Albums to watch

The Tortured Poets Department

Taylor Swift

The Tortured Poets Department

Eleventh album from the singer-songwriter featuring guest appearances from Florence And The Machine and Post Malone produced with Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner

ADM rating[?]

7.5

Label
EMI
UK Release date
19/04/2024
US Release date
19/04/2024
  1. 10.0 |   Rolling Stone

    The Tortured Poets Department combines the intimacy of Folklore and Evermore with the synth-pop gloss of Midnights to create music that's wildly ambitious and gloriously chaotic
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  2. 10.0 |   The Independent

    The whole album is a terrific reminder of the intense, personal connection Swift can conjure in song
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  3. 10.0 |   The Arts Desk

    Taylor Swift has once again alchemised pain and criticism into art
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  4. 9.0 |   The Irish Times

    Superstar’s 11th studio album is the fruit of abject misery but is also steeped in the singer’s trademark indefatigable optimism
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  5. 8.5 |   Under The Radar

    In Swift’s capable hands, even the deepest moments of despair are transmuted into songs which resonate with emotion and genuine insight
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  6. 8.0 |   Albumism

    From wistful melodies to the defiant synth anthems, Swift's new album resonates with a universality that transcends age and experience, speaking directly to the heart of her dedicated fans
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  7. 8.0 |   Clash

    Though haunted by the phantoms of what could’ve been, Taylor’s most cathartic release to have created is her most cathartic to listen to; a spell-binding, toxic, chaotic illustration of what floating adrift and losing yourself looks like
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  8. 8.0 |   The FT

    Eleventh album shows her style evolving in 16 songs that range from charmingly cheesy to moodily melodramatic
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  9. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    Subtly detailed album splits the difference between 1989’s glossy pop-rock and Midnights’ understatement – and lets her ex Matty Healy have it in no uncertain terms
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  10. 8.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    Taylor Swift finds new ways to open up on the sophisticated pop of The Tortured Poets Department
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  11. 8.0 |   PopMatters

    Taylor Swift advances the Midnights synth-based and diaristic formula, embracing increasingly sophisticated and minimalistic sonics on The Tortured Poets Department
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  12. 8.0 |   Dork

    Swift’s prolific nature is a double-edged sword; her unfiltered creativity is a boon for die-hard fans but could be overwhelming for casual listeners. Nevertheless, what remains indisputable is the closure this volume brings to a tumultuous chapter in Swift’s life
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  13. 8.0 |   The Observer

    On her 11th album, the American singer-songwriter picks apart her romantic travails in typically unsparing fashion, while her ability to turn sorrow into songwriting gold remains unparalleled
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  14. 7.5 |   A.V. Club

    The Tortured Poets Department is a solid but underwhelming effort from a pop star at the peak of her powers
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  15. 7.5 |   Spectrum Culture

    Taylor Swift doubles down on heartbreak, wordplay and literary references, making The Tortured Poets Department a far more mature, though perhaps not entirely necessary, installment to her discography
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  16. 7.3 |   Northern Transmissions

    Thorny on arrival but ultimately insightful, TTPD is a mature, messy, and grippingly honest look into Swift’s tortured psyche
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  17. 7.0 |   musicOMH

    The star of her generation’s 11th album has much to enjoy, yet she could benefit from some new lenses through which to view the world
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  18. 7.0 |   Slant Magazine

    The album sustains a vibe that’s melancholic without sacrificing hooks, but its minimalism undercuts the singer’s strengths
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  19. 7.0 |   DIY

    Each of the record’s 31 tracks unfold as a specific set piece filled with anecdotes, some more cleverly worded than others
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  20. 6.9 |   Beats Per Minute

    A unique experience that, even with all its flaws, merits engagement
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  21. 6.6 |   Pitchfork

    In standard and extended editions, Taylor Swift’s 11th studio album races to fill the gap between her intimate songwriting and her increasingly outsized persona. It’s unruly, unedited, and even a little tortured
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  22. 6.0 |   NME

    Arriving at the peak of her imperial phase, Swift’s 11th studio album is surprisingly flat and, at times, cringeworthy
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  23. 6.0 |   No Ripcord

    She’s made some phenomenal music in her career and a handful of songs on The Tortured Poets Department are welcome additions to her canon. These are sadly outnumbered by bland filler and compromised by an overwhelming sense of stasis
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  24. 4.0 |   Exclaim

    Like the colourless photo of a near-anonymous Swift that adorns the album cover, it casts an artful pose but doesn't have the guts to look the listener in the eye
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  25. 3.6 |   Paste Magazine

    What’s hollow about The Tortured Poets Department is that the real torture is just how unlivable these songs really are
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