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Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ is Messy, Unguarded And Undeniably Triumphant: Critic’s Take
Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' is messy, unguarded and triumph. Read our critic's review.
Furious rhetorical questions and errors in judgment dot the Tortured Poets Department lyrics, as Swift aims at a target beyond vulnerability, that allows her wide listenership to understand her heart and mind. The warm synth-pop of Midnights serves as the closest reference point, but that album was cleanly orchestrated, while The Tortured Poets Department wants to get in the mud with soft-loud dissonance and tracklist sprawl. Really, the album is in conversation with her entire catalog — a country-pop chorus here, a Folklore folk tale there — while still making time to explore the unknown.
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