Taylor Swift fans share raw reactions to her new album as psychologist weighs in: ‘Explore dark places’
Taylor Swift released her highly anticipated 11th album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” just a few days ago, and fans of the pop star have heard it.
Thousands of videos appear on TikTok from a search for “TTPD reaction,” as Swifties share their initial thoughts and feelings about the 31 new songs.
Amidst the live reactions on social media, some have even assumed that it is their duty to analyze each and every song for the benefit of others.
Before its release, the album was supposed to be “a breakup album,” so many people are wondering which relationship is explained in which song(s).
A clinical psychologist who spent time analyzing Taylor Swift’s new album shared thoughts with Fox News Digital on common themes.
Swift announced the new album at the Grammys, surprising many Swifties. (Neilson Barnard/Getty Images/The Recording Academy)
Dr. Robert Cuyler, clinical director of Free Spirit, a prescription digital therapeutics company in Houston, Texas, said fan reactions to Swift’s new album have been “intense.”
“It’s clear that we have intense fan engagement and identification,” he said.
Cuyler said the new album is a small change from what he normally releases, which could trigger extreme emotions in fans, as anyone would have a reaction to a major change in their life.
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“Many of these songs and tones on the album [are] triggering reflection [by] fans who are tuning in [own] dark places while listening [Swift] explore some of its dark places,” he added.
Dr. Robert Cuyler is a clinical psychologist who weighed in on some of the themes explored in Taylor Swift’s songs on her new album. (Roberto Cuyler)
Many of the lyrics can “touch the hearts” of listeners, which can be good for their mental health in terms of reflecting on and accepting similar experiences, he said.
Having a major star like Swift write about difficult things she’s been through can potentially help take the “celebrity” out of the “celebrity” in a sense, he suggested.
“The songs are so deeply personal and unique to Taylor. [Swift]but somehow they manage to be universal in the way fans connect and relate to them.”
“It helps bring celebrity back into focus to some extent, since being world famous… and rich doesn’t necessarily shield anyone from the ups and downs of the human experience and the pains that we can all go through in our lives.” he said.
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Cuyler said two songs in particular stood out to him because of their unique message: “I Can Fix Him, No Really I Can” and “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.”
“I Can Fix It, No, I Really Can” is ostensibly about someone who wants to be in a relationship with another person, a person who is seriously broken and fragile.
“The Department of Tortured Poets” premiered on April 19, 2024. (ANTONIN UTZ/AFP/Getty Images)
Cuyler said the song is a “beautiful description of the dynamic of a relationship where there is a strong attraction to someone who ends up being really toxic to you.”
“I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” is a song that Cuyler says really caught his attention.
He said that lyrics such as “I cry a lot but I’m very productive / It’s an art” were “ambiguous.”
He noted: “One interpretation would be, ‘I feel deep pain and I can pretend, no one knows how it hurts,’ but the other part is this feeling of mastery in that phase, that ‘even though I’m struggling with aspects of my life, I can move forward.’ with the part of my life that sustains me and that I am proud of,” he said.
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This is an example, he noted, of someone who is able to handle distress without feeling overwhelmed by it, and at the same time learns not to swallow his feelings.
Swift has neither confirmed nor denied any online theories about the meanings behind the songs on her new album, Cuyler noted.
One Swift song that stood out to Cuyler with intense feelings was “I Can Fix Him, No Really I Can.” (Ashok Kumar/TAS24/Getty Images/TAS Rights Management)
She said it may have been a phase in her life that she needed to process and get over, something she is known for doing through writing new music.
One fan, Taweni Nkosi, posted her live reaction to “The Department of Tortured Poets.” on tiktok and told Fox News Digital that this album might be her favorite Swift album yet.
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“The songs are so deeply personal and unique to Taylor. [Swift]but somehow they manage to be universal in the way fans connect and relate to them,” he said.
Nkosi’s favorite song from the album is also believed to have a deeper meaning: “Thank you aIMee.”
The songs on Swift’s new album include a variety of themes and feelings. A psychologist weighed in on some of the possible meanings of the intricate lyrics. (Getty Images)
“The song reminds me that people are going to try to put you down in life, no matter what you do, and they’re going to try to minimize your success,” he said.
He added: “Instead of letting hate stop you, you should just use [it] as motivation to move forward.”
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Pauline Brenner, another fan who posted her live reaction to the album on TikTok, told Fox News Digital that, in her opinion, “TTPD” is Swift’s best album.
“Women have to reinvent themselves many times because people lose interest very quickly and always want to have a new, shiny, dazzling artist.”
“She somehow has the ability to write songs that everyone can relate to in any way,” he explained.
Brenner said the song that stood out to her the most was “Clara Bow,” which is about the way women are often treated in the music industry.
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“Women have to reinvent themselves a lot of times because people lose interest very quickly and always want to have a new, shiny, dazzling artist,” she said, referring to Swift’s different musical genres over the years.
He added: “‘The Tortured Poets Department’ is a lyrical masterpiece and a very honest look at some of the most painful moments in Taylor’s life.”
“The Tortured Poets Department” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and is the best-selling album of 2024, according to Billboard.
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