effort to actively listen to albums from start to finish. Naturally, I wanted to share this experience with you. 

 I had to pick a place to start and I thought why not go big or go home? I have chosen to review The Tortured Poets Department.

As a recent student at the school of Swift, this is the first time I have listened to one of her albums in its entirety at the time of release. I had a lot of homework to catch up on. Not only did Swift release 31 songs for me to study, I would be a fool to write this book report without doing the background reading.

Taylor Swift is well known for writing songs about her relationships, she gets a lot of flack for this despite this being fairly standard for songwriters the world over. I believe the interest in Taylor Swift’s songwriting is intensified by the fact the partners and ex partners she writes about also happen to be super famous. Her albums act like an eagerly anticipated reality TV show. Every time this woman breathes it is reported on the internet. From what I understand this installment covers the demise of her 6 year relationship with actor Joe Alwyn as well as unearthing an alleged 10 year on again off again situationship with The 1975 front man Matty Healey.  

Joe Alwyn

Matty Healey

Upon first listen I was overwhelmed by content and underwhelmed musically. 

However, I was quick to give it another chance as 31 songs is a lot to take in. 

It does not feel like we’re hearing  anything new in this album musically, just a mixture of what has gone before. The underlying themes of the album are heartbreak and rage. There is a strong sense that Swift is looking back on a period of her life from a position of greater clarity. 

It feels as though we are listening to diary entries. I think the themes are what will keep listeners hooked. Which is not uncommon with Taylor Swift’s music. Her strength is in her story telling. 

This album feels very much like an amalgamation of Folklore, Evermore and Midnights. I am a huge fan of Folklore. It is one of the albums that caused me to rethink my opinion of Taylor Swift as an artist. I have always been a bit of a hater but Folklore was so beautiful as a whole I paused for thought and now cautiously describe myself as an entry level fan. All that being said I found the album a little morose and boring as a whole, there is a distinct lack of editing. A luxury only someone as big as Taylor Swift can afford. I have seen this Album described as a purge and I concur. 

I must admit I started to lose focus when it came to the second half of the album. So I cannot tell whether I have less to say about the second half of  the album because I got tired or whether I actually enjoy it less. In truth it has taken me far longer than I had hoped to write this review because the album as a whole is quite a depressing listen that I didn't look forward to. 

It's not all doom and gloom. I do have some standout favourites. I enjoyed the tongue in cheek nature of the title track, it is littered with inside jokes and no doubt a plethora of clues for the more academic Swifties to dissect. As far as I can tell it mostly relates to her relationship with Matty Healey.

I enjoyed Florida Ft Florence and The Machine. It is a fun and anthemic tune  that sounds a bit like it could have been written by Imagine Dragons.

I Can Do it with a Broken Heart is a brilliant pop song. Providing an insight into Swift’s unmoving ‘the show must go on’ mentality, reminding everyone listening that she is in fact human and has had to put on a brave face to put on a show for her adoring fans even when she is ‘miserable and nobody even knows’. It uses the tried and tested Smiths method of coupling depressing lyrics with a more upbeat melody. It is the clear and obvious choice for a lead single.

I really enjoyed Who's Afraid of Little Old Me, the vocals are impressive and the Lyrics give an insight into Taylor Swift's relationship with the entertainment industry and an acknowledgement of the power she has in the palm of her hand with her devoted fans. 

Put narcotics into all of my songs...and that's why you're still singing along...

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived perfectly encapsulates the rage that runs through this album. Again this is alleged to be about Healey. If so it sounds as if he well and truly broke her heart. For me it is not dissimilar in style to her 10 minute epic All to Well. Her fan base can relate so strongly to the pain she is feeling. 

I saw on Tik Tok one of the women attending  the Era’s tour wearing a plain white dress and some sharpies allowing fans to write the name of their ‘Smallest Man who ever lived’ on her dress. For them to share in moments of collective catharsis. 

Taylor Swift fans are often criticised in the media for being intense and obsessive. Whilst that might be true, what I have witnessed in the coverage of the seemingly endless Era’s tour, is extremely creative fans recreating their favourite moments from Taylor Swift's prolific career in their outfit choices and cultivating a connected and wholesome concert environment exchanging friendship bracelets with any and all attendees. Including Sir Paul McCartney! 

On account of losing interest half way through I have mostly focused on The Tortured Poets Department and not the Anthology tracks. I enjoy Taylor Swift's lyricism and storytelling ability. However, musically it leaves a lot to be desired.

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