Taylor Swift is a musical sensation, releasing album after album, going on a worldwide tour, dealing with a breakup, and bagging a new boyfriend. There’s truly no stop to what Taylor Swift can do, because on April 19th, 2024, she released her new album, The Tortured Poets Department.
This album was announced on February 4th, 2024 during the 66th annual Grammy Awards after Taylor won “Best Pop Vocal Album” over "Midnights. This left Swifties speculating about the album for over a month, laying in wait, maybe even becoming so obsessed with her ex. Almost all Swifties believed it would be a breakup album over Joe Alwyn, after all they had gotten out of a relationship on April 8th the year beforehand (2023).
Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn dated for six years, and when Covid hit, Taylor relocated to the U.K. to spend lockdown with him. Joe, under the pseudonym of “William Bowery '' helped Taylor write songs on Folklore, Evermore, and Midnights. It’s speculated that Taylor and Joe broke up because Joe fell in love with “Lockdown Taylor '' that would stay inside all day, however Taylor grew longing for the big events. When Covid died down, Taylor started to go to more and more events, while Joe grew longing for the old Taylor, calling these events "unnecessary” and “ridiculous.” However, most official sources just say that the relationship had “run its course” whether that’s true or not, well you can always look at lyrics from Midnights and TTPD.
The lead up to the album held many easter eggs. In Chicago, there was a QR code mural, made solely out of letters “TTPD” and the number “13.” When scanned, the code would take you to a YouTube short on Taylor Swift’s page, with the message “Error 321” and the same error code appeared on the official Taylor Swift store page within hours of the release. This error message meaning has yet to be uncovered, as Taylor seems to have no intention to speak now, however it’s an error message that is mostly related to communication across telephone lines and fax machines.
In Los Angeles, Spotify hosted a larger than life Pop up library. This was filled with easter eggs, and as the fans took photos, they realized this rather quickly. The event had many items that were double, so many doubles that fans started to believe we might be getting a double album, some even thinking it was finally Reputations time for a rerecording. More on that later.
Another easter egg was that every day until the release, Apple Music would release a word a day. The words were hidden in Taylor Swift’s lyrics, different letters were capitalized to spell something out, like the good old Taylor Swift (the album) days. These messages spelled out “we hereby conduct this postmortem.”
Were you ready for it? The day came for us to cry our hearts out, and let's be honest, we all did. However fans realized that some of the songs were, surprisingly, not about Joe, but about a fling Taylor was speculated to have with Matty Healy (and some other people, of course.) But why would Swifties think that? Well, nothing better than to look at the lyrics. However, please keep in mind that there might be things us Tortured Poet Editors might have missed, or interpreted wrong.
Shakespear who?
Fortnight (ft Post Malone) “I love you, It’s ruining my life…”
Fortnight might have been a song people were skeptical about seeing Post Malone attached to it, but it’s surprisingly beautiful. Taylor must also like it, as a music video was
dropped the same day as the album, just 20 hours later. The first line saying “I was supposed to be sent away, but they forgot to come and get me” could be a reference to Hits Different from Midnights, which said “...Is it okay? Is it you? Or have they come to take me away?”
The Tortured Poets Department “You’re in self sabotage mode…”
This song is one of the more heartbreaking ones on the album, and many swifties seem to relate to it. The whole song is about “who’s gonna know you like me?” but at the same time, it’s also “who else is gonna know me?” showing how breakups can be just as much about longing for the same person, but also the attention and closeness that person brought.
My Boy “Once I fix me, he’s gonna miss me…”
This song, although not the most entertaining in some eyes, holds many memorable lyrics like “we could’ve played for keeps this time” and “he saw forever, so he smashed it up.” However, “Then with all the Ken’s” could be a reference to, once again, Hits Different from Midnights, saying “I used to switch out these Kens, I’d just ghost.” This might be a reach, but some think the lyric “stole my tortured heart” could be a reference to Lover from the album, Lover, saying “My heart’s been borrowed and yours has been blue.”
Down bad “I might just die, it’ll make no difference…”
This song is definitely one to come back too, it’s chill while also being something you can move to. The lyric “everything comes out teenage petulance” could be a reference to I think he knows, from Lover, saying “it’s like i’m seventeen nobody understands” and once again from Lover, the lyric “‘For a moment I was heaven struck” could reference to False God, saying “I know Heaven’s a thing, I go there when you touch me…” Finally, “Waving at the ship” is speculated to be Taylor waving at the ship that’s taking Joe away.
So long, London “you swore that you loved me but where were the clues…”
This one is definitely a heartbreaker. Although you could think she’s singing London Tipton, almost everyone thinks it’s about Joe Alwyn. The song starts with “I saw in my mind fairy lights through the mist” which could be a reference to the whole song Lavender Haze from Midnights. Then, “I stopped CPR, after all, it’s no use” sounds very similar to You're losing me from the vault, saying “I can’t find a pulse, my heart won’t start anymore” or “...Till we were too far gone to bring back to life” more lyrics such as “Holding tight your quiet resentment” relates to You’re Losing me, saying “Do something babe, say something…”
and “I died on the altar waiting for the proof…” could reference False God when it says “the altar is my hips…” There's so many more lyrics that could line up with songs, like when it says “I’m just mad as he** cause I loved this place” Taylor could be talking about Cornelia Street. Along with “And I’m just getting color back into my face” matches another lyric from You’re Losing Me, saying “my face was gray but you wouldn’t admit that we were sick.” This is repetitive, but another part that lines up with You’re Losing Me is “I’m pi**ed I gave you all that youth for free” relating to “I gave you all my best me’s”
But Daddy I Love Him “I’m having his baby…”
Many Swfities think that this song talks about both Travis and Matty, being so in love with Travis and her fans chasing off Matty with pitchforks and torches. The lyrics can be tied to Speak Now and Reputation, saying “I don’t cater to all these Vipers in empaths clothing” which vipers are very closely related to all of Reputation. Memories of Speak Now can be brought up by the lyrics ``Growing up precocious sometimes means not growing up at all” which relates to the song Never Grow Up. Along with “soon enough the elders had convened” can be linked to Ours, saying “they’ll judge it like they know about me and you” and the whole song gives a very “the jury’s out, but my choice is you'' feel to it.
Fresh out the slammer “I will never lose my baby again…”
This song feels like it details what it’s like to want to make someone happy, giving up yourself in the process. The question is, what is the slammer? Was it her relationship with Joe, maybe Matty? Who knows. “I swirled you into all my poems' ' makes Swifties think she’s talking about Joe, and how he's in all these songs, one way or another. “Wearing imaginary rings” could also reference the whole song Paper Rings from Lover.
Florida!!! (Ft Florence + the Machine) “Is that a bad thing to say in a song?…”
I can’t believe they named a whole state after a Taylor Swift song. This song is the second mention of a cheating husband in this album, which is differently weird. The song goes “yes I’m Haunted but I’m feeling just fine” could be a reference to Haunted from Speak Now, however that might be reaching. Most swifties love this song because Florence is on it, so it’s instantly become a favorite among fans.
Guilty as Sin “My bedsheets are ablaze, i’ve screamed his name…”
The song goes “I chose you and me, religiously.” This song very much feels like being with or choosing someone not out of love but out of loyalty, because of an uncertainty of the unknown without the person. “What if the way you hold me is actually what’s holy” could reference False God from Lover as well.
Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? “So tell me everything is not about me, but what if it is?…”
This song is a perfect representation of exactly why you should be afraid of her. “Crash the party like a record scratch as I scream” could refer to You’re on your own, kid from Midnights, saying “I search the party for better bodies' ' along with the lyric “Is it a wonder I broke? Let’s hear one more joke” could refer to Lover from Lover or You’re on your own, kid from Midnights, with “And you’ll save all your dirtiest jokes for me” and “the jokes weren’t funny…” Finally, “...all just laugh until I cry” could refer to The moment I Knew from Red, saying “and they’re all laughing and asking me about you”
I Can Fix him (No Really I Can) “Woah, maybe I can’t…”
First things first “the jokes that he told across the bar were revolting and far too loud” could also reference Lover from Lover and You’re on your own kid from Midnights. This whole song has a very Dear John feeling to it, saying “Tell em he’s my man” feels very much like the before of “I look back in regret when they said run as fast as you can.”
LOML “I can’t get out of bed because something counterfeits dead…”
Loss of my life, or love of my life, depending how you look at it, is another heartbreaking masterpiece from the mastermind herself. “I felt aglow like this, never before and ever since” could be talking about Afterglow from Lover, possibly saying that Taylor feels it’s all her fault, that she’s sorry, or that it’s all in her head. “You s*** talked me under the table” could be a slight nod towards the All Too Well music video from Red.
I can do it with a broken heart “Cause i’m miserable!..”
This one has very quickly become an instant hit among Swifties, although sounding very upbeat, it’s a song about just saving face. “I can read your mind, she’s having the time of her life” is talking about what the Swifities say about her, that she’s so strong and happy as she just keeps going even after her breakup. “But that life was too short” could also be talking about You’re Losing Me saying “...Till we were too far gone to bring back to life.” along with the lyric that goes “I keep finding things in draws…” could relate to All Too Well from Red, saying “You’ve still got it in your drawer, even now.”
The smallest man who ever lived “I don’t even want you back, I just want to know…”
Swifties think that Joe Alwyn is going to have to go into the witness protection program after this one. Parts of the song that go “you didn’t measure up in any measure of a man” have Swifties rolling and crying on the floor. Although many people think this song is about Joe, lyrics like “you deserve prison but you won’t get time” could be talking about Matty. Even so, this song’s become another instant hit
The Alchemy “Ths hospital was a drag…”
Taylor Swift definitely came back so strong with this one. Many Swifties think that this song is all about Travis, the theme’s of football, “players from the team” and talks about trophies and “being the greatest in the league” not to mention the upbeat vibes it gives off, and the lyrics have almost no negative attributes. Taylor has definitely been on a winning streak with this album so far
Clara Bow “you look like Taylor Swift…”
This song is remarkable. A lot of the song is put into quotes, most of it is until it goes “beauty is a beast that roars” and starts up again right after “Them’s the breaks, they don’t
come gently.” This song is named after the famous actress who rose to fame during the silent era of film, before transitioning to “talkies” and the song is supposed to be “a commentary on what ive seen in the industry that I’ve been in over time” says Taylor Swift herself.
And just like that, an hour and five minutes had past, and the albums over. Or is it? As Swifties who were going to bed after staying up till Midnight, Taylor Swift released a second album, with fifteen new songs that she kept completely hidden from the public. The pop-up library that held so many double items, leading for Swifties to believe we we’re getting a double album, was actually right. This second album was called “The Tourtured Poets Deparement: The Anthology” and rounded up the track list from sixteen songs to thirtyone. However, going over those songs would take way more then thirteen hours, so Swifites will just have to keep doing what they do best, clowning, speculating, and coming up with theories.
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