Who knew what latest era would bring? Or even what it would sound like? Would it build off the or the ? or the of her latest re-records? Or its two predecessors in black-and-white covers: the and the ?

91裸聊视频淭he Tortured Poets Department,91裸聊视频� here Friday, is an amalgamation of all of the above, reflecting the artist who 91裸聊视频� at the peak of her powers 91裸聊视频� has spent the last few years re-recording her life91裸聊视频檚 work and filtered through synth-pop anthems, breakup ballads, provocative and matured considerations.

In moments, feels like a bloodletting: A cathartic purge after a major heartbreak delivered through an ascendant vocal run, an elegiac verse, or mobile, synthesized productions that underscore the powers of Swift91裸聊视频檚 storytelling.

And there are surprises. The lead single and opener 91裸聊视频淔ortnight91裸聊视频� is 91裸聊视频�198991裸聊视频� grown up 91裸聊视频� and features . It might seem like a funny pairing, but it91裸聊视频檚 a long time coming: Since at least 2018, Swift91裸聊视频檚 fans have known of her love for Malone91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淏etter Now.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淏ut Daddy I Love Him91裸聊视频� is the return of country Taylor, in some ways 91裸聊视频� fairytale songwriting, a full band chorus, a plucky acoustic guitar riff, and a cheeky lyrical reversal: 91裸聊视频淏ut Daddy I love him / I91裸聊视频檓 having his baby / No, I91裸聊视频檓 not / But you should see your faces.91裸聊视频� (Babies appear on 91裸聊视频淔lorida!!!91裸聊视频� and the bonus track 91裸聊视频淭he Manuscript91裸聊视频� as well.)

The fictitious 91裸聊视频淔resh Out The Slammer91裸聊视频� begins with a really pretty psych guitar tone that disappears beneath wind-blown production; the new wave-adjacent 91裸聊视频淢y Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys91裸聊视频� : 91裸聊视频淚 felt more when we played pretend than with all the Kens / 91裸聊视频楥ause he took me out of my box.91裸聊视频�

Even before kicks off her verse in 91裸聊视频淔lorida!!!,91裸聊视频� the chorus91裸聊视频� explosive repetition of the song title hits hard with nostalgic 2010s indie rock, perhaps an alt-universe Swiftian take on Sufjan Stevens91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淚llinois.91裸聊视频�

As another title states, 91裸聊视频淪o Long, London,91裸聊视频� indeed.

It would be a disservice to read Swift91裸聊视频檚 songs as purely diaristic, but that track 91裸聊视频� the fifth on this album, which her fans typically peg as the most devastating slot on each album 91裸聊视频� evokes striking parallels to her relationship with a certain English actor she Place it next to a sleepy love ode like 91裸聊视频淭he Alchemy,91裸聊视频� with its references to 91裸聊视频渢ouchdown91裸聊视频� and cutting someone 91裸聊视频渇rom the team91裸聊视频� and well 91裸聊视频� .

Revenge is still a pervasive theme. But where the reprisal anthems on 91裸聊视频淢idnights91裸聊视频� were vindictive, on 91裸聊视频淭he Tortured Poets Department,91裸聊视频� there are new complexities: 91裸聊视频淲ho91裸聊视频檚 Afraid of Little Old Me?91裸聊视频� combines the musical ambitiousness of 91裸聊视频渆vermore91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频渇olklore91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� and adds a resounding bass on the bridge 91裸聊视频� with sensibilities ripped from the weapons-drawn, obstinate 91裸聊视频淩eputation.91裸聊视频� But here, Swift mostly trades victimhood for self-assurance, warts and all.

91裸聊视频淲ho91裸聊视频檚 afraid of little old me?91裸聊视频� she sings. 91裸聊视频淵ou should be,91裸聊视频� she responds.

And yet, 91裸聊视频淭he Smallest Man Who Ever Lived91裸聊视频� may be her most biting song to date: 91裸聊视频淵ou didn91裸聊视频檛 measure up in any measure of a man,91裸聊视频� she sings atop propulsive piano. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檒l forget you, but I won91裸聊视频檛 ever forgive,91裸聊视频� she describes her target, likely the same 91裸聊视频渢attooed golden retriever,91裸聊视频� a jejune description, mentioned in the title track.

Missteps are few, found in other mawkish lyrics and songs like 91裸聊视频淒own Bad91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淕uilty as Sin?91裸聊视频� that falter when placed next to the album91裸聊视频檚 more meditative pop moments.

Elsewhere, Swift holds up a mirror to her melodrama and melancholy 91裸聊视频� she91裸聊视频檚 crying at the gym, don91裸聊视频檛 tell her about 91裸聊视频渟ad,91裸聊视频� is she allowed to cry? She died inside, she thinks you might want her dead; she thinks she might just die. She listens to the voices that tell her 91裸聊视频淟ights, camera, bitch, smile / Even when you want to die,91裸聊视频� as she sings on 91裸聊视频淚 Can Do It with a Broken Heart,91裸聊视频� a song about her own performances 91裸聊视频� onstage and as a public figure.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 miserable and nobody even knows!91裸聊视频� she laughs at the end of the song before sighing, 91裸聊视频淭ry and come for my job.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淐lara Bow91裸聊视频� enters the pantheon of great final tracks on a Swift album. The title refers to the 1920s silent film star who burned fast and bright 91裸聊视频� an early 91裸聊视频淚t girl91裸聊视频� and Hollywood sex symbol subject to vitriolic gossip, a victim of easy, everyday misogyny amplified by celebrity. Once Bow91裸聊视频檚 harsh Brooklyn accent was heard in the talkies, it was rumored, her career was over.

In life, Bow later attempted suicide and was sent to an asylum 91裸聊视频� the same institution that appears on 91裸聊视频淲ho91裸聊视频檚 Afraid of Little Old Me?91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淐lara Bow91裸聊视频� works as an allegory and a cautionary tale for Swift, the same way 91裸聊视频淢abel Normand91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� another tragic silent film star 91裸聊视频� functioned for the Fleetwood Mac star.

Nicks appears in 91裸聊视频淐lara Bow,91裸聊视频� too: 91裸聊视频淵ou look like Stevie Nicks in 91裸聊视频�75 / The hair and lips / Crowd goes wild.91裸聊视频�

Later, Swift turns the camera inward, and the song ends with her singing, 91裸聊视频淵ou look like Taylor Swift in this light / We91裸聊视频檙e loving it / You91裸聊视频檝e got edge / She never did.91裸聊视频� The album ends there, on what could be read as self-deprecation but stings more like frustrating self-awareness.

Swift sings about a tortured poet, but she is one, too. And isn91裸聊视频檛 it great that she91裸聊视频檚 allowed herself the creative license?

Maria Sherman, The Associated Press