Ariana Grande recently addressed the fallout from her divorce from Dalton Gomez with a breakup album, “Eternal Sunshine,” putting all of her feelings into it. Following suit, Taylor Swift now takes readers on an emotional trip of her own in “The Tortured Poets Department,” which centers on her six-year relationship split with British actor and musician Joe Alwyn.
Swift, who has always been open about how she got ideas for songs like “The Moment I Knew” for Jake Gyllenhaal and “Forever and Always” for Joe Jonas, came from former relationships. It follows that when “The Tortured Poets Department” digs into her experiences with Alwyn, it does so without surprise, masterfully conveying the nuances of heartbreak over the course of an album.
Others wonder if Swift just converted her personal pain into art, a tactic that has continuously helped her become successful and a millionaire, or if Alwyn’s significance called for a full album devoted to their split.
“The Tortured Poets Department” ends up being Swift’s best album to date, surpassing even her high hopes. With this album, Swift displays her vocal and musical abilities to the fullest, unlike her last effort, “Midnights,” which was enjoyable but didn’t quite elicit the same fervor. She communicates with those who have been brokenhearted by expressing her true feelings, which are passionate, angry, and defiant.
Encompassing sixteen tracks, including fan favorites “Fortnight” with Post Malone and “Down Bad,” which delves into the nuances of love and grief, the album was co-written and produced by her regular collaborators Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner of The National. Music videos such as “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart” make fans feel like they are there because they portray the universal feelings of perseverance in the face of heartbreak.
With a soundtrack that makes you want to break dishes, “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,” one of Swift’s standout songs, perfectly captures her furious rage. By way of contrast, “So Long London” provides a lovely coda to the record, wishing love a kind farewell while embracing remembrance.
With “The Tortured Poets Department,” Taylor Swift not only creates a captivating musical story but also ushers in a new wave of artistic expression that will undoubtedly keep her at the top of the game for years to come.
Swift’s influence is growing as her most recent songs, “Fortnight,” “Down Bad,” and “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart,” top the charts. It’s clear that her Swifties are joining her on this emotional trip.
