Taylor Swift - The Tortured Poet's Department - album discussion thread

[OldHabitsDieScreaming]

Hello Swifties! Thought I would start a thread to chat about TS11 or TTPD or whatever we're calling it 😁Don't know about you but the excitement is building for this old-enough-to-know-better Swiftie and I'll be taking the long way into work tomorrow so I can listen to it in Peace...(see what I did there?)

So this thread is for anyone who loves TS and wants to talk/think/muse/swoon over the newest output from the hardest-working woman in music!

Personally I'm intrigued and delighted that Aaron Dessner seems to have co-writing credits on several tracks - I'm a committed Folklore/Evermore fan and more in a similar vein will be very welcome!

(Oh, and while hopefully this doesn't need saying, please don't bother posting to say how shit/overrated/talentless you think TS is. This is a fan / appreciation thread about a specific piece of work and it would be lovely to keep it that way.)

It’s possible and she’ll likely never say what it’s actually about, but…

the running online jokes about his height and his suits point to Matty as do the drug references, the line about kicking out stage lights and still performing too and ruining her sparkling summer fits the tour and the timing.

IMO it’s not even just subtly about him, it’s pretty pointed, but I mean, they’re lyrics, they’re open to interpretation

False God is fantastic. But overall I don't ever think, 'must listen to Lover' - most of it leaves me fairly cold.

Midnights is a much more interesting album, even though I agree it's all over the place stylistically. But I would happily listen to almost all of the tracks on Midnights (maybe skip Paris and Labyrinth depending on my mood).

Dh is in the kitchen humming (see what I did there?) 'I love you, it's ruining my life'

I'm working on him, slowly 😂

Yeah that's the point - she references all the tropes. She's trolling you.

(PS The Alchemy isn't about Travis Kelce either)

YESSS - I was just in the kitchen singing screeching 'who's afraid of little old me' and DH finished 'you should be' Swiftie by osmosis

(PS The Alchemy isn't about Travis Kelce either)

What is it about? It's very football-y.

I’ve already said I think it might be footbally because there was a really bad AI song about travis going round and I think she’s leaned into that possibly as a bit of a laugh

But alchemy isn’t quite the same as chemistry - alchemists were trying to turn lead into gold, “love is golden” so working really hard to turn something into love that was always doomed, lots of references to returning and coming back and guys warming the seats for someone, heroin as well

So I think matty, but that’s just my take on it

Maybe. I mean we'll never know for sure. But I think it's about as clear as it gets without saying his actual name!

I mentioned earlier that The Alchemy isn't about Travis. I suspect it's also about MH. Heroin without the E gives it away, no?

One possible interpretation is that it's about Taylor Swift and how she's the one to beat / top of the league (the "you" in the song being the fans).

If you want to think about it logically - this song is on the physical version of the album. We don't know exactly when that was submitted for pressing but it must have been written, produced and delivered months ago.

@taylorswift1989 "But I think it's about as clear as it gets without saying his actual name!"

But why would she do that? She's not 19 any more. Think about how Taylor has described herself in her lyrics - she's only cryptic and machiavellian because she cares, she's a mastermind, every bait and switch is a work of art.

Remember how she concluded Midnights with Dear Reader.
If it feels like a trap, you're already in one.
You don't have to answer, just cause they asked you.
The greatest of luxuries is your secrets.

If anyone watches chats and reacts their reaction for TTPD is up on YouTube! I've been looking forward to this 🫶🏻

Sure, whatever.

As we've all said many times on this thread, it's pure speculation, no one knows the real truth or the real Taylor, but it's entertaining to try to follow the breadcrumbs.

If that's not entertaining for you, there's no rule that says you can't just listen to the music and not play the game.

To be fair, I very much enjoy trying to see if new songs can be attributed to people or events I know about, looking for wordplay etc.

But ultimately the songs I love, I love because they make me feel something about me or my life

As in, at the end of the day makes no difference to me if I’m interpreting something “wrongly”

This is my thoughts on the alchemy, whenever I hear it I’m thinking “so glad travy made it to the big game, one step closer to getting Kelce as my last name” feel we’re really being trolled by that one and it’s all about MH!

I’ve had the album on in the background all day and had a headphone listen this evening and honestly I’m loving all of it! I much prefer it to midnights. Really enjoying fresh out the slammer and guilty as sin. Whenever I hear Florida there’s a part where I start singing didn’t you flash your green eyes at me and break into wonderland, does anyone else hear that similarity?

“Whenever I hear Florida there’s a part where I start singing didn’t you flash your green eyes at me and break into wonderland, does anyone else hear that similarity?”

no, but I’ll listen for it next time.

I’ve had the middle bit of so high school stuck in my head, I thought because you know ball I know Aristotle was weird

I still think it is to be fair 😂

but starting from spin bottle, I’m pretty sure that’s sounding like the chorus of seven

@tabulahrasa Yep, same! I find her writing so emotional and the songs are soooooo catchy! I hear she puts narcotics in them ;)

But I enjoy her storytelling and the glimpses into her life and character - her subject has always been herself and she is fascinating to me. I'm sure I'm wrong about many things but I'm also sure that she wants me to think The Smallest Man is about MH, even if it's not!

In Florida it’s the bit where Florence starts singing little did you know your home’s the only town … I think. I hear the seven bit in so high school too. In fact I start singing a few of her songs in this album!

TikTok also enlightened me as to what scouts honour means in so high school and that the start of but daddy I love him is that same music as the opening of the eras tour!

edit- I also saw a video comparing the fortnight video to a 1975 video with their parallels, also showed a link from the fortnight video to her style video and now I’m a bit 🤯🤯🤯 surely style isn’t about him! Potential new context for so many albums, too much for my brain!

surely style isn’t about him!

OMG WTF I can't.

Surely not!

Doubt it, first rumours about them were after she released 1989

Rep and after are probably fair game for possibly having songs about him, but not before that.

I’m currently considering the possibility that fortnight is actually about obsessive fans as well and not in fact any man…

I think my favourite throw back to previous albums so far is in Florida - "all my girls got their lace and their crimes. Your cheating husband disappeared, well no one asks any questions here" - Surely a link to No Body No Crime??!

I just love love love this album 🫶🏻

Now I'm wondering who she's had killed.

So my kind of disjointed theory about fortnight being about obsessive fans online while pretending to be about a man

I was supposed to be sent away - people online last year saying she should be put in a conservatorship

Functional alcoholic - people say stuff about her drinking all the time

Noticing her aesthetic, commenting on her sweater - I mean… I can’t even work out what else that would be about if not fans online

Wanting to kill a wife for buying flowers, my husbands cheating I want to kill him, all the hate partners get and the constant OMG, Joe cheated, for no reason

Now you’re in my backyard - she’s had fans camp outside her house and break in and stuff

This is more of a reach - but if that was all right, then I touch you for only a fortnight, is - I touch you with my music but what I give you is just a short thing, limited.

So - I love you it’s ruining my life, fans, fame etc.

I do think I’m possibly overthinking it, but also half going, can you overthink Taylor swift lyrics? 🤷‍♀️😂