Taylor Swift’s much awaited album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” came out on April 18, and may leave many listeners with mixed reviews. 

This new album has a similar sound throughout the whole listening experience, and listeners may not be able to tell when one song ends and the next begins. All the tracks have a strikingly similar vibe, which may cause some audiences to grow bored with the album. There are only two songs that really stand out to me: “Florida!!!” and, “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” are the only tracks that have a more exciting sound, with more of an upbeat vibe, despite the story that the songs are telling. 

Swift’s songs are often relatable, charming, and catchy, which is what has allowed her to gain so much popularity. “The Tortured Poets Department” sounds very similar to the past albums she has released, beginning at “folklore.” Swift’s songs in these albums sound like they should be played in a coffee shop or cafe, which is something that can appeal to most. Swift’s music has matured with her, and it seems like she has decided that this is the style she is going to stick with for a while. But, with that comes the fact that her music has grown to be extremely repetitive, with most of her songs bleeding into each other, sounding the same. 

Despite many of the songs featured in “The Tortured Poets Department” sounding a little bit too similar, Swift manages to do some amazing storytelling, conveying her feelings in a remarkably ‘poetic’ way. In her track, “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” Swift tells the story of how she has felt so deeply and broken-heartedly even throughout all of her fame and success. This track may be intended simply to convey how Swift feels, but manages to bring the message of “keep moving forward” to audiences worldwide. 

One of the other songs that tends to stick out is “Florida!!!,” which features Florence + the Machine. The song is more upbeat, despite its darker lyrics, and both of the artist’s voices match together harmoniously, which allows for the appealing sound of the song. The two artists sounded amazing together, giving “Florida” a whole new meaning. 

Overall, “The Tortured Poets Department” has a very similar and predictable sound throughout all of the tracks, which may be something that bores listeners. Despite the almost drawling feeling that listeners may experience trying to get through the whole thing, Swift’s emotions are expressed excellently, not through the sound, but through the lyrics themselves. Though, this can only be heard by those who pay close attention to the words, rather than just listening casually. So, in general, this album may not be everyone’s cup of tea.