Arts and Entertainment

The Tortured Poets Department: Yay or Nay?

By Malli Maulding

Written 4/22/24

I listened to The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift's newest album, and I will be giving my opinion on whether it is worth listening to, any further predictions I might have, and what I believe are the best tracks on this album.

First things first, The Tortured Poets Department is Taylor Swift's 11th studio album, and one of her most successful albums within just a few days. Currently, she has one music video for the track Fortnight (feat. Post Malone).

Is It Worth The Time?

I believe that The Tortured Poets Department is worth the time. The 1-2 hour long album (whether you listen to the deluxe edition or not) is, in my opinion, a masterpiece. Here are my favorite songs, and why.

1st Place: Who's Afraid Of Little Old Me - Track 10

This song has become popular due to the lyric "Who's afraid of little old me? / You should be" on TikTok. I believe this is one of her best tracks on the album, and personally, it is my favorite. My favorite lyric is "I was tame, I was gentle 'til the circus life made me mean" and my favorite thing about the song is the lyricism and the story behind the song in the first place. Overall, a masterpiece

2nd Place: The Prophecy - Track 25

This song is everything I ever expected it to be! It is a slower song, and the lyrics are just so amazing, and I absolutely am in love with it! My absolute favorite lyric in this song is, "A greater woman has faith / But even statues crumble if they’re made to wait” and my favorite part about this song is the creativity and effort put into this amazing piece of art. 13 outta 10.

3rd Place: The Manuscript - Track 31

Oh. My. Gosh! Absolutely speechless. This song’s lyrics and the piano just go so well! It is always gonna be one of my all time favorites from The Tortured Poets Department - The Anthology. This song is the song you think of when she says “Tortured Poets” anytime. My favorite lyric “ The only thing that's left is the manuscript / One last souvenir from my trip to your shores / Now and then I reread the manuscript / But the story isn't mine anymore ” This song will hold a place in my heart, and it is such a beautiful song.

Predictions (Taylor's Version)

Haha! See what I did there? Anyway, for The Tortured Poets Department's future, I think that there will be either an Eras Tour era for TTPD (you should know what that means by now) or at least a Tortured Poets tour. I also believe that (hopefully) her songs, "Who's Afraid Of Little Old Me?" "So Long, London" and "But Daddy, I Love Him" are going to have music videos in the future, even though she is currently touring, and she may not have the time for it yet. I highly doubt she'll release more music videos due to the fact she is in Europe for The Eras Tour soon

Eras Rankings

Now, at this point, it is safe to say that yes, I am, in fact, a Swiftie. I know lots of people don't like Taylor Swift, and I respect that. The people who dislike/hate Taylor Swift should still be considerate to the people who do like it. Anyway, back to the topic. My album rankings look a little something like this:

11. Fearless (Taylor's Version)

10. Evermore

9. Debut (Self-titled)

8. 1989 (Taylor's Version)

7. Midnights

6. RED (Taylor's Version)

5. Speak Now (Taylor's Version)

4. reputation

3. Lover

2. folklore

And in first place...

THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT (yes it is in capitals)

This now concludes my opinions on Taylor Swift's new album. I absolutely love her music, and it's okay if you don't. Thanks for reading!

MIDDLE SCHOOL DATING 101

BY: HOLDEN CLARK

Being as this is a middle school, there are some varying factors on popularity. I have no clue why some people even value popularity, but here are some of the varying factors to tell, could you be popular?

You keep up with the latest trends

You dress in expensive clothes

You wear “drip”

And finally, the topic of this article, you might be more popular if you have a girlfriend/boyfriend.

But you might be thinking, am I a good partner? And if it were up to me, then no one would be dating quite yet, but this isn’t an opinion piece, it's an informational piece, So here’s DATING 101 (Middle School Edition).

The first and one of the most important aspects is that you DO NOT show PDA (Public display of affection) I know that you think you look so cool holding hands in the hallway but it's technically against school rules, and that’s what I'm following, so don’t take it on with me, take that out back with the school. Now, we will anonymously interview some couples, (I won't share their names.)

Anonymous 1- “Just because I kind of liked them, and it gave me a non-judgmental, and trustworthy person that I can be comfortable with speaking too.”

Anonymous 2- “I just told my friend my crush and then they played god and matchmade us together and it all happened so fast.”

Anonymous 3- “I love that we get to communicate, and the sense of comfort is very important and warm. And it's nice to see each other and where they are now in life.”

Anonymous 4- "Because it helps me focus more on what I need to get done for school. It also makes me happier as a person."

Anonymous 5- "I just felt like I really cared about her a lot. We started hanging out and I just liked the company that she provided me with. It also makes me feel like a whole person when I'm around her."

Anonymous 6- " Because I just really liked him, and he liked me back and he also is kind of like my best friend and that fact gives me a sense of comfort.

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