Graphic by Lucy Stouffer
Hello, my fellow Swifties! We have been treated quite well these past four years with fantastic new releases and re-releases from Ms. Swift. Her newest release, “The Tortured Poet’s Department” was released on Friday, April 19th with a surprise second album, “The Anthology”! Here’s my honest review of each song on the album “The Tortured Poets Department”:
This album is a refreshing mixture of R&B, Pop, and indie with hints of country. This project feels like a gigantic puzzle full of mysteries and a wide range of emotions as Taylor breaks the fourth wall explicitly (and implicitly) by mentioning many celebrities, friends, and even her fans. Because of this, it feels like Taylor is moving in a more candid direction with her music. She has always been outspoken in her music but this album proves she has entered a new era of fearlessness. Rumor has it that The Tortured Poet’s Department will be added to the European leg of the “Eras World Tour”. What do you think? Is it unfair for audiences who saw the tour previously and might not get to experience these songs in concert? I think it would be a bummer but at the same time, it’s not my business.
A lot of people are complaining how the songs Jack Antonoff produced sound extremely similar to one another which I can totally hear and agree with. Some of the beats are extremely similar but the lyrics are all distinctly different in each song so as long as you’re not listening to the album on constant repeat it shouldn’t get too annoying. I won’t discuss the second album, “The Anthology” here but I know Aaron Dessener produced more of the songs on that album so maybe his production is more your style. 31 songs is a lot for a new album so there’s plenty of variety to listen to and enjoy.
If you’re a swiftie who was initially let down by this new album release let me tell you this: Don’t just listen to it once, you got to give it an actual chance before you say ‘eh it’s not my cup of tea’ I really think there are some gems in there that grow on you. We all have our favorite eras so if your swiftie friend is gushing about the new album, be happy for them! Don’t rain on their parade and let them enjoy “The Tortured Poet’s Department”. Overall, I’d give this album a 9.2/10 with points taken off because of some repeated beats (cough cough Antonoff) but I really enjoyed the lyrics and tone of the album.
