If the song title “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” doesn’t say it all, wait until you hear the lyrics.
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| Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' album cover. BETH GARRABRANT/REPUBLIC RECORDS |
"Did you come at the behest of someone who wished me dead? / Was there a gun beneath our bed where you laid your head? / Were you a writer, or a spy in sleeper cell guise? / In five decades, will these secrets unseal and arise?"
Taylor Swift croons on track 14 of her album, The Tortured Poets Department. "I would've died for your sins, but instead I died inside, / And though you deserve a cell, prison won't be your abide."
It’s evident that songwriting is Swift’s forte, and her latest album showcases her exceptional storytelling skills. As she navigates through a breakup, the lyrics will either hit you like a punch in the gut or a slap in the face—sometimes both in the same verse.
Swift lays bare her soul, as if turning pages in her own diary, on her 11th album, revealing the turmoil she's been experiencing. She doesn't shy away from using strong language, crying is a recurring theme, and there are hints of depression throughout ("What if I told you I'm back? / The hospital was a bore / The worst sleep I ever endured").
In the lively pop anthem "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart," she bluntly states: "I'm so down, it's like my birthday every day." Several tracks also delve into the depths of her anguish, likening the pain to death.
"Sometimes I wonder if you're going to mess things up with me, but you told Lucy you'd end your life if I ever left. I had said the same to Jack about you, so I felt understood," she sings on the title track. "Everyone we know sees why we're meant to be, because we're crazy."
"Tortured Poets" (and its companion album "The Anthology") marks the singer's return since her split with English actor Joe Alwyn, her partner of six years until 2023. Alwyn, who was also her musical collaborator, co-produced and co-wrote on "Folklore," earning a Grammy for Album of the Year in 2021 alongside Swift. He was also involved in her subsequent project, "Evermore."
While "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" doesn't appear to be about him (possibly referring to fellow Englishman Matt Healy?), most of the album details the end of their relationship, Swift's longest to date. The songs hint at a potential engagement and children, from the country-infused "But Daddy I Love Him" to the title track and "loml," where she sings: "You belittled me in private, discussing rings and cradles."
One standout track is “So Long, London.” Set to a gentle, electropop rhythm, Swift sings about recovering, mentioning “bringing color back to my face” and feeling angry about “giving you all that youth for free.” Towards the end, the singer, who is now in a relationship with NFL star Travis Kelce, declares: “So long, London/Had a good run/A moment of warm sun/But I’m not the one.”
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| Taylor Swift BETH GARRABRANT/REPUBLIC RECORDS |
“Florida!!!” is another standout, especially with Florence Welch from Florence + the Machine delivering an eerie and powerful verse. Post Malone also shines, blending his vocals with Swift’s on the melancholic track “Fortnight,” which kicks off the album.
Sonically, Poets Department seems to nod to Swift's earlier work: "But Daddy I Love Him" could seamlessly fit into Speak Now or Fearless; "Fortnight" and other tracks echo Midnights, her previous album; while some songs could easily belong to her Folklore/Evermore era.
The production on the album is generally understated, and a few more experimental sounds could have enhanced it. However, this approach might have been intentional, allowing the poignant lyrics to take center stage.
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