As anticipation builds for Taylor Swift’s upcoming album “The Tortured Poets Department” (TTPD) set to release on April 19, the singer-songwriter has taken a unique approach to engage her fans. Known for her attention to fan theories and feedback, Swift has curated five new playlists on Apple Music, each corresponding to a stage of heartbreak. These playlists come after fans theorized that the tracklist for TTPD explores the various stages of heartbreak.
The five playlists curated by Taylor Swift are named after the stages of heartbreak – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. A statement from Apple Music highlights the intrigue surrounding Swift’s album, stating, “When Taylor Swift announces an album, the world takes an interest. That’s certainly what happened in the days after she unveiled The Tortured Poets Department, as intrepid Swifties began hunting and assembling and pinning clues to digital corkboards, eventually landing on the theory that her 11th studio album is sure to explore the five stages of heartbreak.”
The playlists feature songs from Swift’s past 10 albums, with each playlist named after taglines from previously announced deluxe editions of her albums. The fifth and final playlist, representing the stage of acceptance, is named after a track from TTPD called “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.”
Here’s a breakdown of each playlist along with Taylor Swift’s insights:
1. I Love You, It’s Ruining My Life – Denial:
The first stage of heartbreak, denial, is explored in this playlist. Swift describes it as a collection of songs “about getting so caught up in the idea of something that you have a hard time seeing the red flags.” Songs in this playlist include “Lavender Haze,” “Snow on the Beach,” “Lover,” “Cruel Summer,” “Willow,” “Betty,” “Treacherous,” and “Wildest Dreams.”
2. You Don’t Get to Tell Me About Sad – Anger:
The second stage, anger, is represented by songs that Swift wrote while feeling anger. This playlist includes songs like “Bad Blood,” “Vigilante S**t,” “Illicit Affairs,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “Dear John,” and “Better Than Revenge.”
3. Am I Allowed to Cry? – Bargaining:
The third playlist explores the stage of bargaining, where Swift explains, “This playlist takes you through the songs that I’ve written when I was in the bargaining stage.” It includes songs from her album “Lover” such as “Death by a Thousand Cuts,” “Soon You’ll Get Better,” “Afterglow,” “Cornelia Street,” and “The Archer.”
4. Old Habits Die Screaming – Depression:
In the fourth playlist, Swift delves into feelings of depression that often lace her songs. Songs like “Maroon,” “You’re Losing Me,” “Champagne Problems,” “Dear Reader,” and “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” are included. Swift describes this phase as a time when writing a song feels like the only way to process intense emotions.
5. I Can Do It With a Broken Heart – Acceptance:
Finally, the fifth playlist is named after a track from TTPD and represents the stage of acceptance. Songs in this playlist include “You’re On Your Own Kid,” “Midnight Rain,” “Labyrinth,” and “August.” Swift explains, “Here we finally find acceptance and can start moving forward from loss or heartbreak.”
With just weeks remaining until the release of “The Tortured Poets Department,” Taylor Swift’s curated playlists offer fans a glimpse into the emotional journey that the album is set to explore. Through these playlists, Swift continues to connect with her audience and build excitement for her highly-anticipated 11th studio album.
