The Tortured Poets Department

Note: Our reviewer Bob Keeley listened to the clean version of Taylor Swift's newest album, The Tortured Poets Society. The clean version, which omits profanity and other mature content from about one-quarter of the album, is available to buy on Spotify, Youtube, and other platforms. The regular album features profanity and mature themes such as suicidal ideation and sexual content that does not reflect the CRC's sexual ethic. Keeley added this as an addendum to his review: "Swift is an important voice in today’s culture. She has the ear of millions of people, especially young women both in and out of the church. Learning what Swift has to say and to why she connects so strongly with so many in our culture is an important piece of understanding how to share the gospel. Swift may not use the language that we might want her to use but she is teaching the church something about the people who admire her art."

Taylor Swift has the attention of the world. Her Eras tour is breaking attendance records everywhere. Her albums, even those she re-records and re-releases, shoot to the top of the charts. Fans, known as Swifties, scour the album liner notes and lyrics for clues for what is coming next. Yet Swift continues to surprise her fans.

She works extremely hard, seemingly writing and recording music in every spare minute. So when fans were expecting the announcement of the re-release of another old album, she instead announced an album of new material, The Tortured Poet’s Department. Within a few hours of its release, she surprised fans by adding an hour of new music, making it a double album.

All that hype wouldn’t amount to much if the music itself wasn’t very good. But, once again, it is. Over two hours, Swift sings about romance, betrayal, and heartbreak. In “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” she even sings about being productive while she cries. What connects Swift to her fans is that she channels her feelings—and theirs—through her music in a way that is plain-spoken and eloquent.

While there are definite through-lines from her first album to this, her 11th, she has managed to grow and change her musical style from album to album. The Tortured Poets Department might not be the best place to start to figure out what all the hype is about, but it is another excellent step in Swift’s growth as an artist. (Republic Records)