Taylor Swifts’ The Tortured Poets Department: A Defiant Pop Noir Coming of Age Story

I have a hypothesis that Taylor Swift may be a series of clones all working from one hive mind…that’s the only way I can explain that she had time to run the biggest tour in history, go to NFL games and own the Super Bowl, put together her amazing record Midnights and still have time to record the 16 track The Tortured Poets Department. Oh, and put together the 31 track….yes…31 track Anthology edition of the same record. It is now well known that this is most likely named after Joe Alwyn’s text chain called “the tortured man club.” Wow. I think that text phrase is in the dictionary under “entitled patriarchal tool.” Anyway, we are going to give you a brief overview of the record with some highlights and general thoughts.

This is a good follow up to Midnights both thematically and musically. Swift continues her defiant “fuck you” tone when recanting past relationships and builds upon gender themes from the previous 3 records. Moreover, she continues the hard edged pop synth vibe from the previous record. These tracks are sharp and jagged, as opposed to her more lush pop found in 1989.

Where this record differs is in its dark noir vibe full of gravestone imagery and other dark foreboding tones. I mean, she does a collab with Florence + The Machine…it doesn’t get more black lace noir than that. Having said that, this is also a coming of age story as our teenage love struck pop star is now moving into her mid 30s. There are hints at moving into a different stage in her life and what that means for both love and her future. We usually associate coming of age stories with teenage or 20s, but Swift singing about moving through her 30s is new territory for her and interesting lyrically.

Some standout tracks that really bring out the noir vibe are the opening track Fortnight (which showcases and excellent collab with Post Malone…never thought I would write that sentence), Down Bad and the beautifully haunting So, Long London. These tracks involve a complex mix of strong defiance towards men who have hurt her in the past with a melancholy longing for when things were going well. My favourite track on the record is the complex and musically fresh track Florida!!! with guest Florence + The Machine. First of all, Florence Welsh’s vocals are incredible and bring this haunting noir vibe to the track. Moreover, Swift hints at these coming of age issues when she sings “my friends smell like weed or little babies,” which conjures images of this grey space between partying and moving into parenting. It is this vast space people find themselves in during their 30s when they are surrounded by two different phases of their lives.

Above all else, this record is a bit depressing…but in that soulful Lorde, Lana Del Rey sort of way. Tracks like The Tortured Poets Department, I can Fix Him (Really I Can) and The Alchemy are heartbreaking at times, but also very beautiful. This record has a far more somber and introspective tone than some of Swift’s previous work. The stripped back nature of some of the tracks adds to this darkness, but it never becomes too overwhelming. This can be a blessing and a curse though. I loved the slight shift from Midnights into a more contemplative space, but some people may be looking for that bombastic pop Swift uses in her previous records.

All and all this is another great record with well written gems and fantastic collabs. In fact that is one thing that I wanted more of in this record. She has had such great collabs in the previous records that I want her to team up more. Much like Beyoncé’s Lemonade, I want her to really stretch herself with the collabs because she is so good at them. I think Fortnight and Florida!!! are going to be huge hits that we will hear a lot of. However, much like fine poetry, I think this record is best enjoyed like a good book…sit back with a cup of tea, put this record on and move through this record at a thoughtful pace.

Listen to The Tortured Poets Department