Taylor Swift’s double album “The Tortured Poets Department” and “The Anthology,” released on April 19. The album is composed of 31 songs total, with 16 songs on “The Tortured Poets Department” and 15 on “The Anthology.” The songs in general are very reminiscent of her old work, but still as passionate and emotional as ever, with topics spanning from past relationships to establishing personal identity.
“Fortnight”
“Fortnight” opens the double album with a synth-pop feel and highlights a softer voice from both Taylor Swift and featured artist Post Malone. The comparison between the softer tone of voice and the more violent lyrics such as “I wanna kill her” and “it’s ruining my life” represents the complex feelings between the two neighbors referenced in the song. The mix and overlay of Post Malone and Taylor Swift’s vocals together make listening to the song enjoyable overall, as well as the black and white color contrast of the officially released music video that go along with it.
“I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”
Taylor Swift offers a more personal look into her life as a singer in “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.” She sings the lyrics “fake it ‘til you make it” and “I was grinning like I’m winning, I was hitting my marks / ‘Cause I can do it with a broken heart,” which reveals the pressure of trying to seem put-together in front of others as a singer when she may not be in reality. Swift adds more of a chaotic sense at the end of the song when she adds a louder emphasis to the lyrics “’Cause I’m miserable / And nobody even knows / Try and come for my job” to express the displeasure of having to hide her true feelings.
“The Black Dog”
Taylor Swift starts out “The Anthology” portion of her album with the melancholic track “The Black Dog.” In the song, Swift reflects on the end of a relationship, which is highlighted in the lyric, “I just don’t understand how you don’t miss me in The Black Dog,” which is a pub she and her ex frequented in London. This intimate portrayal of the feeling of missing an ex-partner is backed by a soft piano which crescendos aptly as she sings / screams “Screaming” at the end of the chorus.
Swift ends the album with a quiet reflection on her recent six year relationship with Joe Alwyn. With no chorus and only a quiet piano backing her vocals, this sad yet gorgeous track illustrates her sadness at letting the relationship go, through lyrics such as “Soon they’d be pushin’ strollers/ But soon it was over.” But throughout the song, she comes to the conclusion that she must move past her relationship with Alwyn, and that she needs to look forward to the next chapter through lyrics such as “Looking backwards might be the only way to move forward,” which also reveals her reason for writing the album. She ends it off by declaring that “the story isn’t mine anymore” because it belongs to the fans, and she can now move on.
