Tortured Listeners Department: Taylor Swift’s newest album is both messy and underwhelming

Taylor Swift has always been a staple on any playlist I make. Swift has been listed as my top artist on Spotify for the past few years, so the release. Of “The Tortured Poet’s Department” only meant one thing — getting a redbull and staying up until 11 p.m. on April 19.

The concept of the album is something that I didn’t expect from Swift, it’s niche but also artistic. The marketing and overall aesthetic of the album was a bit boring, but I can tell she’s trying to achieve something that you might see in a smaller artist. Something that’s not so artificial and mechanical like Midnights felt like.

The first track “Fortnight” really surprised me, it was fresh but also felt like what Swift’s known for: catchy and feminine. I wasn’t sure that I would like the song when I spotted the words “featuring Post Malone,” but his minimal vocal role paired really well with Swift’s voice creating something surprisingly nostalgic, it instantly took me back to the summer of 2017. It was crisp and is definitely a song I could see myself listening to on a weekend outside — one of my favorites in the album.

The next song that caught my attention in the vast emptiness of the album was “So Long, London.” A lot of the songs sounded similar to this one, but I appreciated the emotion that it brought me. I’m normally immune to tears from film or music, but the rhythm and Swift’s voice combined made my heart sink in the best way possible.

“Florida!!!” is this seventh track down and I was eager for this one. I was initially looking forward to it because it featured a smaller artist, “Florence + The Machine,” but the chorus shocked me. Both Swift and Florence + The Machine’s voices were pleasant, and complemented each other well.

The next song, “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” is definitely a top track for me. The concept was genius and the lyricism was so horrible that it was good, “I’m so depressed I act like it’s my birthday – everyday.” The beat was clean and consistent, a theme in all of the songs featured in “The Tortured Poets Department”, and good for a rough day after school.

After listening to an hour of tracks at one in the morning I think the album was decent but nothing revolutionary. Still I have a few complaints. Yes, it seemed rushed in how it was written, but I will definitely be putting a few songs that I’ve given positive feedback on on my playlist.

I liked the clean concept and aesthetic, despite being a little depressing, sometimes a filler album like this is necessary. I’m glad Swift is making music that suits her voice and vocal range. She’s really settled into the style of music that she wants to create after switching throughout her long career in the industry.