83 shows.
4 re-recordings.
2 new albums.

And that’s just the past two years. She still has 69 more shows and 2 more albums to re-record (and whatever else she has in the works.)
Just when we thought we had a breather from Taylor Swift’s musical onslaught, she caught us off guard with the unexpected announcement of her 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department.”

Fans immediately knew that this album would be different from anything Swift had produced in the past—the title alone reflecting a style different from anything in her discography.
(But I admit the tongue-twisting title was a strange choice, given that no one could say it right.)

“Tortured Poets Society,” “Dead Poet Society,” it didn’t matter what you called it — Swifties across the globe were being fed original material since the release of “Midnights” in 2022.

Swift’s latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” is a departure from her usual sound. Described as “Synth Pop,” the album features artificial beats created on a soundboard — a stylistic choice first seen in “Midnights.” The album, produced by Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, juxtaposes these synth beats with Swift’s poetic lyrics, resulting in a solemn collection of heartbreak, regret, betrayal, and grief.

“The Tortured Poets Department” is split into two volumes. The original 16 tracks released on April 19th, and the surprise “Anthology” tracks released shortly after. You’ll find most of the “radio” songs on the first 16, while the mellow tracks produced by Aaron Dessner are saved for the Anthology.

Is this Taylor’s best album? I don’t think so. That honor is reserved for Folklore, in my opinion. TTPD is full of extremes—it’s either extremely good or extremely bad. Most of the songs produced by Jack sound the same, and feel like they are trying to be catchy but don’t hit the mark. Instead of producing and writing at the same time, it feels like Swift wrote the lyrics first and tried fitting them into a pre-planned mold. Aaron’s tracks feel more authentic, bringing back the instrumentals instead of the soundboard with a tune that flows more with what Swift is trying to convey.

Taylor shines in songs like “So Long, London”, “Who’s afraid of Little Old Me?”, “loml” , and “Cassandra”.
If I could copy and paste the entirety of “So Long London” here to prove Swift’s lyricism, I would, but sadly, you’ll have to read them yourself. Her best tracks are also her most personal ones. This album isn’t for the average listener. These aren’t vague breakup songs made so people can relate to them; these are for Taylor and Taylor alone. It’s clear that songwriting is a therapy to her and a way to express her feelings. It feels like you are listening to an audiobook of her diary — it’s so personal you feel like you shouldn’t be listening.

But If you’ve been on the internet since TTPD’s release, you’ve probably seen some questionable lyrics. Mostly from the songs “So Highschool,” and “The Black Dog,” “The Alchemy,” and “I Hate it Here” — the first three of those making me embarrassed to be a Swiftie. It’s not that they are any different than some of the stuff she had written in the past, but when you put cringy lyrics in a pop song, it’s cute; put them in an emotional album, and it’s just cringe.

Although some of the lyrics are on par with Folklore and Evermore, some feel out of place. Since the flow of the songs seems off and Swift outright calls herself a “poet,” there is a sense of try-hardness not seen in her 2020 sister albums. “Sanctimosly performing soliloquies I’ll never see” sounds like she picked up a thesaurus instead of being poetic.

Since TTPD is a deeply personal album for Swift, you don’t see her usual storytelling skills as seen in her previous works. These songs are more about a certain feeling than a complete narrative. And while many people enjoy that type of lyricism, I find myself connecting to songs more akin to “All Too Well” or “Champagne Problems” with a beginning, middle and end to tell.

I don’t think Swift has made a bad album. She knows how to write and compose, and she knows what makes a song catchy and connects with people. My opinion has fluctuated on TTPD since its release, but for now, it sits at 6 or 7 on my album ranking. I’m glad Swift gave me something to obsess over the summer during sunset car rides, and I’m excited to see how my opinion changes over the next few months.