Taylor Swift has been a very busy woman. In 2023, amid her Eras Tour, Swift became the first singer to achieve billionaire status solely through her music and concerts. Unbeknownst to anyone but a trusted few, while on her record-breaking tour she was also recording a new album, a secret she shared with the world while accepting one of the two Grammy awards she won in 2024.
With the release of The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD), an obstreperous anthology that’s equally recalcitrant and remorseful, she’s entered a legion of legendary lyricists and logophiles, breaking records held by the Beatles and selling out stadiums around the globe.
There are people who seek to write off Swift’s work as simply that of a lover scorned; a stunted soliloquist on an eternal, looping sojourn of sorrow borne of the betrayal of men. In certain respects, they’re correct; she often sings of the treachery and treason tied to romantic relationships. However, those same atrocities also occur outside of the confines of romantic entanglements; one might argue it’s the mark of an unenlightened mind that tries to contain Swift’s melodies to the realm of amorous affairs.
The greatest betrayals and heartbreaks we can experience aren’t limited to liaisons among lovers – they also arrive in various ways we’d seldom anticipate: a whisper about you from the lips of a colleague overheard, your life’s work plagiarized and plundered, promotions denied and awarded to those less deserving. These are the things that Swift is singing – and sometimes screaming – about in The Tortured Poets Department.
Her collaborations with artists and actors are forefront in TTPD – her first song, Fortnight, features Post Malone on vocals and the cast of The Dead Poets Society in the video.
A nemophilist with a penchant for lyrical forests leaning dark and mournful, Swift surfaces feminine rage throughout TTPD and doesn’t back away from the emotions while performing, allowing her anguish and anger the space to breathe fire while unrepentantly calling out the gaslighting she’s encountered professionally:
Every beat on The Tortured Poets Department has meaning: you can feel the pain of blows delivered, the devastation of being blindsided by bullets of betrayal, fired from the metaphorical guns of enemies she once considered her closest companions and coworkers:
The Tortured Poets Department songs: The tracks
TTPD: The Anthology was dropped in two parts, the first at midnight on April 19, 2024, then, just as fans were picking themselves up from the emotional rollercoaster of the first 16 songs, – without explanation – the second half of the album was released at 2:00 a.m., delivering an additional 17 songs:
- Fortnight
- The Tortured Poets Department
- My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys
- Down Bad
- So Long, London
- But Daddy I Love Him
- Fresh Out the Slammer
- Florida!!!
- Guilty as Sin?
- Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?
- I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)
- loml
- I Can Do It With A Broken Heart
- The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
- The Alchemy
- Clara Bow
- The Black Dog
- imgonnagetyouback
- The Albatross
- Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus
- How Did It End
- So High School
- I Hate It Here
- thanK you aIMee
- I Look in People’s Windows
- The Prophecy
- Cassandra
- Peter
- The Bolter
- Robin
- The Manuscript
And, without further ado, let’s explore The Tortured Poets Department for work:
Are you ready for it? 🐍
Fortnight
“All of this to say I hope that you’re okay” – When you’re finally able to hit “send” on an email to a coworker that’s going through a difficult time.
“And no one here’s to blame / But what about your quiet treason?”
– Asking a valid question of a teammate who didn’t speak up on your behalf while you or your work were discussed disparagingly.
“All my mornings are Mondays stuck in an endless February” – The winter doldrums… amirite?
“My husband is cheating / I wanna kill him” – A response guaranteed to end inane questions being asked of you in those painful opening moments of a call while “giving everyone a few minutes to join.”
“I love you, it’s ruining my life” – You to your laptop while taking on more work after promising yourself you wouldn’t.
” ‘Nother fortnight lost in America” – The rounds of prep calls where, in reality, little prep has been done so you need to circle back.
“Thought of callin’ ya, but you won’t pick up” – Opening line rage-typed because a coworker appears unable to reply to emails or show up to meetings.
The Tortured Poets Department
“I think some things I never say”
– When your manager asks you what your greatest accomplishment at work is.
“But you’re in self-sabotage mode / Throwing spikes down on the road” – The heart-to-heart you have to sometimes have with your coworker who is going off the rails.
“You smoked, then ate seven bars of chocolate” – … then wrote this post.
“Everyone we know understands why it’s meant to be / ‘Cause we’re crazy” – Sung at full volume to your work bestie on repeat.
My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys
“Oh, here we go again / The voices in his head” – Teams message sent to your sub-group as your nemesis begins talking.
“My boy only breaks his favorite toys / I’m queen of sand castles he destroys” – IT as they’re replacing a laptop/phone/tablet that’s been … solution tested against a wall.
“Once I fix me / He’s gonna miss me” – Mutterings to yourself as you rage-apply for a job that you have zero intention of taking, it just makes you feel better in the moment.
Down Bad
“Now I’m down bad crying at the gym / Everything comes out teenage petulance” – Drafting mental replies that will need some finessing while working out.
“I might just die, it would make no difference” – Your work bestie going through it while you sit and nod your head understandingly.
“I loved your hostile takeovers” – There’s a reason we all loved the show Succession; enough said.
So Long, London
“My spine split from carrying us up the hill” – When you finally lose it to your team after weeks/months/years of working long hours.
“How much sad did you think I had in me / Oh, the tragedy” – Asking someone why they thought you’d put up with their poor behavior forever.
“I founded the club she’s heard great things about”
– When you decide to let others on the call know that it was you, not [insert name of person attempting to take credit for your work] who is responsible for the outcomes.
“And you say I abandoned the ship / But I was going down with it” – When you’re explaining to your team why you have to move on.
“Just how low did you / Think I’d go ‘fore I’d self implode / ‘Fore I’d have to go be free?” – When you’re explaining to HR why you had to move on.
“I’m just mad as hell ’cause I loved this place”
– When you’re filling out your exit interview survey.
But Daddy I Love Him
“I forget if this was ever fun” – That moment when you wonder if you ever felt fulfilled by your role.
“I just learned these people only raise you to cage you” – When you ascend to a certain level, but can never seem to move beyond.
“No, I’m not coming to my senses” – When you’ve met the professional hill that you’re willing to die upon.
“I’ll tell you something right now / I’d rather burn my whole life down / Than listen to one more second of all this b*tching and moaning”
– IT after they’ve rolled out an update that wasn’t warmly received.
“Time, doesn’t it give some perspective?” – Your mentor to you when you have one of those wonderful moments when everything feels right in the world.
Fresh Out the Slammer
“Fresh out the slammer / I know who my first call will be to … “ – When you’ve finished mandatory training and are dying to know what happened in a meeting among warring teams.
“But it’s gonna be alright. I did my time.” – Returning from a fellowship.
“Ain’t no way I’m gonna screw up / Now that I know what’s at stake” – You to your boss, assuring them that you’ll get the job done … while wondering how you’ll get the job done.
Florida!!!
“So you work your life away / Just to pay for a timeshare down in Destin” – #Retirement(lol-what’sthat)Goals.
“Yes, I’m haunted but I’m feeling just fine” – Assuring your work buddy that you’re going to be okay after a call goes off wildly off course.
“Well, no one asks any questions here” – Explaining the real crux of the problem to your manager.
“Tell me I’m despicable, say it’s unforgivable” – Mentally goading your work enemy along.
“Florida is one hell of a drug / Florida!!!”
Guilty as Sin?
“Am I allowed to cry?” – Appropriate question when you hop on a call and see your boss and an HR rep.
“Someone told me / There’s no such thing as bad thoughts / Only your actions talk”
– The leadership gap explained in a lyric.
“What if I roll the stone away? / They’re gonna crucify me anyway”
– Knowing that you’re in a lose-lose situation.
Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?
“The who’s who of “Who’s that?” is poised for the attack / But my bare hands paved their paths”
– Watching a competitor plagiarize your work, nearly word-for-word, then rank above you in search.
“You don’t get to tell me you feel bad” – Not accepting the unacceptable behavior of a coworker.
“… Is it a wonder I broke / Let’s hear one more joke / Then we could all just laugh until I cry” – When you’re the ongoing victim of workplace mobbing.
“So I leap from the gallows and I levitate down your street / Crash the party like a record scratch as I scream / “Who’s afraid of little old me?” / You should be”
– The. moment. you. finally. have. had. enough.
“I was tame, I was gentle ’til the circus life made me mean” – Anyone remember the innocent youth you once were upon entering corporate? Thought so.
“You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me”:
I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)
“The jokes that he told across the bar / Were revolting and far too loud” – No explainer needed.
“And I could see it from a mile away / A perfect case for my certain skillset” – Pitching yourself for a promotion.
“Trust me, I can handle me a dangerous man” – Assuring your boss you can handle a meeting with sales.
loml
“I said, “I don’t mind, it takes time” / I thought I was better safe than starry-eyed” – Trying to be gracious when you discover you didn’t get the role you wanted.
“Who’s gonna tell me the truth” – Trying to get to the bottom of workplace drama.
“What we thought was for all time, was momentary”:
“You were the loss of my life” – Dear Reader, you’re not alone if you’ve found yourself overcome at times with nostalgic longings for the work and possibilities you’ve left behind.
I Can Do It With A Broken Heart
“‘Cause I’m a real tough kid, I can handle my sh*t / They said, “Babe, you gotta fake it ’til you make it” and I did” – “How are you?” “Great, thanks.” (said 1.2 seconds after wiping tears away and forcing a smile).
“Breaking down, I hit the floor / All the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting, “More” ” – That moment when you’re asked to deliver more by Monday, but it’s Friday night and you’ve worked over 60 hours already.
“I cry a lot but I am so productive, it’s an art”
– A line to consider for your LinkedIn “About Me” summary.
“You know you’re good when you can even do it / With a broken heart” – Trying to carry on after people you truly loved at work have been impacted by layoffs.
“‘Cause I’m miserable / And nobody even knows” – Trust me … they usually know.
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
“Who the hell was that guy?” – Question in Teams after an unfamiliar face shows up on a call and begins telling you how to do your jobs.
“Were you sent by someone /
Who wanted me dead? /
Did you sleep with a gun underneath our bed? /
Were you writing a book? /
Were you a sleeper cell spy? /
In 50 years will all this be declassified? /
And you’ll confess why you did it and I’ll say, “Good riddance””
– Professional betrayals are real; that is all.
“I would’ve died for your sins, instead, I just died inside / And you deserve prison, but you won’t get time / You’ll slide into inboxes / And slip through the bars”
– Don’t ask women why we’re screaming these lyrics, but rather research why we resoundingly choose the bear.
“You kicked out the stage lights / But you’re still performing” – When an event goes haywire and you’re so shooketh that you have to say aloud what you’re witnessing.
“And in plain sight you hid / But you are what you did / And I’ll forget you, but / I’ll never forgive / The smallest man who ever lived.”
The Alchemy
“Call the amateurs and / Cut ’em from the team / Ditch the clowns, get the crown / Baby I’m the one to beat” – Sales to other sales staff, I assume.
“But I’m making a comeback to where I belong” – Having to leave your place of employment only so you can come back again at a higher level.
“This happens once every few lifetimes” – Those rare, beautiful moments when you have an amazing team and believe it might always be so.
Clara Bow
“I’m not trying to exaggerate” – … but you know he will.
“No one in my small town / Thought I’d see the lights of Manhattan”
– When you grew up on a dirt road, but work in Hudson Yards now.
“Take the glory, give everything / Promise to be dazzling” – Words of advice to mentees.
“Them’s the breaks, they don’t come gently” – Words of solace to mentees.
The Black Dog
“I am someone who, until recent events / You shared your secrets with” – When you start to suspect your coworker is interviewing for other jobs.
“Old habits die screaming”
– Forgetting your new password, again.
imgonnagetyouback
“Whether I’m gonna be your wife or / Gonna smash up your bike, I / Haven’t decided yet” – When the networking at an event just hits.
“Push the reset button, we’re becoming something new” – Transformation, synergies, change is constant, hurrah!
The Albatross
“You’re in terrible danger” – Giving the tea to your work bestie after you learn that someone is coming for their job.
“And I tried to warn you about them” – Consoling your coworker after they trusted the wrong person.
“I’m the albatross / I swept in at the rescue / The devil that you know / Looks now more like an angel”
– When they swear they’re doing their jobs, but somehow at the last minute you’re called in again to get things across the finish line.
Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus
“You said some things that I can’t unabsorb” – The work call gets interesting.
“I changed into goddesses, villains, and fools” – Explaining how you’ve lasted this long in corporate.
How Did It End?
“We hereby conduct this post-mortem” – The dreaded debrief call.
“We were blind to unforeseen circumstances” – Leadership trying to explain what happened … despite all the data, signals, and warnings previously provided to them.
“Lost the game of chance, what are the chances?” – Actually the chances are quite high.
“Say it once again with feelingHow the death rattle breathingSilenced as the soul was leavingThe deflation of our dreamingLeaving me bereft and reelingMy beloved ghost and meSitting in a treeD-Y-I-N-G”
– Recognizing that a professional era and personal dream are nearing the end.
So High School
“I’m hearing voices like a madman” – On a 7:00 am call after pulling an all-nighter.
“You already know, babe” – Response when your work bestie asks how bad things are.
I Hate It Here
“Tell me something awful / Like you are a poet trapped inside the body of a finance guy” – {full body shudder}
“I don’t believe in good luck / Now that I know what’s what” – Experience trumps experts without expertise every time.
“I’m bitter but I swear I’m fine” – Assuring HR you can keep calm and carry on.
“This place made me feel worthless” – A sad but common tale.
thanK you aIMee
“All that time you were throwing punches / I was building something”
– Fending off the gallery while you’re in the arena.
“And it wasn’t a fair fight, or a clean kill” – That organizational mobbing thing again.
“I built a legacy that you can’t undo” – Work as though your reputation precedes and follows you – it does.
I Look in People’s Windows
“I’m afflicted by the not knowing” – The awful anxiety that most corporate employees deal with today.
“What are the chances you’d be downtown” – If someone asks you this, immediately say you’ve got interference on the line and hang up. Trust me.
The Prophecy
“Thought I caught lightning in a bottle / Oh, but it’s gone again” – When you had a great idea and think you’ll be able to remember it in five minutes.
“Spending my last coin so someone will tell me / It’ll be ok” – Whyyy can’t we have universal healthcare?
“Who do I have to speak to / To change the prophecy?” – When leadership has made a decision that you know is going to come back and haunt you all.
Cassandra
“When the truth comes out it’s quiet” – The miracle of failing upward.
“They knew the whole time / That I was onto somethin'” – When you suddenly get moved to a new team after raising concerns.
“You can mark my words that I said it first / In a mourning warning no one heard”
– The lyrical version of “and I was right.”
Peter
“Forgive me Peter / My lost fearless leader”
– 💔
“We said it was just goodbye for now” – The only way that you’re able to walk away from work friends who you rarely see.
“But the woman who sits by the window has turned out the light” – That sad, broken feeling when you realize it’s time to move on.
The Bolter
“Splendidly selfish, charmingly helpless / Excellent fun ’til you get to know her” – Wait a minute … was there a breach of employee files?
“But it always ends up with a Town Car speeding / Out the drive one evening” – Every work trip ever.
“You can be sure / That as she was leaving / It felt like freedom” – That confusing array of contrasting emotions as you’re departing one job for another.
Robin
“The time will arrive for the cruel and the mean / You’ll learn to bounce back just like your trampoline” – The corporate cycle.
“Way to go, Tiger” – Words said to you that you can’t quite decipher: were they being sarcastic or supportive?
The Manuscript
“And the years passed / Like scenes of a show” – Really, they do.
“And the tears fell / In synchronicity with the score / And at last / She knew what the agony had been for” – There’s no great accomplishment without great sacrifice, and that’s the simple, brutal truth.
“Now and then I reread the manuscript / But the story isn’t mine anymore”
