There’s much to unpack on Taylor Swift’s new music project release.

Crafted during that pivotal juncture in Taylor Swift’s life, just a year after following the dissolution of a six-year relationship, with the whirlwind triumph of The Eras Tour and the fervent media attention surrounding her newfound love, “The Tortured Poets Department” emerges as another introspective journey akin to a T-Swift journal-entry set to song and TS-style lyricism.

Sonically, TTPD resonates with a vibe reminiscent of “Midnights,” blending a foundation of lo-fi synth-pop with the intimate tones in Swift’s acclaimed. “Folklore” and “Evermore.”

In the album title track, amidst 80s new wave beats and swirling keyboard synths, Swift writes and sings about her short-lived relationship with The 1975’s Matty Healy.

Swift opens with the lyrics “You left your typewriter at my apartment / straight from the Tortured Poets Department/ I think some things like: who uses typewriters anyway?” / “You’re not Dylan Thomas, I’m not Patti Smith / this ain’t the Chelsea hotel / we’re modern idiots.”

While the initial stanza sounds like a pointed jab from Taylor, later on, we find out that the singer is actually hitting hard on her love interest at the time. And while the guy poses and seems in “self-sabotage mode,” it is the allure for Swift.

The song about Healy comes with name drops of producer musician Jack Antonoff, singer Lucy Dacus, and pop musician Charlie Puth. It certainly feels like a fly-on-the-wall moment. We’re privy to one of Swift’s relationship scenes. Wrong love-wrong time? Probably. Does it hurt? Like torture. But she loved anyway. “Who’s gonna hold you like me? Nobody / no f**kin’ body, she croons.” Taylor Swift is not the queen of broken romance songs for nothing.

The synth-pop gloss of “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” features a bright, lifting outro chorus. It’s also one of the songs about Swift’s former boyfriend Joe Alwyn. Meanwhile, the moody album opener “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone is a loving nod to 80’s new wave sounds. The music video of “Fortnight” features Swift, Post Malone as well as Dead Poets Society actors Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles.  
There’s a lot of moody, synth-driven numbers here. “Down Bad” is one of them with its key hook line: “F**k it I can’t have him.” “So Long, London” is also one but it feels like it meanders where it was placed in the album.  But we can overlook that especially when we have fine ones such as the optimistic “Fresh Out The Slammer” that sports that middle-eight device that she employed on the 10-minute “All Too Well.”  

At 16 tracks, the set boasts several standouts: One is the slow-burn ascent of “Florida!” featuring Florence + The Machine. The cool and charming “Guilty As Sin?” as well  as the “Midnight”-inspired “Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me.” Piano-driven “Loml” feels like a soothing cool down, as “Clara Bow” takes its place as closer, at least after we discover that TTPD is a secret double album. That’s for another article.  

“The Tortured Poets Department” is Taylor Swift's much-awaited new album. Her latest music project already smashed records by being the most pre-saved and streamed album ever on its first day of release.

Not bad for an album made up of songs about emotional torture and heartbreak.