Graphic made by Hannah Thompson

On April 19, Taylor Swift released her new album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” At 2 a.m. Swift made it a double album by releasing “The Anthology.” The double album consists of 31 tracks in total. 

This is Swift’s first new album since “Midnights” in August of 2022 as “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” and “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) were mostly re-released tracks (aside from the vault tracks).

Swift opened the album with “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone. I really enjoyed this song because I think that Malone and Swift’s voices complement each other as they sound so different. I don’t usually listen to Post Malone so it was fun hearing him do a song like this. I admire Swift’s ability to tell a story through her lyrics and I loved how I was taken through a relationship that was short-lived and quickly moving on.

In Swift’s fifth track of the album, “So Long London,” Swift hints at the ending of her relationship with her ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn, whom she was with for six years. I liked how the song paralleled “London Boy” from her 2019 album, “Lover,” as that song explored her love she had for Joe. I think this song really solidified the ending of an era for Swift and elucidates the sadness of ending a relationship while also highlighting the beauty of moving on. I really loved the background vocals on this track, I feel like it enhances the anxiety of leaving something that became so comfortable for her. 

The next song that has become a daily listen for me is “Florida!!!” featuring Florence The Machine. It’s such a fun, upbeat song that I can’t wait to listen to in the summertime. “Florida!!!” encapsulates the want to escape and find freedom and this has easily become one of my favorite featured songs Swift has done. Swift and Florence’s voices differ so much and I love how this song highlights both of their ranges. 

In the latter part of the album, “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” became a very popular song throughout social media. Swift highlighted how she went through performing The Eras Tour while also going through a breakup. The song reminded me of  “Bejeweled” from “Midnights,” especially with the utilization of synthesizers. I like how the song portrays masking and pretending everything is okay. It is relatable and I love how fun and lighthearted it is. 

Swift begins “The Anthology” with “The Black Dog.” I think this song highlights the ending of her relationship with Alwyn again and reminisces on sweet memories with him. The song begins really slow and usually, it is harder for me to get into slower songs (especially at the beginning of an album). But later, the song speeds up and I think it really represented the anger Swift had towards Alwyn while also depicting her deep grief.

My favorite song from the entirety of Swift’s double albums is “I Look In People’s Windows.” I really liked the guitar in this song and it really highlighted what I predicted this album to sound like. I think the song is about grieving someone, whether it be someone who passed away or losing someone when a connection breaks. I like how raw it is, it really exemplifies the deep sadness felt when losing someone close to you while also sounding whimsical, which is what I really thought this album would sound like throughout. 

All in all, I really enjoyed this album (or albums). Although it’s not my favorite album of Swift’s, I like how some of the songs have become regulars on my playlists and I appreciate the lyricism in each one. I am looking forward to watching live streams to see if Swift plays any of these songs live as part of her acoustic surprise song set. Swift returned on tour on May 9, 2024, in Paris, France.