PD
In the opening verse of The Tortured Poets Department: Taylor Swift’s Most Unmasked and Turned On Album Yet
Taylor Swift, the queen of pop, has done it again with her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department. In the opening verse, she reveals that she was once a functioning alcoholic, but no one noticed until she embraced her new aesthetic. But now, with a sprawling 31 tracks (her signature 13 backwards), she is unapologetically herself and ready to impress no one but herself.
The Dark and Twinkling Anthology of TPD
With the help of long-term collaborator Jack Antonoff and indie-folk musician Aaron Dessner of The National, Swift has created a masterpiece of dark and twinkling synthy pop tunes. The first 16 songs, sung in a low register, showcase her most vulnerable and unmasked self. But don’t worry, she’s not trying to impress the “wine moms” anymore, even if her drug of choice is the blood of fermented fruit.
The Surprise Bonus Album and Record-Breaking Streams
Just when we thought TPD couldn’t get any better, Swift drops a surprise bonus album, The Anthology, shortly after the original album’s release. And it’s no surprise that it quickly racked up 891 million streams in its first week in the United States, setting a new record that surpasses Drake’s 2018 album, Scorpion, with 746 million streams.
The Love Interest and Drug References
On the title track, “The Tortured Poets Department,” Swift sings about a love interest who indulges in smoking and eating chocolate. While she acknowledges that this person is not Dylan Thomas or Patti Smith, she is still captivated by them. But as the album progresses, she realizes that this person needed her, but they needed drugs more. And according to tabloids, this love interest may be the problematic and charismatic Matty Healy of The 1975, who has openly discussed his struggles with heroin addiction.
The Realness and Growth of Taylor Swift
But let’s not reduce Swift’s songwriting to her dating history. She’s been in the industry for over a decade and has grown and evolved as an artist. And while her recent “situationship” with Healy may be the talk of TikTok, it’s not the first time she’s covered substance use disorders. In fact, her 2020 song “This Is Me Trying” from Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, is about exactly that. It’s just that no one noticed her new aesthetic until now. And with her newfound confidence and dropping the f-bomb more regularly, she’s not afraid to get real and sing about the struggles of love and addiction.
So Why Now?
Some may wonder why Swift is choosing to be so open and vulnerable about these topics now. Is it because cannabis is becoming more accepted and no longer as shocking as it once was? No, it’s not just about drugs. It’s about her growth as an artist and her willingness to share her experiences and struggles with the world. And that, my friends, is what makes TPD her most unmasked and turned on album yet.
