Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When I tell you I was pumped to hear this album, I truly was. Taylor Swift’s 11th album recently came out on April 19.
Taylor Swift is one of those artists that doesn’t stop; she does her job proficiently and incredibly when she’s able to produce so much and is always ready to give it her all. She even put out a second part to this album at 2 a.m. – the same day “The Tortured Poets Department” was released.
The album was initially described as pop, but it’s much more than that: it is a complex type of pop that consists of tragedy. It’s so dramatic and enthralling. Singing these songs makes you feel so many emotions.
However, at first listen, this album was the first of hers that I didn’t like as much as I thought I would. The synth pop rhythm was odd in a way that didn’t match the lyrics.
I couldn’t vibe to it, and it wasn’t because of the sad lyrics: I just believed they didn’t match. I blamed the co-producer, Jack Antanoff. I considered the songs that were produced by Aaron Dessener superior because the chords matched the vibe I imagined for the song.
The more I listened, though, the more the album grew on me. I reconsidered my original opinion. Antanoff still managed to do an amazing job with the songs on the albums by building up the tension. Even in the slowest songs, like the track “So Long, London,” he built up beats in a row to give the effect of prolonging time.
The beats add to the ultimate vision of the song since they build up constantly, adding to the fact that she was with ‘London’ so long and has to change her methods and move on because ‘London’ took too long overall. This gives her the chance to be so daunting and so expansive,
Now I am absolutely in love with all of the songs on this album. All 31 songs are completely beautiful in their own way. I appreciate the artist’s creative voice; listeners being attentive to the artist’s lyrics to then placing them into melodies allows a listener to fully immerse themselves into the artist’s brain.
The reason why I am still so in love with the songwriting process artists’ overcome to create hits is because of the artist’s journey and progression. That’s why with the rhythm she believes is right for the track, Swift incorporates styles she has done before, while leaning more towards storytelling. This way her words hold more power than the rhythm itself.
In the track titled “How Did It End?,” Swift explains what might’ve happened after her breakup and how reactions of the public and her family might’ve been. She paints a story of everyone’s reactions and their posing questions such as, how did it end? Or who ended it? Swift does it smoothly enough to make the audience feel as if they experienced something just like her even if they haven’t before.
The songs feel as if it’s everywhere but in a good way. The madness in this album definitely grew on me. It’s an album I haven’t stopped listening to because of it’s poetry of heartbreak. There are complex lyrics in each song and some lyrics that are light to balance it out and show how different emotions can differ from one another.
In the track “Down Bad,” she sounds haunting and light and then completely switches to dark and low and then turns it light once again with falsetto vocals. This way of singing matches her writing style perfectly. It caught my attention immediately because her voice when it’s light feels like a warm cup of coffee that soothes. Through her voice and her lyrics of the song she’s coming to terms with the fact that she would go any mile for someone but unfortunately she can’t have them.
Her choice of writing and her rhythm demonstrates complexity and demonstrates who she is as a writer and singer. She is one who can change to show how fast things in her life can change and how emotions can change.
“imgoingtogetyouback” is the most interesting because it reminds me of Olivia Rodrigo’s song “Get Him Back.” Even though it uses a similar concept of a person making you feel conflicted whether or not to get back with the person or get revenge at them and do better, the two artists have different styles. Swift approaches it softly and slowly with more angst to draw the person in. She uses quiet beats that slowly build the music up.
I think this album has redefined what it means to grieve over heartbreak. It is an album that gives a glimpse into Swift’s head while also connecting with the personal experience someone may have if they’re going through similar situations.
The poetry on this album grows on me like a vine, wrapping my head around it all. Now, there’s not one day I don’t think about the language of this album. This album includes playfulness and seriousness, playing around with soft and harsh notes.
