"So Long" Midnights era: Taylor Swift's 11th

Chloe McBride '24

Copy Editor

Taylor Swift is known for her authentic and alluring lyrics that accurately depict feelings that so many other people experience. Her songs are a whirlwind of emotions; joy, sorrow, passion, love and even heartbreak. In the past few years, she has been releasing original albums left and right, with two in 2020, along with the re-releases under the name of “Taylor’s Version.” 

Despite “Reputation,” which had a three-year gap after “1989,” she has been on a steady pattern of releasing at least one album every two years. 

During the acceptance of her 13th Grammy win, Taylor Swift announced a surprise album that was released on April 19, two years after her previous album, entitled “The Tortured Poet’s Department.” Before the release, anticipation swirled the internet with debates on the type of style this album would be. 

Taylor Swift is known for bouncing between different genres, such as country, pop and folk, to name a few, and people were itching to know which direction she would venture in this time. In 2020, she definitely walked along the folk path, before returning back to her pop roots with her album “Midnights” in 2022.

However, all of their questions were answered on April 19 when the first song, “Fortnight,” started playing. 

The album, which is a part of the pop genre, has had rumors circulating on who it’s about since it was first announced, considering the singer recently broke off her six year relationship, making this album a very anticipated release. 

The album has 16 songs, all with beautifully written lyrics. With some songs rumored to relate to her breakup, like “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,” “So Long, London” and “loml.” 

Soon after the album was released, people took to social media to sing their high praise, with several even calling it some of her best work. 

However, just when fans thought they had heard everything, Taylor Swift took to her Instagram to post a countdown for 2 a.m., and when the time came around, Taylor Swift released another 15 songs! 

In my opinion, I loved this album because it was pop with a “folklore” feel, since the lyrics were so elaborate and synonymous with poetry. It was not as upbeat as some of her other albums, but I think that corresponded well to the feelings of dealing with a heartbreak and entering new relationships. 

Nevertheless, even if this album is not your forte, Taylor Swift has 10 other albums to choose from, each with a special style to it. Overall, I hope everyone listens to this album and forms their own opinions on whether or not they agree with “The Tortured Poets Department’s” hype. Happy listening!