Of all the contributions Taylor Swift has made to the music industry, there is one that often goes unnoticed and unappreciated: the popularization of eras.
Swift uses distinct colors, symbols, and styles to differentiate between her albums; not only are the albums themselves cohesive—which is pretty standard—but her public image is also aligned with the aesthetic of the albums. From what she wears to what she says to what she posts, each era is specific and unique from the others.
On Sunday, Feb. 4, Swift took to the Grammy’s stage to accept her award for Best Pop Vocal Album and to announce her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, which is coming out on April 19.
The new era that this album has evoked is one of my favorites that she’s ever done. The black-and-white pictures, posts, and outfits that we’ve seen so far indicate the aesthetic; I would describe it as pensive, desolate, and, of course, poetic. And with this aesthetic, we see the possible themes of the album emerge, reflected in the tracklist.
On Feb. 5, the day after the announcement, Swift posted the album’s back cover on Instagram, which contained the tracklist that consists of 16 songs as well as one bonus track.
Of course, Swift’s fanbase freaked out, noting the album’s two songs with featured artists and other titles that prompted reactions from fans—including ones that reminded fans of the rumors circulating her widely-publicized breakup with British actor Joe Alwyn.
“So Long, London” and “But Daddy I Love Him” especially stuck out to me as songs that could potentially be about Alwyn. “So Long, London” is track five, and Swift is notorious for having the fifth track on her albums be devastatingly sad; it’s important to note that Alwyn is British, and the ex-couple had previously spent a lot of time together in London.
“But Daddy I Love Him” is a reference to The Little Mermaid, a movie in which Ariel has to give up her voice to be with the man she loves. When Swift and Alwyn split a little less than a year ago, multiple sources were sharing that the breakup was in part caused by Alwyn’s issues with Swift’s immense level of fame. This connects to the idea of Ariel losing her voice, as Swift could have grappled with giving up her voice and career for Alwyn.
I can see these songs being slow ballads filled with melancholy, but I can also see them being upbeat with depressing lyrics; she’s done this before with songs such as “Death By A Thousand Cuts” and “All You Had To Do Was Stay.”
I’ve also noticed many of these tracks have titles that seem youthfully modern. “Down Bad” is a slang term, “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” is a—mostly online—joke about women being able to change things that are extremely wrong with a partner, and “loml,” the only lowercase track, is an abbreviation used online for “love of my life.” The first two radiate the energy of upbeat pop songs, whereas I can see “loml” being a sorrowful tune. These titles are unique from all her others, and I’m anxious to see what they will sound like.
Another song that has caught the eyes of fans is “Clara Bow.” As soon as the tracklist dropped, I took to Google to research the name. Clara Bow was an American actress who was known universally as the “It girl,” which has become a popular term in the past couple of years; the height of her popularity was in the 1920s when she starred in silent films. She has also been scrutinized for her love life, which is a major parallel with Swift’s life and career. I don’t know what to expect with this song, but I have a feeling it’ll be a new favorite.
From the brand-new aesthetic to the enticing track titles, I feel in my soul that this album is going to be an iconic addition to Swift’s discography. Only time will tell, and I’ll be counting down the days until April 19.
