The Tortured Poets Department has been out in the world for several days now, and the biggest takeaway that I’m noticing from the Swifties is that it’s clear Taylor Swift needs a break from the chaos.
I mean, she’s gone from strength to strength as a writer and performer, she’s clearly happy in her current relationship with Travis Kelce, and her ability to bash out a record-breaking album hasn’t at all wavered.
But as a long-time Swiftie myself, I couldn’t help but notice that the themes of this album were some of the darkest we’ve seen from her entire back catalog. And while it’s clear she can still produce an absolute banger of an album, it also became clear through the 31 songs that our girl has gone through some shit.
Although Taylor has never shied away from singing about painful subjects in her life — heartbreak, death, her mother’s illness, broken friendships etc — something feels much darker with this album. In her lyrics, Taylor sounds more forlorn than ever. Even songs that are semi-love songs include worrying lyrics, like when she sings about wanting to end her life over what fans have assumed was a brief affair with Matty Healy. This sentiment is echoed multiple times throughout the album. She really wanted to drive this point home and it was unnerving to hear.
There’s obviously a great deal of creative license used here and she’s clearly being hyperbolic, but it’s just been so unexpected to see that her shortlived, and highly controversial, relationship with Matty Healy would send her so far over the edge.
Speaking of, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the fact that myself and many fans are a lil disappointed over Taylor Swift’s fervent defence of her relationship with Matty Healy.
On “But Daddy I Love Him”, Swift seemingly addresses her fans and other critics who were disappointed by her brief relationship with the controversial singer.
These lyrics in particular had fans raising an eyebrow:
“I’ll tell you something right now
I’d rather burn my whole life down
Than listen to one more second of all this griping and moaning
I’ll tell you something about my good name
It’s mine alone to disgrace
I don’t cater to all these vipers dressed in empath’s clothing”
The primary reason why Taylor copped flak for dating Matty Healy was because he has a very public history of shitty behaviour, from admitting to watching racially-charged torture porn to performing a Nazi salute while on-stage to making offensive, mocking comments towards Ice Spice.
Fans were rightfully disappointed that she chose to associate with such a person and her unapologetic response to that is bizarre and frankly a little disappointing.
Is this the hill you want to die on, queen?
Fans have also been concerned about the fact that she’s still banging on about her feud with Kim Kardashian all these years later. And this time she’s not even being subtle about it — she dead-ass put Kim’s name in the title of the song “thanK you aIMee”.
I fully understand that Kim’s tirade against Taylor must’ve been traumatic, but as much as I love the spicy songs, what I want for her more than anything is to find peace and healing. Not to continue slinging mud (and using Kim and Kanye‘s daughter to do so was certainly… a choice).
And finally, on the song “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart”, Taylor sings about the fact that she feels compelled to continue writing music because it’s therapeutic for her to do so and it’s what she’s good at, but as someone who has loved and cared for Taylor for half of my life, what I want more than anything at this point is for Taylor to find peace. Living in this headspace can’t be healthy.
“I’m so depressed, I act like it’s my birthday every day
I’m so obsessed with him but he avoids me like the plague
I cry a lot but I am so productive, it’s an art
You know you’re good when you can even do it
With a broken heart”
I truly am grateful for Taylor Swift gifting us so many incredible songs and turning her pain into gorgeous tunes for us to listen along to, but I just hope she’s finding time to work on herself and heal from her trauma.
I hope Taylor is having many more glorious getaways with her man in the Bahamas and having some alone time to tap out of the sadness and move on from the pain that’s fuelled her music.
We <3 you Taylor!
Matty Galea is the Managing Editor of PEDESTRIAN.TV, as well as our resident astrologer. His first book How To Spot The (Star) Signs is out now! You can find him on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
