Wikipedia

The Tortured Poets Department (song)

"The Tortured Poets Department" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the title track of her eleventh studio album (2024). Swift wrote and produced the track with Jack Antonoff. A synth-pop song, "The Tortured Poets Department" incorporates drums, sparkling synths, and electronic sounds. Its lyrics satirize a relationship between two pretentious artists.

"The Tortured Poets Department"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album The Tortured Poets Department
ReleasedApril 19, 2024 (2024-04-19)
Studio
GenreSynth-pop
Length4:53
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Taylor Swift
  • Jack Antonoff
Lyric video
"The Tortured Poets Department" on YouTube

Music critics compared the production to the music from the 1980s. There were mixed opinions about the song: some found it catchy and complimented the sarcastic tone, but some others found the lyrics awkward and overwritten.

Background and composition

edit

Swift announced The Tortured Poets Department on February 4, 2024 at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards during her acceptance speech for the Best Pop Vocal Album award. Shortly after the announcement, the album's artwork was shared on her Instagram profile. Swift's website also enabled the album to be pre-ordered in vinyl, CD, cassette and digital format.[1]

Critics have described "The Tortured Poets Department" as glittery synth-pop and a power-ballad incorporating 1980s-era musical elements evocative of Cutting Crew, Roxette and Phil Collins.[2][3] The track is built on drums, sparkling synths,[4] and electronic sounds that evoke guitar-pop.[5]

The lyrics of "The Tortured Poets Departent" are about experiencing emotional turmoil and heartbreak in a relationship while also being introspective.[6][7] John Wholmancher of Beats Per Minute interpreted the song's lyrics as satirical, adding that Swift acknowledges her inferiority to the artistic levels of Dylan Thomas and Patti Smith, and believes that achieving great artistry comes from embracing deep self-realization and creative integrity rather than fame. In the song's opening, "'Who uses typewriters anyway?'", Swift seems to question the use of vintage technology, as an expression of artistic struggle, rather, views the instrument as serving a visual purpose. She calls herself and her partner "modern idiots", a self-critique and awareness of their artistic limitations. Swift possibly desires to gain a deep, genuine engagement in her creative process that Thomas and Smith achieved.[8]

Critical reception

edit

In a ranking of all 31 tracks from The Anthology edition of The Tortured Poets Department, Billboard ranked the title track in 11th place. Jason Lipschutz wrote for the magazine, saying "the drums sound light and unobtrusive as her voice sways and bends, and Swift references mutual friends and collaborators amidst the pretty synth noodling and 'whoa-oh' rejoinders, leaving bread crumbs for expert listeners while walking deeper into the synth fantasia."[4] Screen Rant placed the song at 21st in their ranking, with Lynn Sharpe writing "the hyperspecific [sic] details and overly conversational writing on the title track are distracting to the point that it sometimes takes the listener out."[9] Ryan Fish of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the track strongly alludes to Swift's former fling with Matty Healy.[10] Pitchfork's Olivia Horn called it a "winking" track that makes fun of Swift's self-seriousness, adding; "She piles the metaphors on thick, throws stuff at the wall even after something has stuck, picks up the things that didn't stick and uses them anyway."[11] Chris Willman of Variety said the track had a "jangly-guitar-pop" that captured the mood of "Mirrorball" from Folklore (2020), further adding that "it actually feels completely un-tortured, despite the ironic title."[12] Clash Music praised the song's production for being nostalgic,[3] while Tom Breihan of Stereogum called the song "a full-on earworm".[13] Business Insider's Callie Ahlgrim said the song succeeds with its intention of being "over-the-top corny and tongue-in-cheek amusing", but felt the production "sounds like an AI-created "Midnights" parody."[14]

Some critics said that the lyric, "You smoked, and then ate seven bars of chocolate, We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist. I scratch your head, you fall asleep, like a tattooed Golden Retriever", was clumsy or cringe.[7][15][16] The line also became the subject of parodies online.[8] On the contrary, Helen Brown of The Independent complimented Swift's lyricism, writing "I defy anyone not to lean into Swift's concisely charged storytelling."[17] Finn McRedmond of The Irish Times gave the track a negative review, saying it was overworked and made Swift sound ostentatious; "She leaves no space for the song to breathe, cramming in as many words as she can."[18]

"The Tortured Poets Department" name-checks multiple musicians and writers in its lyrics, mentioning Charlie Puth, Dylan Thomas, and Patti Smith. The names "Lucy" and "Jack" were interpreted by music critics to be American singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus and the song's producer Jack Antonoff.[19][20] Newsweek reported that Puth gained 30,962 followers on Instagram in three days following the song's release.[21] Smith posted herself on Instagram reading Thomas’ Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog with a caption thanking Swift for mentioning her name.[22]

Commercial performance

edit

Following the album's release, nine of its tracks debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard Global 200, with "The Tortured Poets Department" debuting and peaking at number three on the chart. Swift extended her total top 10 entries on the chart to 33.[23][24] In the United States, the track opened at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The track alongside 13 other songs from The Tortured Poets Department made Swift the first artist to occupy the entire top 14 of the Hot 100.[25][26] In Australia, "The Tortured Poets Department" debuted at number three on the ARIA Singles Chart and she became the artist with the most simultaneous entries in a single week with 29.[27][28] In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart and extended her total top 10 entries in the country to 28.[29][30]

Elsewhere, "The Tortured Poets Department" charted within the top 10 in Canada,[31] New Zealand,[32] the Philippines,[33] Singapore,[34] Hong Kong,[35] Austria,[36] India,[37] Switzerland,[38] and Luxembourg.[39] The song also reached the top 20 in several other countries: number 11 in Malaysia,[40] number 12 in Denmark,[41] number 13 in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region,[42] number 14 in Greece,[43] number 15 in Sweden,[44] number 16 in Portugal,[45] Belgium,[46] and South Africa,[47] and number 19 in Latvia[48] and Indonesia.[49] It received a gold certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)[50] and a silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).[51]

Personnel

edit

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Tortured Poets Department.[52]

Charts

edit
Chart performance for "The Tortured Poets Department"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Argentina (Argentina Hot 100)[53] 60
Australia (ARIA)[27] 3
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[36] 10
Belgium (Billboard)[46] 16
Brazil (Brasil Hot 100)[54] 55
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[31] 3
Croatia (Billboard)[55] 24
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[56] 32
Denmark (Tracklisten)[41] 12
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[57] 48
France (SNEP)[58] 55
Global 200 (Billboard)[23] 3
Greece International (IFPI)[43] 14
Hong Kong (Billboard)[35] 8
India (IMI)[37] 10
Indonesia (Billboard)[49] 19
Ireland (IRMA)[59] 4
Italy (FIMI)[60] 85
Latvia (LAIPA)[48] 19
Luxembourg (Billboard)[39] 10
Malaysia (Billboard)[40] 11
MENA (IFPI)[42] 13
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[32] 4
Norway (VG-lista)[61] 28
Philippines (Billboard)[33] 5
Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100)[62] 72
Portugal (AFP)[45] 16
Singapore (RIAS)[34] 4
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[63] 32
South Africa (TOSAC)[47] 16
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[44] 15
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[38] 10
UK Singles (OCC)[29] 3
US Billboard Hot 100[25] 4

Certifications

edit
Certifications for "The Tortured Poets Department"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[50] Gold 35,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[51] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

edit
  1. ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (April 18, 2024). "Taylor Swift Announces New Album 'The Tortured Poets Department' During Grammys Acceptance Speech". Variety. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  2. ^ Martin, Rachel (April 19, 2024). "Album Review: The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift". Notion. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department". Clash Music. April 19, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Lipshutz, Jason. "Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department': All 31 Tracks Ranked". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  5. ^ Willman, Chris (April 18, 2024). "Taylor Swift Renews Her Vows With Heartbreak in Audacious, Transfixing 'Tortured Poets Department': Album Review". Variety. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  6. ^ Miyashita, Nina; Waterhouse, Jonah (April 22, 2024). "All the hidden meanings in Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' album". Vogue. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Petrusich, Amanda (April 19, 2024). "Taylor Swift's Tortured Poets Society". The New Yorker. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Wohlmacher, John (April 23, 2024). "Album Review: Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  9. ^ Sharpe, Lynn (April 20, 2024). "Taylor Swift: All 31 The Tortured Poets Department Songs, Ranked Worst To Best". Screen Rant. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  10. ^ Fish, Ryan (April 22, 2024). "Every Song on Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department,' Ranked". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  11. ^ Horn, Olivia (April 22, 2024). "The Tortured Poets Department / The Anthology". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  12. ^ Willman, Chris (April 18, 2024). "Taylor Swift Renews Her Vows With Heartbreak in Audacious, Transfixing 'Tortured Poets Department': Album Review". Variety. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  13. ^ Breihan, Tom (April 19, 2024). "Premature Evaluation: Taylor Swift The Tortured Poets Department". Stereogum. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  14. ^ Ahlgrim, Callie (April 19, 2024). "Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' is the messiest, horniest, and funniest album she's ever made". Business Insider. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  15. ^ Hunt, El (April 19, 2024). "Taylor Swift - The Tortured Poets Department album review: underwhelming and clunky". The Standard. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  16. ^ "Taylor Swift Strikes Out Looking on The Tortured Poets Department". Paste. April 19, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  17. ^ Brown, Helen (April 19, 2024). "Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department review: Irresistible, country-hued tales of relationships past and present". The Independent. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  18. ^ McRedmond, Finn (April 19, 2024). "Taylor Swift: The Tortured Poets Department track by track review – A manifesto for all the believers who will try at love one more time". The Irish Times. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  19. ^ Schwedel, Heather (April 20, 2024). "Every Proper Noun on Taylor Swift's Tortured Poets Department, Charted and Annotated". Slate. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  20. ^ "Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department features astounding name-dropping, here's the list". Hindustan Times. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  21. ^ Lloyd, Sophie (April 22, 2024). "Charlie Puth Gets Boost After Being Named in Taylor Swift Song". Newsweek. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  22. ^ Iasimone, Ashley (April 20, 2024). "Here's What Patti Smith Thinks of Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' Lyric Naming Her". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  23. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  24. ^ Trust, Gary (April 29, 2024). "Taylor Swift & Post Malone's 'Fortnight' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard Global Charts". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  25. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  26. ^ Trust, Gary (April 29, 2024). "Taylor Swift Claims Record Top 14 Spots on Billboard Hot 100, Led by 'Fortnight' with Post Malone". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  27. ^ a b "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. April 29, 2024. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  28. ^ Gbogbo, Mawunyo (April 29, 2024). "Taylor Swift's New Album The Tortured Poets Department Smashes Chart Records in the US, UK and Australia". ABC News. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  29. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  30. ^ Brandle, Lars (April 29, 2023). "Taylor Swift Nabs U.K. Chart Double As 'Fortnight' Starts at No. 1". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  31. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  32. ^ a b "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 30, 2024. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  33. ^ a b "Philippines Songs - Week of May 4, 2024". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  34. ^ a b "RIAS Top Charts Week 17 (19 - 25 Apr 2024)". RIAS. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  35. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hong Kong Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  36. ^ a b "Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  37. ^ a b "IMI International Top 20 Singles for week ending 29th April 2024 | Week 17 of 52". IMIcharts. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024.
  38. ^ a b "Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  39. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Luxembourg Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  40. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Malaysia Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  41. ^ a b "Track Top-40 Uge 17, 2024". Hitlisten. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  42. ^ a b "The Official MENA Chart". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  43. ^ a b "IFPI Charts". www.ifpi.gr. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  44. ^ a b "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 17". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  45. ^ a b "Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  46. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Belgium Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  47. ^ a b "Amapiano Princess takes over the charts, while Taylor Swift dominates with new album (Ed 133)". The Official South African Charts. May 2, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  48. ^ a b "Straumēšanas TOP 2024 – 17. nedēļa" [Streaming TOP 2024 – Week 17] (in Latvian). LAIPA. June 12, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  49. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Indonesia Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  50. ^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  51. ^ a b "British single certifications – Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  52. ^ The Tortured Poets Department (The Manuscript edition vinyl liner notes). Taylor Swift. Republic Records. 2024. 602458933314.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  53. ^ "Taylor Swift – Chart History (Argentina Hot 100)" Billboard Argentina Hot 100 Singles for Taylor Swift. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  54. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Brasil Hot 100)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  55. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Croatia Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 13, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  56. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 17. týden 2024 in the date selector. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  57. ^ "Taylor Swift: The Tortured Poets Department" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  58. ^ "Top Singles (Week 16, 2024)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  59. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  60. ^ "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 17" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Archived from the original on February 4, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  61. ^ "Singel 2024 uke 17". VG-lista. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  62. ^ "OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie" (Select week 19.04.2024–25.04.2024.) (in Polish). OLiS. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  63. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 202417 into search. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Tortured_Poets_Department_(song)&oldid=1243006279"