Taylor Swift.
A name some are tired of hearing, and others adore. Regardless of personal preference, one fact that cannot be diminished is how she continues to smash records; quite often ones that she had previously set.
Upon announcing her 11th studio album at the 2024 Grammys, The Tortured Poets Department, an immense uproar followed involving both excitement from fans, and preconceived judgements from self-proclaimed critics. The uproar was elevated to an even greater scale when Taylor surprised fans by releasing 15 additional songs to the track list, just two hours after the initial release dropped.
Last year, Swift ended her relationship with Joe Alwyn, her boyfriend of six years, which caused a tsunami of opinions and emotions in her fanbase as many were “invested” in her love life. As a result, this new album was speculated to be entirely about Alwyn. However, upon listening to the 31 songs, it is widely understood that Swift has remained vague about the meanings. Henceforth leaving listeners to form their own conjectures.
One conjecture that has been formed has stemmed from the many religious implications within Swift’s lyricism. With specific lyrics such as “I got cursed like Eve got bitten” (The Prophecy), “I would’ve died for your sins, instead I just died inside” (The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived), and “You Holy Ghost, you told me I’m the love of your life” (loml), the audience began to wonder where Taylor now stands with religious beliefs.
One opinion is that Swift has deviated completely away from the faith, and has decidedly mocked religion with these pointed references. Although there have been interviews and documentaries where Swift had stated that she is a Christian woman (Miss Americana- Netflix), certain listeners have taken these religious lyrics, and others such as “What if I roll the stone away? They’re gonna crucify me anyway” (Guilty as Sin), and “And hire a priest to come and exorcise my demons, even if I die screaming” (The Black Dog), and labeled them as blasphemous.
This idea could stem from the perspective that Taylor seems to be implying that there is a darkness surrounding her or within her, which henceforth seems to be reason enough for critics to act like they are in her personal confidence. The truth is that no matter how many footprints one follows, no one will ever know the matters of her heart more than herself.
It’s unfair to assume any random onlooker knows enough of the situation to ascertain her religious standing, as she tends to keep personal matters vague and completely to herself. Perhaps that’s why she has remained vague on the meanings and inspirations behind her new songs, as she probably understood people would come to their own conclusions without her help.
Another song in the new album has a lyric that reads: “Cause love’s never lost when perspective is earned” (Peter).
In another opinion, this lyric sums up the entire album quite beautifully. Swift’s religious connotations don’t allude to the idea that she has turned away from religion, but rather that she has found a part of herself that was perhaps forgotten.
In losing her relationship of six years, she lost that part of herself, but she also found so much more in moving past a stagnant threshold. She faced heartbreak, anger, and hopelessness, and turned these emotions into a work of art that eloquently depicts multiple stages of grief.
The Tortured Poets Department is not a blasphemous curse, but a somber thank you. Taylor acknowledges that these emotions have made her confront uncomfortable realities, but they have also shown her who she can fully be. She doesn’t have to fit the mold of a “perfect Christian,” or an unstoppable pop star; In reality, she can be hurt, lost, and content all at the same time.
And that is no one’s business but her own.
Other lyrics that add to this idea would include excerpts from The Bolter. “She fell through the ice then came out alive,” and “That as she was leaving, it felt like freedom.”
She had to lose a profound aspect of her life in order to see all the other shades of color that had been monochromatic for far too long. When considering the idea that “Love’s never lost when perspective is earned,” that fragment of love doesn’t only include a romantic love.
It could also include the love from her plethora of adoring fans, love from family and friends, and a self-love that she maybe never possessed until now.
That realization doesn’t make her conniving, calculated, atheistic, or a witch, rather it simply makes her human.
