I never thought it could be done, but it has. For years, Taylor Swift's Red has been my favorite album. When she released her version, I fell in love with Red all over again. Well, move over Red because this girl has a new favorite album! I have been co…
I never thought it could be done, but it has. For years, Taylor Swift's Red has been my favorite album. When she released her version, I fell in love with Red all over again. Well, move over Red because this girl has a new favorite album! I have been counting down the days since Taylor announced that she had a new album, The Tortured Poets Department, coming out in April. Since it came out on April 19th, I've been repeatedly listening to the album for days. Not only did our girl give us 16 new songs, but she whipped around and said surprise! Here's another 15 songs! That's our girl, though. And if you know me, then you know how much I loveRed, and the fact that it's been knocked to number two is a big deal. Red has always been My Album. Yes, those caps are necessary. The fact that The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD) has knocked Red to second place? Huge deal.
So, let's get to this.
Normally, I'd go through songs by songs like I've done with other album reviews, but instead, I'm going to talk about my favorite songs, a few of my own theories, and who knows what else.
Let's get started.
My first favorite song is "Florida!!!" This song features Florence + the Machine, who is another one of my favorite artists. This song is my top favorite song (it's a tie really between this one and the next song). This song perfectly blends what we expect from Taylor and Florence + the Machine. Seriously, this song is a masterpiece. The lyrics, the blending of Taylor and Florence's voices, the instruments. It is done so well. Sometimes, when you get two different artists on a song, they don't blend well. The song "Don't Call Me Angel" comes to mind with Ariana Grande, Lana del Rey, and Miley Cyrus. All three of them are fantastic, but the song doesn't complement all their styles.
"Florida!!!" blends Taylor Swift and Florence + the Machine, which doesn't diminish either singer but also gives us a whole new sound. It's incredible. Mom doesn't like the "Florida!!!" part and thinks that it'd be perfect if the song didn't have that. I can understand that.
When I think of Florida, I think of two things: vacations and Florida Man stories. Have you ever Googled Florida man + plus your birthday? We all know of those crazy Florida man stories. Or hell, just Florida stories in general. Vacation and crazy? That's how we see Florida. This song captures that essence. The song is about an escape. It's about running away and hiding.
If I had to think of what previous album this song came from, I'd probably say evermore. It has the same vibe as "no body, no crime."
My favorite lyrics:
"Well, me and my ghosts, wе had a hell of a time Yes, I'm hauntеd, but I'm feeling just fine"
"Tell me I'm despicable, say it's unforgivable At least the dolls are beautiful, fuck me up, Florida"
Up next, we have "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" Honestly, this song gave me reputation flashbacks. It's like the twin sister of "Look What You Made Me Do." It gave me major Cruella de Ville vibes, too. I thoroughly expect this song to eventually make its way to Spotify's Villain Mode playlist. (Update: IT HAS. I love being right. Lol.)
This song is angry and confrontational. Taylor is taking charge of the narrative once more and firing her own shots at all her haters, yet it's done seamlessly. Taylor has often been in the public's eye for her songs and her life—more than anyone else, it seems. (For more, read this blog.)
This song is powerful. Did anyone else start listening to it and immediately straighten out and powerwalk? I know I did.
Obviously, this song is a definite call back to reputation. (Come on, Taylor, give us reputation (Taylor's Version). Is this a hint? Please be a hint.) Personally, reputation isn't one of my favorite albums. Nothing against the album. I have a few favorite songs on it. I think it's because the songs don't speak to me as well as her other albums do. It's the same with Lover and 1989. There's nothing wrong with the albums; I personally just don't connect with the songs as well as I do with other albums.
And that's the thing, you don't have to like all her songs or albums. Everyone has their favorite album and favorite songs. That's totally okay. Everyone can have their opinion. Respect is the key. (More on that in a bit.)
My Favorite Lyrics:
"I wanna snarl and show you just how disturbed this has made me You wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me"
"I was tame, I was gentle 'til the circus life made me mean 'Don't you worry, folks, we took out all her teeth' "
Up next, we have "The Bolter" from The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology. I know that I've talked about this before, but in high school, it wasn't all roses and peaches. (I think that's how that phrase goes.) I'm pretty sure my friends would also call me "The Bolter." I know they called me more colorful things behind my back, even as they smiled at my face.
There were times when I felt really alone. Like Taylor, I got caught up in the drama. Some of it was my own fault, and some of it wasn't. This song makes me think of those times. I think this song is about double standards. It's okay that the guy wanted her, but her wanting him was wrong. He got to walk away without the whispers, but she didn't get to. Isn't that just the summary of Taylor's entire career?
I also find the placement of this song interesting. It's the third to last song, between "Peter" and "Robin."
I can't decide which album this song emulates. It's kind of a toss-up between Lover and folklore for me. Oh, wait, no. It's a total debut or Fearless song!
My Favorite Lyrics:
"Behind her back, her best mates laughed And they nicknamed her 'The Bolter' "
"Ended with the slam of a door Then he'll call her a whore"
"The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" is somehow both sad and angry. I'm not sure how Taylor did that, but go her! Mom says this song is like a giant "FUCK HIM." I totally agree with that.
This song is about being disappointed in a former lover. It starts out so soft, and then it slowly builds up to the bridge. (You know Taylor likes her bridges.) I immediately thought about her relationship with John Meyer when I first heard this song. She was 19, and he was 32 when they dated. "Dear John" is about him (obviously). Apparently, this song isn't about John Meyer but some other guy she dated. Yes, even though I am a Swiftie, that doesn't mean I keep track of who she dates. It's about the music for me. I think the guy is Matt Healy? No idea who that is, but whatever.
This song is about disappointment. It asks what happened. Was this a joke? Just tell me. She's trying to understand. She thought what they had was real, yet he was suddenly gone. There is so much emotion in this album, and I love it.
I just had a thought: This song is about a fucboi. HA. (Also, I have a dirty mind; when I read "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived," I read it entirely differently. . .I know I'm not the only one.)
This song screams folklore with some Red echoes.
My Favorite Lyrics:
"And I don't even want you back, I just want to know If rusting my sparkling summer was the goal"
"And you'll confess why you did it and I'll say, 'Good riddance' 'Cause it wasn't sexy once it wasn't forbidden"
Before I got to "Florida!!!" and "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" this next song was my first favorite: "Down Bad." This song reminds me of 1989 (Taylor's Version). It's got that same vibe—sort of pop, sort of country, but with some edge. It makes you want to get up and dance, and then you think about what the lyrics are about, and you're like. Oh.
This song reminds me of a line from another song, "Wasting All These Tears" by Cassadee Pope. She sings "And you left me standing on a corner crying." Or the other songs that sing about crying on the floor after a break-up. "Down Bad" has that same vibe. Yet, it's a bit angrier. It's not angsty. Taylor is pissed. Yet she's also sad. For me this song is like that moment where you just got broken up with it, yet you're still in denial.
Yet, it's also about the double standard. I mean, think about how much heat Taylor has gotten for writing songs about her exes compared to everyone else. Like, why?
My Favorite Lyrics:
"Now I'm down bad crying at the gym Everything comes out teenage petulance"
"They'll say I'm nuts if I talk about the existence of you For a moment I was heaven struck"
The next song I read was the title when she released it, and I immediately thought about The Little Mermaid with "But Daddy I Love Him." Has any song ever been so quintessential teenage love? You know that love. The first love. When it hits you like a train (or like lightning). it's like you're overwhelmed. All you can think about is that person. It doesn't matter if your parents don't approve because that person is the one.
"But Daddy I Love Him" captures that perfectly. This song reminds me of Speak Now. Back when Taylor was still hopeful about love. Also, how hilarious is the line "But daddy, I love him, I'm having his baby?" I fucking died laughing at that. Come on. That was gold.
My Favorite Lyrics:
"Growin' up precocious sometimes means Not growin' up at all"
"I'll tell you something 'bout my good name It's mine alone to disgrace"
Never has a line been more iconic than "Lights, camera, bitch, smile." I need that on a T-shirt, stat. "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" is such a peppy song, yet. . it's not a happy song? I love the contrast. This song is like if Lover and 1989 had a baby, and boom, we get this gem. Can't you picture her in her 1989 outfit singing this song?
This song is about how she put on a massive tour, even though she was depressed and heartbroken. Can you blame a girl? I mean, she ended a six-year relationship. That's a big deal. Us normal people, we get to eat ice cream or do whatever we need to do to move on from a relationship. Taylor, on the other hand, has a brand. She's a celebrity. She's always under scrutiny. Did her ex get this much heat after the break-up? No, I don't think so. (He may have. If he did, then correct me because I don't know.) The double standards are just ridiculous.
So this song is her like hey, I'm depressed, life sucks, but I have shit to do. Here I am.
My Favorite Lyrics:
"I cry a lot, but I am so productive, it's an art You know you're good when you can even do it with a broken heart"
There is something about the beat of this next song that I just, vibe with it. "My Boy Breaks All His Favorite Toys" has such an interesting vibe. It's screaming 1989 and Red to me. Yet, more. . .grown up? If that makes sense. This song talks about a guy who self-sabotages. It could've been good. Maybe it was good in the beginning, but then he (the boy) decided to break it. Hence the title. Self-sabotage. Who hasn't been in a relationship like that? Where one of you, maybe both of you, sabotages the relationship.
Maybe it's out of fear. Who knows? This song is about that. It's about a man—a boy who does that. It could've been good, but she'll never know because he left.
My Favorite Lyrics:
" 'Cause I knew too much, there was danger in the heat of my touch He saw forever, so he smashed it up, oh, oh"
For this next song, I'm about to say something so controversial to my fellow Swifties.
Ready?
Okay, so I think "loml" is more sad than "So Long, London."
There, I said it.
"Loml" starts with a piano, and I am such a sucker for Taylor's songs with a piano as the main instrument. I love a piano ballad. There is so much raw emotion in this song as she sings. It's beautiful. This song hits me like "All Too Well," "White Horse," and "Last Kiss." Those songs are so raw and so emotional that you are like, OH. Oh. Ouch.
This song is the twelfth in the album, but honestly, I think it should be in the fifth spot instead. I can see her singing this song on a tour, the emotions, the gestures she'd make. It's a heartbreaking song. This song scoops out your insides and twists them around a bit, and then yanks them out. Like how the Egyptians got the brains out to put them in a jar.
"Loml" means loss of my life—not love of my life. Ouch. Okay, just, ouch, man. This song is about a love that you thought was perfect—you thought he was The One. But it wasn't. It was heartbreaking. There's no fixing it. There's no return.
That love? It's gone. It's not coming back.
Also, I love how it ends with "You're the loss of my life," and that's it. It reminds me of "Last Kiss" and how she ends that song with "last."
My Favorite Lyrics:
"I wish I could un-recall How we almost had it all"
"Oh, what a valiant roar What a bland goodbye The coward claimed he was a lion"
"So Long, London" is the fifth song on TTPD. It has long been a tradition that the fifth song on a Taylor Swift album is going to yank out your heart and then stomp on it with a soccer cleat. Seriously, there'a whole bunch of theories on this. I may be a Swiftie, but I'm not that invested.
Let's list her track five songs.
Debut: Cold As You
Fearless: White Horse
Speak Now: Dear John
Red: All Too Well
1989: All You Had To Do Was Stay
Reputation: Delicate
Lover: The Archer
Folklore: My Tears Ricochet
Evermore: Tolerate It
Midnights: You're On Your Own, Kid
TTPD: So Long, London
Now, obviously, some of those hit harder than others (looking at you "All Too Well" and "tolerate it"). Yet there are a few on there that I wouldn't necessarily call tragic or sad. In fact, a few of them seem a bit more hopeful rather than tragic. Such as "Delicate" and "The Archer." I think "So Long, London" is the same as those. I don't see it as a sad song, per se. Yes, it's got a sad note. There is that same raw emotion as in "loml," yet "So Long, London" seems more hopeful.
It's a goodbye, but it's also looking towards the future.
This next bit is going to be shorter, but just random musings on the songs.
I greatly appreciate "The Prophecy" being before "Cassandra." Now, I don't know if y'all know your Greek mythology, but Cassandra was the name of a woman who had visions, but she was cursed to never be believed. I don't know if Taylor did that intentionally, but if she did, that's brilliant, and go to her. If not, it's still pretty awesome. Even if it was unintentional. Great line from "The Prophecy" is "I got cursed like Eve got bitten." She's trying to change her own narrative. Then you have "Cassandra" after it with this great lyric: "So, they killed Cassandra first 'cause she feared the worst And tried to tell the town."
"thanK you aIMee," is brilliant. Not only the lyrics but the TITLE. How freaking clever is that? This is the most like, polite diss track ever. I do need people to chill the hell out with the lyric, "Everyone knows that my mother is a saintly woman, but she used to say she wished that you were dead." IT IS A SONG. I don't think that's taking it too far, considering all the shit Kanye West and Kim Kardashian have said about Taylor. Has Kim ever come out and apologized? No, I don't think she has. It is a song. It isn't taking it too far. I can't imagine how all that drama affected Taylor's family.
Some underrated songs that deserve more hype: "Peter," "Fresh Out of the Slammer," "The Alchemy," and "The Albatross."
"Fortnight" is a great start to this album. I didn't know I needed a collaboration between Post Malone and Taylor Swift until this moment. Some are dissing because Post Malone sounds more like backgrounds, but I don't think so. It's got just enough of him. Check out the video below!
I feel like this album somehow combines all of her previous albums and their sounds together and smushes it into one sound. A lot of people are saying it's messy and repetitive. I don't see it like that. I think this album really feels like growth to her. This album feels more personal than folklore, evermore, and Midnights were. Not that Midnights wasn't personal, it was. Yet it felt more. . restrained? The Tortured Poets Department isn't restrained. I like that. I like that she's like, "Here's all my emotions!" I feel like this album was really for her and not for the fans. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
Okay, now I'm going to rant.
I need all of you to chill the hell out.
Listen, if you don't like the album or Taylor Swift, that is okay! You are allowed to like and dislike whoever or whatever you want. You don't, however, get to be an asshole to the people who DO like her. Seriously, the amount of HATE that has been online since TTPD dropped is insane. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Period. That doesn't mean you get to be a jerk because someone doesn't agree with you. PERIOD.
I don't know why Taylor Swift triggers everyone so much. I really don't. I've discussed this in a previous blog post. I don't know if they don't like her because she's successful, because she's a woman, or because she's all over the news. .. like she doesn't control the news, y'all? There are a lot of important things happening around the world right now, and yeah, they deserve coverage, and not her, but that's not her fault? She doesn't control the world, y'all. She's not the Supreme Overlord. Like Jesus Christ, people.
You say "Taylor Swift," and people are triggered like you said a curse word.
I hate this word with a fiery passion because it's overused, but it's so toxic. What is so wrong in your life that you feel the need to attack people on the internet because they like Taylor Swift? Are you that bored? Like, what? I don't understand it.
Get over it, people.
If you don't like the album or her, cool. You do you. Let us do us. Thank you.
Now, if you are a Swiftie, let me know what songs are your favorites! If you're a casual listener, I want to know your favorite songs, too! If this is the first album of hers you've listened to, tell me what you think! We'll probably have different opinions, but that's okay! It's all about respect. We don't have to agree. But we should respect each other.
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