Taylor Swift’s New Album Is a Love Letter to Herself
Popular singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has released her 14th album, The Tortured Poets Department, and fans are ecstatic. Born on December 13, 1989, Swift exhibited a passion for music at the age of 14 and released her debut album, Taylor Swift, in 2006. Since then, she has amassed an impressive discography, comprising of 11 original studio albums, 4 re-recorded studio albums, 5 extended plays, and 4 live albums. Her remarkable talent has earned her numerous accolades, including 14 Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and 40 American Music Awards.
The Tortured Poets Department is Swift’s eleventh studio album, consisting of 16 total songs. The album, announced on February 4, 2024, was released on April 19th at 12 A.M ET, and has already garnered over 1 billion streams. Two hours after the release, Swift dropped a companion album titled The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology with an additional fifteen songs, causing a frenzy among fans with the surprise double release.
The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology follows Swift’s relationship with ex-partners Matty Healy, lead vocalist of band The 1975, and actor Joe Alwyn, while also exploring her current relationship with Kansas City Chiefs football tight end Travis Kelce.
While Swift has been known to delve into past romantic relationships through her music, this album delivers more than just the anticipated "tell-all" session for fans. The sixth track of the album, titled “But Daddy I Love Him”, was rumored to be about Healy, but was soon confirmed by fans to be about her current boyfriend Travis Kelce. In the song, Swift sings, “But now I'm running with my dress unbuttoned /screaming but daddy I love him," addressing her wish to pursue relationships despite the potential backlash she might face for doing so. Swift, who has faced scrutiny for her dating life throughout her rise to fame, including accusations of being a "serial dater," seizes the opportunity in this song to address the backlash she received after going public with her relationship with Travis Kelce. The song reflects her determination to assert her autonomy, emphasizing that no one, not even her father, has the right to dictate how she should live.
Similarly, in Clara Bow, she explores the pressures of fame and the constant comparison of women within the music industry: ‘"You look like Stevie Nicks/ In '75, the hair and lips/ Crowd goes wild at her fingertips/ Half moonshine, a full eclipse."’ In this song, Swift talks about how she is often being compared to Stevie Nicks, a very popular singer from the 70s, and the mentality that there’s always a “next” version of an artist to move on to. At this point in time, Swift has achieved the highest level of influence in her career thus far, with her Eras Tour alone grossing over 1.04 billion dollars and 4.35 million tickets sold. In the outro of the song, Swift sings: "You look like Taylor Swift/ In this light/ We're loving it./ You've got edge she never did/ The future's bright.” Here, Swift speaks to the idea that once you've reached your peak, someone else will take your place and grow into a greater version of yourself.
TTPD: The Anthology is a celebration of Swift as an artist, as a female icon, and as a person navigating the expectations of fame and glory. It serves as a medium for discourse, seamlessly blending themes of healing with commentary on the corruption of the music industry and contemporary gender norms. Swift has become a role model for many musical artists and young women worldwide, and her ability to connect with her audience through music has had a profound impact on millions.
If you haven't listened to Swift's latest album yet, don't miss out– give it a listen now!
