By Clare McKinley, Campus News Editor
Cover Photo courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org
How does she write like she’s running out of time? Miss Swift has done it again. On Friday, Taylor Swift released album number 11 of her discography, called THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT and I really liked it.
Now, for those that don’t know, up until last Friday, Taylor Swift had written 10 albums, each representing different “eras” of her life named after her various album titles. Even though it’s a mouthful to say, I will now be entering my TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT Era, depressed, melodramatic and requiring a dictionary.
Over the past four years, Swift has been in the process of rereleasing her first six albums under her ownership. With only two more albums to go, I, like many other Swifites, had thought that Reputation (Taylor’s Version) would be the next thing for Swift to release. So when she announced at the Grammys that she had a brand new album coming out April 19, I didn’t know what to expect.
I got to work right away manifesting and wishing and praying to the music gods that this mysterious new album would be similar to folklore and evermore, which are more indie-folk and chill. And because I asked so nicely, the music gods gave me half of my wish.
THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT is a synth-pop album infused with rock and folk stylings. Like most of Swift’s other work, it has heart wrenching lyrics and catchy beats that keep me hooked. What’s different though is that it was released in two parts as a surprise double album.
Swift normally plants clues in her music videos or Instagram posts that are carefully planned to hint at her next move. I’m not one of those Swifites who sifts through hours of Taylor Swift content to find hidden little easter eggs, anymore (I got clowned too many times). Now I just sit back and wait for the more intelligent Swifites to decode the messages for me. So, I was pleasantly surprised when just as I was about to hit the hay, at 2 a.m. another 15 songs, called THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY were released. I didn’t get to bed until 3 a.m.
The surprise double album came to a total of 31 songs. The first half is primarily produced by Jack Antanoff, Swift’s friend and producer who’s worked with her before on Reputation, Lover and Midnights. He’s known for his, dare I say, overproduced synth-pop style that I was honestly tired of after Midnights. But I can’t stay mad at Jack for long. After a few listens, I was loving the fun beats and dancing along.
The most fun of the songs was “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.” The music was so upbeat and catchy I nearly forgot how sad the lyrics were… “’They said, babe you gotta fake it ’til you make it and I did/ Lights, camera, b*tch smile, even when you wanna die…Breaking down, I hit the floor/ All the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting, ‘More!’/ I was grinning like I’m winning, I was hitting my marks/ ‘Cause I can do it with a broken heart.” Like damn, now I feel guilty for going to the Eras Tour.
My favorite part of the album were the tracks included in the Anthology produced by Aaron Dessner who worked with her on folklore and evermore. Those songs were entrancing and just what I was hoping for.
I would say the best thing to come out of this album has been all the 12 year old Tik Tok editors working overtime to provide me with the most deliciously gut-wrenching edits to the new songs. And did I mention I really liked it?
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