On Friday, April 19, Taylor Swift released her eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD).

The standard album is 16 songs and includes melodramatic themes of heartbreak, self-realization and a hint of humor.

Lyrically, TTPD is similar to her albums Folklore and Evermore. Production-wise, Midnights and TTPD share the same touch of electro-pop.

When listening to this album, you need to take a deeper look at the lyrics. All of the songs have alike instrumentals, but the lyrics set them apart from one another.

One song in particular that stands out is “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.”

This song is rumored to be about Swift’s breakup with actor Joe Alwyn during the Era’s Tour, and how Swifties expect a lot from her. Swift talks about the pressure her fans put on her during the tour while she was battling her personal issues.

The lyrics that hit the hardest are “They said, ‘ Babe, you gotta fake it ’til you make it.’ / And I did / Lights, camera, bitch / Even when you wanna die.’”

This track isn’t the only shady one on the album. Matty Healy, lead vocalist for the band, The 1975, was also rumored to have songs written about him. Healy and Swift publicly dated throughout May 2023, not long after Swift’s relationship with Alwyn ended. Despite lasting two months, their relationship was highly publicized in the media.

The title track “The Tortured Poets Department,” is clearly about Healy. Whether it be lyrics talking about his tattoos, love for type-writers or what he tells his friends, specifically Lucy Dacus, Swift directly references him.

“Sometimes, I wonder if you’re gonna screw this up with me / But you told Lucy you’d kill yourself if I ever leave.”

Many other songs highlight Swift’s relationship with Healy, but “The Tortured Poets Department” is the most direct.

While TTPD is not Swift’s best album, it is by no means bad. The lyrics are captivating and in a way, comforting. Swift has the talent to create songs that everyone can relate to, even if it’s dark.