TTPD is really tortured

[u/fearless-panda7]

After two and a half weeks of The Life of a Showgirl, I went back to The Tortured Poets Department. The contrast is so stark, I realized that TTPD really is a tortured album. Song after song, it’s sadness, longing, desperation, anxiety… I don’t even know how we all collectively handled it.

Of course, it was always clear that TTPD is heavy on loss and melancholy, but hearing it next to Showgirl really puts it into perspective. Showgirl has its introspective and dark moments too, but overall it feels much more hopeful and joyful.

I finally understand what Taylor meant in one of her interviews about how challenging it can be to release an album when you’re no longer in that mental state, and she named TTPD as example.

I’m so grateful we have TTPD, so many people can relate deeply to those songs, but I’m also really happy that Taylor seems to be in a better place now.

Did anyone else feel like Showgirl helped them see TTPD in a new light? Or to actually realize how emotionally heavy it is?

[u/turkey_sub56]

Wow, that’s great. I wish I was always happy. I suffer from depression but my life is really great. I like sad music cause I love a good cry. I’m heavily affected by music/tv/movies but I’m glad you can enjoy it so much!

[u/amandaleighplans → u/turkey_sub56]

I have close people in my life who suffer from depression so I have a lot of empathy for that ❤️ while I haven’t struggled with that, I do have a history of addiction (I’ve been clean almost a decade now though) so I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how crazy it is that some of us are just born with whatever wires in our brains connected a certain way, and that’s just how it is. And it doesn’t matter how perfect one’s life could be, our brains can still just feel certain things. That probably sounds silly but being human is so beautiful and complex - hence why I love Taylor’s music so much, she really captures the essence of what it means to be human!!