REVIEW By Genevieve Presley
Columnist
Taylor Swift shocked the world at the 2024 Grammys back in February when she announced that her highly-anticipated 11th album, “The Tortured Poets Department” would be released just two months later on April 19.
Since then, Swifties have been eagerly counting down the days until its release and rushing to pre-order both the original album and the four additional editions that Taylor Swift announced. However, what Swifties did not know was that the long-awaited release day would arrive with a much larger surprise. Only two hours after the album came out, it was revealed that “The Tortured Poets Department” is a double album, complete with a total of 31 tracks for fans to enjoy and sing along to.
Preparing to enter into the “Tortured Poets era,” I was a bit skeptical at first as I did not know what to expect. But when I finally heard the album, I was extremely surprised. It was so interesting, delightful and beautifully poetic. There was not a single moment where I was not captivated by it.
Swift never ceases to amaze me. I was especially impressed by the fact that it was a double album as Swift has never released a double album before. It’s fascinating to see her branch out and try new things with Tortured Poets. The emotion conveyed within the lyrics felt so real and this is one of the best albums Swift has ever written.
It was hard to choose a favorite song from among the 16 tracks. There are nothing but good songs including, “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone and “The Tortured Poets Department,” but “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” was the one that really had me hooked with every lyric.
In this compelling track, Swift takes us on an exciting, yet tragic adventure through what it was like for her performing night-after-night on “The Eras Tour” while experiencing severe personal trauma and heartbreak. What I love most about this song is how she is being openly honest about her feelings in addition to proving that she can push through and give her fans the best of her. I especially enjoyed how she sang about “knowing you’re good when you can even do it with a broken heart.” There is so much power and emotion contained within those lyrics, and in my mind they capture the theme of the song perfectly.
“The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology” contains 15 additional songs, including four bonus tracks; “The Manuscript,” “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog.” The extra songs on The Anthology were so moving, lyrical and unbelievably impressive. Once again, it was hard to choose a favorite, but when it comes down to it, I’m most drawn to “The Black Dog.”
This song is a highly influential ballad of heartbreak, deception and the lingering pain of loss. Swift effectively uses metaphors and repetition along with building in vocal intensity to reflect upon the complex emotional journey of a shattered relationship. The song is intense yet beautiful at the same time and from the lyrics to the vocals and everything in between I am hooked.
Overall, I rate “The Tortured Poets Department” a 9 out of 10. There honestly was not a single bad song on it, the lyrics were incredible and it was 100% worth the wait.
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