Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department Release

Story by Isabelle Flood – Staff Reporter

 It’s no secret that Taylor Swift has taken the world by storm in the past years with all of her new album drops, her record-breaking tour, her re-recorded albums, and most recently, her relationship with Travis Kelce. On April 19, Swift released her newest album The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD). Swift first dropped 16 songs at midnight, then an additional 15 songs two hours later. This album has certainly brought shock and surprise to its fans in many different ways. 

   “I thought it was going to be only about all the drama and all the heartbreak of how Joe Alwyn broke up with her, but I was surprised to hear songs about Matty Healy and Travis Kelce,” McKenna Caton, sophomore, said. 

   Taylor Swift fans, better known as “Swifties”, have been going crazy about the songs that are allegedly about Travis Kelce. 

   “I was surprised to hear the lyrics to “The Alchemy” for the first time because I was expecting a full breakup album but that song is about her relationship with Travis,” Gabby Shockey, sophomore, said.

   Opinions on Swift and Kelce’s relationship vary but many people have loved “The Alchemy” and “So High School”, both songs supposedly written about Kelce. But other songs are some people’s favorites as well. 

   “My favorite was “So Long, London”. It was the song everyone was looking forward to and it did not disappoint. The bridge was amazing and so fun to listen to for the first time,” Caton said. 

   Swift has her co-songwriters, Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, who have been known to be very talented and very well-respected in the industry. Swifties can’t help but have favorite lyrics, or notice the powerful lyrics in the songs. 

   “‘And I’m just getting color back into my face’ is my favorite lyric. This line spoke to me because it shows how much she had dealt with and how long it took for her to be happy again, showing that you don’t have to always be okay,” Shockey said. 

   The Tortured Poets Department has already been a huge hit in the United States. Spotify shared that TTPD has become the first album in streaming service history to hit 300 million streams in one day. Additionally, her single “Fortnight” feat Post Malone, has become Spotify’s most streamed song in a single day. In its first day alone, she has also sold 1.4 million copies, including CD, vinyl, cassette tapes, and digital downloads. The world is patiently waiting to see what else this album will do, and what her next project will be.