Taylor Swift has had perhaps the most turbulent journey through public perception of any artist this century, since first emerging on the scene in 2006. She has now finally settled as an all-encompassing force in pop culture, hailed as “The Queen of Pop,” with endless levels of discussion dedicated to every aspect of her life, from modules in universities dedicated solely to dissecting her lyrics to dedicated, full-time reporters to cover her every move. Although the music industry remains in a state of flux, with a desperate need to generate viral moments and breakthroughs, Swift appears impervious to the constant evolution of pop culture, each day upping the ante and remaining at the forefront of celebrity culture.
During her acceptance speech of the Album Of The Year award for ‘Midnights’ at the Grammys earlier in the year, Swift announced her upcoming album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department.’ However, critics and peers of Swift almost collectively sighed in disdain at what sounded like another release, coming in mere years after she had already released ten other albums (including live albums and re-recordings) in four years. Nonetheless, its impending arrival caused a frenzy amongst her dedicated fanbase, with endless ‘Easter eggs’ dropped on social media to stoke the flames of anticipation.
It’s notable that, throughout her career, Swift’s acclaim has been primarily due to her lyricism, with comparisons to William Shakespeare not uncommon. Speaking to Billboard in February about her upcoming release, Swift acknowledged that “I have never had an album where I needed songwriting more than I needed it on [TTPD].” However, critics noted that the album’s title track contains much cringe-inducing verbiage, not least the lines, “You smoked then ate seven bars of chocolate” and “I scratch your head, you fall asleep like a tattooed Golden Retriever.”
Swift has previously harnessed her talent for writing lyrics to protect her image and communicate her narrative, from referencing ‘Kanye West’ on ‘Speak Now’ to constructing many lyrics on albums like ‘Reputation’ as a response to internet haters. However, on ‘But Daddy I Love Him,’ Swift seems to acknowledge individuals who she feels do not have her best interests at heart, singing, “These people only raise you to cage you” and “God save the most judgemental creeps/Who say they want what’s best for me.”
‘The Tortured Poets Department’ is a sequel of sorts to ‘Midnights,’ its predecessor album and boasts similarities in both musical style and themes. Swift’s latest offering documents a more melancholic outlook on life, with ‘London Boy’ replaced by ‘So Long London’, bemoaning abandonment by a loved one. While there are a few glimpses of Swift’s ability to pivot to interesting musical styles on tracks such as ‘Fortnight’ and ‘I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can),’ the album mostly sticks to the same synth-pop sounds heard on ‘Midnights’, and overall, the record fails to replicate the stylistic evolution which previous Swift albums have demonstrated.
Despite her enviable status within the industry, Swift appears to still be searching for validation as she continually churns out albums, with negative responses from critics and fans affecting her. Discontented lyrics continue to proliferate her latest release, marring its overall impact and failing to provide for the poignant lyrical observations she’s become so revered for. Swift may be a constant figurehead in pop culture, but one thing is for sure, she’ll still be chasing the super-stardom that’s eluded her 11 studio albums so far
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