Recently updated on April 22nd, 2024
The Tortured Poets Department Aesthetic – New Eras Tour Outfit ideas
Taylor Swift’s release of The Tortured Poets Department may have just been her most exciting album release yet! After the incredible year and a half she has had (career wise… made obvious by the album lol), she gained an entirely new fandom that got to experience a Taylor album release. Well, technically two album releases ha!
I stayed up for the Tortured Poets Department release, but my internal old lady could not stay awake for the 2am surprise. I honestly thought it was going to be the vinyl variants’ bonus tracks being released on streaming. Then I woke up to an entirely new album!
Taylor really said “Ohhh you LOVE staying up past your bedtime for the Eras Tour Surprise Songs on TikTok?!… I’ll give y’all some 2am surprise songs!”
As a lover of Folklore, Evermore and more recently Midnights (it was a slow burn for me), I LOVED this album. I have read so many mixed reviews, but honestly once you realize this album is a concept album it all makes more sense. Taylor loves Concept albums, so it’s no surprise…
To me, The Tortured Poets Department isn’t about “this guy” or “that guy”… it’s about Taylor processing and dealing with everything that has “tortured” her throughout the last decade of her life.
Heartbreak, unresolved trauma from 10+ years of former heartbreaks and bullies, the trauma that being in the spotlight has caused and the mania of what 2023 was for her, plus the whirlwind of finding a new love in the midst of everything…
What more powerful way to combat and process the last two years (and more) than with the strongest lyricism of her career?
I hope she includes some of these new songs within her next leg of the Eras Tour! Regardless, I think the fans will love creating outfits “that fits her new aesthetic” 😉
Outfits inspired by The Tortured Poets Department
As I share these outfits inspired by a few songs in The Tortured Poets Department, I also want to share my thoughts on each song! For me, this album has no skips. However, I do have a few favs that I have been playing on repeat!
Fortnight Aesthetic
We all know Taylor to be very autobiographical with her writing. However, it’s albums like Folklore, Evermore and now TTPD that showcase her abilities to utilize her archive of life experiences and create stories in her songwriting.
In “Fortnight” she paints the picture of someone being “tortured” by an endless heartbreak that they can’t seem to move on from.
The time spent with a former love feels like “only a fortnight” in comparison to the time she is spending trying to move on. Possibly enough time for the people around her to think she should have moved on by now, since they don’t seem to notice her new aesthetic…
The Tortured Poets Department – So Long London Aesthetic
So Long London is one of my favorite song openings of Taylor’s career! Taylor’s vocal intro immediately reminded of the “Westminster Chime” that the Big Ben Clock Tower in London rings out every hour.
These lyrics seem very autobiographical, but still in a relatable sense. She is not only leaving a long term relationship, but she is leaving behind the long term future that she thought she had.
London is significant to Taylor’s actual life, however to me there is a hidden metaphor that makes this song relatable to anyone moving on from something difficult. As much as she loves London, it was never actually her “home”. In the end, she is grieving and letting go of the future that she convinced herself already existed.
But Daddy I Love Him Aesthetic
“But Daddy I Love him” is the “Fearless” version of “Blank Space” and I stand firmly on that.
During the 1989 era (and even before + after) the media was constantly painting Taylor to be a psychotic man-eater. Taylor’s response was writing a tongue in cheek song (Blank Space) about this character the media had created.
This song is not about anyone specific other than Taylor Swift. It is purely a tongue in cheek response to the overwhelming amount of fans, media, “Sarahs, Hannahs and Wine Moms” constantly bickering about Taylor’s personal life and painting her to be something she is not.
The music resembles the youthfulness of Fearless for a reason.
Taylor is often criticized for not acting her age, dating the wrong men, never settling down, being an aloof and naive teenager stuck in a grown women’s body. It’s as if she has been hearing this her entire adulthood and pretty much said, “Alright. I’ll give you an immature, boy crazy, little mermaid level naivety teenage drama queen who wants to run off with the worst men possible…”
There are so many brilliant, witty and sarcastic moments in this song, you cannot convince me that she just wrote this song “about a boy”. lol.
Easily one of my top 3 favorites of the album!
The Tortured Poets Department – Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me Aesthetic
This. Song. Instant favorite!
Alluding to the concept of this album being about all the experiences that have “tortured” Taylor throughout her career, this song is pure rage. Villain story vibes for sure.
One thing about Taylor we’ve learned is that she doesn’t really comment on anything publically, but we will usually hear her response in a song.
“Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me” gives so many hidden answers while also being a hauntingly relatable song. Any individual who has experienced being taken advantage of, toxic friendships/relationships or being silenced felt this one.
In my opinion, this song is Taylor’s response to all of the damaging rumors about Taylor’s personal life and professionalism that have been spread the last year and a half. This is all pent-up anger she has had built while keeping quiet.
She paints the picture of herself being a terrifying yet somewhat defeated monster of some sort (perhaps a Witch …or a Vampire) leaping from the gallows, levitating throughout down a street while haunting and taunting the so-called “good people” of the town.
There are always multiple versions of every story. There is the story the media/opposing teams put out to keep their agenda afloat. There is the story that the public runs with and spread. In this song, we can hear a bit of Taylor’s side of the story, but only if you really listen.
The Tortured Poets Department – So Highschool Aesthetic
“So High School” is completely 2005-2010 high school vibes. Taylor and I were born in the same year, so it’s no wonder this song felt so nostalgic to me!
Aaron Desner (the producer behind this song) has a brilliant way of making the production fit a theme. To me, “So High School” emulates the music I listened to back in High School. The opening guitar felt like the turning point in an American RomCom where the main character finally falls for the guy.
I loved every bit of this song.
Obviously this song was inspired by Travis Kelce. I don’t think anyone will deny that, but the song is written in a way where anyone can relate.
Closing Thoughts
I only created a few aesthetic outfit mood boards, but hope to keep adding to this post!
Again, these songs can be interpreted in so many different ways. However, I do think it is SO important to the art of Songwriting to find deeper meanings behind lyrics instead of taking them in as verbatim. Multiple meanings and inspirations can exist within one song.
As someone who studied music in college (specifically songwriting & composition) I LOVE taking a deep dive into the songs written by songwriters of today. Especially, Taylor Swift.
This post was all in good fun and meant to inspire you to find a deeper meaning (possibly multiple meanings!) behind Taylor’s lyrics and visualize an aesthetic behind each song.
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