Per always, I’m writing out my thoughts on each song as I listen to the album all in one sitting, in its intended order. So, I was kind of in an overload of Taylor for a while, and I was very unimpressed with the mixing on 1989, but I am so fucking in love with this album IMMEDIATELY. I’m saying that before finishing it… so, we’ll see where it goes. About halfway through I have realized that this album is basically a movie at 2 hours 2 minutes. I find it interesting that throughout the album she goes back and forth between who she’s talking about. Like heartbreak, and life, this is realistic that she’s thinking of these men out of order. I think it’s a good choice to make this journey more mixed than linear.

Fortnight –  is a good song, it was a slow burn at first, but by the end of it I was super happy with it. It’s pretty both lyrically and melodically, plus I just like it.

The Tortured Poets Department – is such a sobering fun song for me personally. “We’re modern idiots” feels great, and I like it. It always feels this way IMO when creating art, especially written words. I also like that she admits that they’re both crazy artists and this amuses me. I also feel sad for Taylor that she loved Joe so deeply and it ended. As a married woman, I can’t even imagine if we ever split up. Update: I have been informed by the masses that is is likely about Matty. Jeeze this girl is in deep with her fling, alrighty.

I’ll likely purchase this for my car, where I listen to music like it’s 1999. Don’t worry I also have a Bluetooth adapter, but something about CDs… Hits Different.

My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys – “Oh here we go again…” I like the opening, the drums come dangerously close to drowning Taylor’s voice out, but I think it toes the line well and does a good job of partnering with the message of the song. I, like Taylor, love the imagery of breaking sandcastles. However, I don’t think this will be a favorite toy of mine. Not a bad song, just not something I think I’ll want to play on repeat (unlike the two songs before it).

Down Bad – I don’t think I really like the synthesis on this. Her vocals and the way she’s saying, “down bad” sound great, however. But, like the song before it, I don’t think I’m going to be obsessed with this one. I think the song would be better if it were more stripped like its message. Ie. no synthesis, I hate synthesis. I personally feel like the message of the song was also covered in The Tortured Poets Department so, this song over-all feels like a cut for me. Although—I do like that it has some remnants of Death By a Thousand Cuts, so that’s nice.

So Long, London – I wonder who this song is about. We’ll never figure out the clues! Alright, So Long, London, and thank god-honestly, because I am so freaking sick of the imagery of London—and I want to forget that London Boy ever happened. Oh, is there a song playing? I’m pretty bored here and thinking just how much I did not love Taylor’s obsession with Britain. To be honest, it felt like a costume. “I’m pissed off that you let me give you all that youth for free” saves this song for me. It’s beautiful and the poetry here is wonderful—so much that I am deep in thought over it. This song is actually the poetic heart of the album (that I can tell this far). It’s so haunting, awful, and horrible to think of how deep the pain is here. Honestly, Joe has always come off as a tortured artist who takes himself too seriously. The whole, “I won’t talk about our relationship because I am an artist in my own right” while valid.. just came off as selfish. I wonder if Taylor thought so, too? This song reminds me of the quote, “Writing is easy, just sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

But Daddy I Love Him – Like all of Taylor’s attempts to become semi-political (Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince), the song itself is pretty, but the message is clunky, messy, and disjointed. I’m not sure what the hell this song is about? Is she unhappy about conservative states? Is she just talking about how shitty Matty is? I honestly don’t know. She just seems angry here, about something… everything? Politics? People? I don’t know. This is a complete cut for me. It sounds fine, but I have no idea what the point is. It’s almost like somebody said, “people are going to speculate about Matty, so write a completely obvious song about it and be done with it.” Also, the “I’m having his baby—no I’m not.” I presume is about crazy rumors and how the media is nuts… but… what? Lord. Thank god it’s over.

Fresh Out of The Slammer – Nice guitar at the beginning, immediate Cash vibes. Are we getting some country? This song is a relief after the last two. It finally feels like we’re free. So, good job Taylor—because the song is perfectly placed between the prison of losing Joe and the Matty craze. At this point, all I can think is why are there 31 songs? I know people are super insatiable—but man this is a lot. Also, I’m sick of her saying the word “baby”. Is this a clue? Is Taylor desperate for a baby? I’m sorry, I’m just musing because I’m so sick of the word. “I’m the girl of his American Dreams” makes me think that this song is about wanting a baby with Joe? I don’t know. It’s a nice song though. I think my favourites are the ones that make me think deeply.

Florida!!! – Ugh. “Little babies”. WHY IS SHE ADDING THE WORD BABY EVERYWHERE? I hate this song. Florence + The Machine is gorgeous though, so that saves it. I’m almost angry at how good her part is because otherwise I’d throw this song in the never listen to again category. Like But Daddy I Love Him I have no idea what this song’s even about. Alrighty… please end now. I’m over this one.

Guilty as Sin? – I assume this is about Matty or something like that. Honestly, I’m just bored here. This just seems like more melodrama about how people didn’t like them together. It sounds okay, and it’s not a bad song, I just found my mind drifting and my attention not gripping. “Oh what a way to die” caught me, though. It’s pretty, but again, not overly special.

Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? – Finally something that sounds different. What. A. Treasure. I love the old country sound and feel to this, “If you wanted me dead you should have just said” and the gallows imagery… gorgeous. I think I’m also super happy with this one because I’ve been obsessed with Fallout lately and I do think this fits the apocalypse well. But anyway. This song is great. “You don’t get to tell me you feel bad”. I also love the witchcraft of levitation. This song is absolutely wonderful. If people are going to have a witch hunt, might as well be a witch, right?

I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) – I’m glad that Taylor is self-reflecting on the Matty era and how she actually can’t fix him. I like that most of the song follows the delusion until the end. I also love that she’s admitting – yeah everybody saw it, but I was in it – “maybe I can’t” as the end is great. Really good message and song.

loml – I hate this title. What the hell is it? I do understand her pain because she was so sure she was going to marry Joe and be with him forever. The song covers that sadness and the want to have a family quite well. Okay, I get it now… the love of your life. I wonder if the title being in a lowercase acronym is supposed to reference how untrue it was? I like that. That it’s so painful she can’t even write it – as a writer, these images are so good. This is the poetry we want from Taylor. The melody is also gorgeous. This song hit me by surprise. The tiny bit of hope they could rekindle their flame is also beautiful and sad. Glad she said “cradles” instead of babies, too. Stop saying the word baby. I like the ending with the changed meaning too, “you’re the loss of my life”. Sad, pretty, lovely.

I Can Do It With a Broken Heart – I like that Taylor is commenting on how she seemed to get over Joe so quickly, when we all knew in reality it wasn’t true. The pop beat is not good here, and it’s very quick-paced Taylor… but the beat is terrible. I get that it’s supposed to be a bubble gum pop irony of how she’s BEING HAPPY when she’s not—but my god, I don’t like it. I just don’t think it worked. I wanted to actually click ‘next’ on Spotify, but for completion purposes I didn’t. The end beats make me want to vomit.

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived – “Was any of it true gazing at me starry-eyed?” This song is petty. I’m not sure if I care that it’s petty. Clearly this is a Matty song. I think for it being a 2 minute long relationship that this is just… boring. Like, girl you were grieving Joe, get over the fact that Matty is a dick. We all know. I just don’t care? Cut. “I would have died for your sins”. What the hell did he do that we don’t know? Honestly, she’s talking about him like he murdered 100 people. My eyes glazed over.

The Alchemy – This song is quite pretty. I love the use of alchemy for a relationship that you can’t get away from. I like that it’s also just pretty and a good song that doesn’t make me overthink everything. This song is easy to listen to, and I like it. I don’t really have deep thoughts about it. I also find it sweet and happy—clearly we’re moving into full Kelce territory.

Clara Bow – This feels like old Taylor—and I really like that. It also makes me think about You Belong With Me especially the relationship with Travis feeling like she finally got her Captain of the football team after all of these years. She’s also finally on top of the world that she already wanted to be, and even better, she has somebody by her side that she could have imagined in the beginning. She is the “real Queen”. Absolutely in love with this one! “You look like Taylor Swift in this light” line is also a great tie-in to the comparisons between her life now and the life she wanted at debut.

The Black Dog – Interesting use of the black dog which is a metaphor of depression. I also like how she talked about it being a place. She’s talking about depression a lot when it comes to Joe. This makes me even sadder to think that the relationship ended because he was so depressed that it couldn’t work out. It doesn’t hurt that this song is beautiful. I think this should replace one of the earlier, because it’s much more powerful than the others with a similar message.

Imgonnagetyouback – As we move through the disjointed stages of grief, it’s no surprise that there was a moment where Taylor wanted to fix it all and make it work. But, I’ll say that I’m pretty exhausted by their relationship at this point. We wanted more more more… and she gave it. Now I want less. I was going to say I hated the song… BUT… I do like the double meaning “I’m gonna get you back” either as her lover or with revenge. This dual meaning caught me off guard and changed my opinion entirely. It’s brilliant! The chorus is really good and saves the entire song, also it sounds good too. This song also reminds me of Lover but in a dark way.

The Albatross – The opening beat is so hauntingly gorgeous. I love the folky vibes here. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, for those who don’t know is probably the longest poem ever written and is about a mariner who kills an innocent albatross and regrets it whole-heartedly. Including a titular song that goes back to this is quite savvy of Taylor, and shows that her literary chops are far beyond re-imagining Romeo and Juliet. This song is impressive. Taylor comparing herself to the albatross is creative and wonderful. My interpretation is that Taylor is hoping that despite it all, the pain of what he did will haunt Joe for the rest of his life.

Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus – I’m almost wondering if this song is about Matty, or if people assume it is because of the illicit drugs—but part of me wonders, what if it’s about Joe? I truly wonder if Joe was depressed and abusing drugs and this is what ruined the relationship. I don’t want to accuse him of this, but there’s a part of me thinks that it’s weird that she’d be this upset about Matty. I mean, it’s the obvious choice that it’s about Matty… but I’m starting to wonder. Although, considering the article title on the Daily Mail “He’s a British rock star and ex-heroin addict who smokes cannabis during interviews and makes tawdry boasts about his conquests… So will Taylor Swift be able to tame her wildest boyfriend yet” I think it’s safe to say it’s about Matty. But, lord, why was she so convinced that this was going to work out? Was she so desperate to be over Joe that she just… thought she was obsessively in love? Honestly, I think this album would be better if Taylor cut like 80% of the Matty material.

How Did It End? – I don’t know how I feel about this song at all. I guess it’s about how nobody but those closer to them will really know the truth? I guess, fair enough. It seems that Taylor is conceding that her and Joe simply drifted apart without any fault. I’m just not really sure that I like the song. Part of me wonders if part of this is also about Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas breaking up as well. I am sure this was heavily on Taylor’s mind. As the song goes on, I think I lean on the not hating it side. This one might grow on me. I also think the part where Taylor seems confused herself how it ended is interesting and a good reflection. I think that this song becomes stronger at the hook. I also think the funeral imagery throughout was well-placed and not overly dramatic like The Great War and world-war two comparisons.

So High School – Love the early 2000s pop sound here mixed with the imagery from the times. The song is pretty and of course makes me think back to You Belong With Me and Taylor wanting to be with the football captain. This song is a great tribute to both Kelce and debut. I’m glad that she’s focusing on this because it’s been on my mind ever since they got together. They just feel so right together.

I Hate It Here – This song is very sad and pretty. It’s poetic and nice. I really don’t have deep thoughts on it other than I like it. I like the use of having your own place in your head to escape to. I also like the callback to reading The Secret Garden as a kid.

thanK you aIMee – Why are we still talking about Kim? Glad she’s gotten over it, I guess. But, why are we still talking about it? Seriously. If there’s something I don’t want to think about it… it’s the Kimye drama, and my god, I don’t understand why it has any place on this album. I’d completely cut this one. Also the title makes my eyes roll. I’m just not interested in any of this at all.

I Look Into People’s Windows – This song is very pretty. I like the reflection of Taylor that she’s trying to find Joe to see where he is, if he’s moved on, and what’s happening. At least, that’s my interpretation here. I also think the title has good reference to comparing herself to others in general. There’s also the element of always being on the outside looking in… so much meaning in such a short song. Brilliant!

The Prophecy – If nothing else, this song sounds amazing. It just sounds so good. This is definitely going to be a repeater. The lyrics are also really nice. Wanting to change how things turned out and having everything but the one person you want is very powerful. Honestly, I have less to say here because it’s just so good. This also reminds me of a folk song in all the best ways.

Cassandra – I will admit I didn’t know who Cassandra of Troy was, which is regretable as a hellenistic pagan (woops). The song is very pretty and lyrical, and after looking up the meaning, I am incredibly impressed. Taylor is obviously far more well read than I’d ever expected, and I’m honestly flabberghasted. This is probably the best song Taylor’s sang that could be taken politically, about Borchetta/Scooter, Jonas, or about Kimye. Maybe it’s about all of it?

Peter – Interesting that we have some biblical references here since Taylor has spent a lot of time distancing herself from religion in her career. Peter, of course, betrayed Jesus numerous times. This imagery is well-placed by simply using the name that fills in the blanks of being betrayed numerous times. There is also the references to Peter Pan and being forever young, which is a beautiful mix of youth and betrayal.

The Bolter – This is a less messy version of Anti-Hero, more understanding that she’s different and not necessarily bad or the problem. I also like that it talks about how she went through the worst but came through. I have no complaints. Although, by this point I’m exhausted since I’ve been listening endlessly from start to finish.

Robin – This feels like a final goodbye to Joe, I’m thinking of “if you love something let it go” but then there’s the realization that the bird is not going to return and having to concede that it wasn’t meant to be. I also think, in some ways, Taylor thinks she is also the Robin where he let her go and she realized it wasn’t right for her to try to go back

The Manuscript – Finally, the end. This has been a long morning of beautiful poetry, but my brain hurts now because I’ve been thinking a lot more than I expected to. Anybody who says that Taylor is just some crappy pop artist, I kind of want to punch them. The Manuscript as a finale is quite wonderful. More mention about strollers here. The theme of wanting to get married and have a baby has been very strong throughout this album. Part of this seems like All Too Well, so maybe Taylor has always had this longing desire to be a housewife and mother that she’s rarely showed before? Is this an admission that fame isn’t all it’s cracked out to be? As an author I can tell you that the hardest part of writing a manuscript is publishing it, putting it out into the world, and then moving on… “Now again I read the manuscript but the story isn’t mine anymore.” captures the death to author concept of literary analysis. Now that The Tortured Poets Department is out in the world, it is a novel for all of us to reflect upon and find our own meaning.

As somebody who has written—and published—melodramatic poetry, I will say that no poet or literary scholar has any business questioning Taylor’s artistic merit, not only as a musician/singer, but as a literary genius. While there are a few songs here and there that felt unnecessary, so to do poetry anthologies have poems that don’t hit the mark for every reader. This album solidifies Taylor’s work as literature.