By Alana Frank
Theme Editor
Taylor Swift fails to differentiate her new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” released on April 19th, from the rest of her discography.
Released by Republic Records on Apr. 19, “The Tortured Poets Department” is the eleventh studio album released by Taylor Swift. Two hours after its release, Swift dropped the anthology version of this album, adding 15 songs to the original 16. The lengthy album takes listeners through Swift’s past relationships and explores her personal growth and challenges.
Fans were eager to hear her new album after her spectacular Eras tour, but were left disappointed. Musically, this album is very similar to her previous album, “Midnights,” and has similar melodies and lyrics to her “Folklore” and “Evermore” albums. Swift’s attempt to combine classic elements from her previous works with synth-pop instrumentals makes the songs sound a bit awkward and artificial.
Based on the initial concept photos and album title, fans expected a sadder album from Swift, similar to fan-favorite tunes from “Folklore” and “Evermore.” A handful of her songs including “loml,” “How Did It End?,” and “The Albatross” feature piano and acoustic guitar, creating the melancholic feel that fans expect. The other songs mixed upbeat instrumentals with depressing lyrics, a successful combination in “I Can do it with a Broken Heart,” but awkward in other tracks.
“My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” and “Down Bad” feature a synth-pop beat, a slightly overused style in this album. Although many songs were fairly strong lyrically, they seemed to blend together as they follow the same electronic rhythm. It feels as though Swift is attempting to modernize her music, but is losing her iconic originality and flair in the process.
Swift collaborated with other artists throughout this album; for example, Post Malone in “Fortnight” and Florence + the Machine in “Florida!!!.” Post Malone’s raspy vocals paired nicely with Swift’s smooth tunes and Florence & the Machine’s emotional performance made the song’s message about regret more impactful. These features were able to grab the attention of listeners momentarily, but this was not enough to keep them engaged throughout the entire album.
Despite the album’s blandness, Swift pleased fans by centering songs around her past heartbreaks and relationship endeavors. “So Long, London” and “The Black Dog” are two songs thought to be about Swift’s ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn and these, unsurprisingly, are the most lyrically strong tracks on the whole album. This reveals that Swift’s work is at its best when she writes about people and events she is emotionally invested in, namely, her past relationships.
For more information, visit taylorswift.com. The album can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.
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