The Tortured Poets Department: A Listening Guide
On April 18, 2024, Taylor Swift released 31 never heard before songs off her double album release of The Tortured Poets Department and The Anthology. If you aren’t a diehard Swiftie, dedicating all your time to learning every new song, you may not know where to start with this album. That’s why we’re here to give you a guide to what songs we think you should listen to first!
“The Tortured Poets Department”:
For the second song on the album, we have the title track. This song gives a good look into what this album is really about; moving on, resenting your ex for doing the same, living with heartbreak, and accepting your life for what it is. The beat of the song sets us off on a great foot for where the rest of the album is going to take us.
“So Long London”:
This track takes us through the heartbreak that comes with ending a long-term relationship and acknowledging that that person you were with was not the one for you. When you spend multiple years with the same person, you get to know them so well, but what happens when you think they are your person, and then they end up not being that? Swift tells us to accept it, and that whoever she’s moving on from will find someone else—and so will she.
“Florida!!!”:
Featuring Florence + The Machine, “Florida!!!” is a fun yet powerful song about running away from your problems. Swift and Florence make Florida out to be a place where you can hide away, reinvent yourself, and essentially get away with anything. Florida is like a drug to them. This song gives off 1989 meets Reputation meets Midnights, which forms the beautiful combination that is “Florida!!!”.
“I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”:
The 13th track on this album is about something we know all too well, the Eras Tour! Looking back at “So Long, London” we see Swift is going through a huge breakup, and this track reveals she was going through it during the Eras Tour. This song has fun elements with a danceable beat, but it also offers lyrics that are incredibly relatable and sad. Hiding how miserable you are on a day-to-day basis from people you are performing in front of is difficult, but Swift can turn her pain into an iconic song.
“The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”:
Have you ever been in a relationship where they only appreciated the idea of you, and not the actual human version of you that existed in their presence? Well, Swift has! She felt like an object to be looked at in this relationship, and now she is dealing with the emotional turmoil she is left with. This song is probably the most angry and emotional on the album, which makes it worth noting. Her lyrical genius also shines through on this track.
“The Black Dog”:
This song takes us into The Anthology side of the album as Swift watches her ex move on from her. Literally, because they didn’t stop “sharing” their location with each other and she saw them entering a bar. The beginning of the song is grappling with accepting this moving on and questioning how this person doesn’t miss her, but slowly transitions to her resenting this ex for doing what they did to her.
“So High School”:
Moving on from the breakup songs of the album, Swift is now in a happy and loving relationship with football player Travis Kelce, and “So High School” is supposedly about their romance. Love should feel good and be fun. It shouldn’t hurt, like it has for her in the past. This is an upbeat, happy song about how love is supposed to feel. If you’re a Fearless, Speak Now, or Lover fan, then you’re destined to love this song.
“I Hate It Here”:
This song is for every Folklore lover out there. It’s reminiscent of Swift's 2020 style of music, with both its poetic lyricism and softer more acoustic-sounding beat. This song is also incredibly relatable to those of us struggling with wanting to be anywhere but where we are right now, especially during this finals season. This track is gentle and sweet, but also sad and heart-wrenching to those who are really processing the lyrics.
We at The Edge believe you should give every song on the album a chance, but these are the ones you should listen to first! Tag us @theedgemag with your favorite songs from The Tortured Poets Department and The Anthology.