Taylor Swift is giving fans a track-by-track look at her new album “The Tortured Poets Department” on Amazon Music.
After its April 19 release, the album broke streaming records. Swift now explains each track. Fans can tell Alexa, “I’m a member of ‘The Tortured Poets Department.’” to hear Swift’s remark on “The Tortured Poets Department.”
Swift explained the motivation behind songs including “Fortnight” with Post Malone, “Clara Bow,” “Florida!!!” with Florence + the Machine, “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” and “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys.”
“‘Fortnight’ exemplifies many of this album’s themes. Swift stated the album’s opening song was about fatalism, longing, and lost dreams. I think it’s a fatalistic record with many drаmаtic life-or-deаth lines. Love you, it’s ruining my life. These are extreme statements. That kind of album.”
Swift said “Clara Bow,” named after the silent cinema actress, is “a commentary on what I’ve seen in the industry that I’ve been in over time.”
When I was a kid, I sat in record labels hoping to get signed. They would remark, ‘you know, you remind us of’ and nаme an artist, then insult her by saying, ‘but you’re this, you’re so much better in this manner or that way.’ That’s how we teach wоmen to see themselves—like you could replace this amazing woman,” she remarked. I chose wоmen who have achieved excellence and are entertainment industry archetypes. Clara Bow was the first ‘it girl.’ Stevie Nicks is an inspiration for everybody who wishes to write and perform music.
“Florida!!!” with Florence + the Machine is one of Swift’s few songs that doesn’t mention an ex. Swift says “always watching ‘Dateline.’” inspired this song.
“When people commit crimes, where do they leave town? “They go to Florida,” the singer said. They try to change identities and blend in. After a heartbreak, you may think, “I want a new nаme.” Want a fresh life. I want no one to know where I’ve gone or who I am. So that started it. Where would you reinvent and fit in? Florida!”
Swift said she wrote “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me” “alone, sitting at the piano in one of those moments when I felt bitter about just all the things we do to our artists as a society and as a culture.”
“There’s a lot about this concept on ‘The Tortured Poets Department,’” she said. What do we do to authors, artists, and creatives? We tortured them. We watch and judge their work. We love to witness artists in anguish, sometimes to the point where I think we cause it and watch.”
Swift concluded to explain the metaphor in “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys.”
She stated the song is about “being somebody’s favorite toy until they break you and don’t want to play with you anymore”. In many relationships, we are first cherished by a person, but then they break us or devalue us in their opinion. We’re holding onto “No no, no.” When they first saw me, you should have seen them. That will be addressed. That will be addressed.
