In this episode we finally sit down after having gathered our thoughts on Taylor Swift’s eleventh studio album and discuss all of the intricate details and lyrics weaved into the standard version of The Tortured Poets Department. We give our first reactions to the revealing tracks, break down overarching themes and make tentative connections to previous work and between tracks. We also attempt to decode some of Taylor’s most chaotic, vulnerable, tortured, poetic songs to date!

In our last episode before the release of The Tortured Poets Department, we break down Taylor Swift’s five stages of heartbreak playlists which she recently released through Apple Music. Said to have been inspired by Swiftie theories, these five lists compile many of her most loved tracks into the themes of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. We go through these carefully selected compilations, commenting on some of the most shocking selections and then give our final...

With under a month to go for The Tortured Poets Department, inspired by a similar episode we made when Midnights was released, we decided to get together to create a list of thirteen songs we think should be listened to as a sort of “prequel” to Taylor Swift’s eleventh studio album. As we compiled this list we kept in mind lyrical content that might be paralleled, genre and sounds that could be explored, and stories that may be told as well as tried to make connections between Taylor’s songs...

As the most recent leg of The Eras Tour comes to an end, we’re getting closer and closer to Taylor Swift’s eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department. With just over a month to go we discuss everything we know about the four exclusive versions of the album, the lyrics that have been revealed, the details Taylor has given about the creation of her latest project, and of course we recap the outlandish rumours that have spread over the last few weeks.

A couple of years ago Taylor Swift decided to classify her music into three groups, depending on the type of symbolic pen she felt like they were written with. The fun-loving, care-free, bubbly glitter gel pen; the confessional, heart-wrenching fountain pen; and the old-timey, poetic quill. Over time she released three playlists which included many of her songs classified into these groups, however, we disagree with some of these picks (which were made to primarily help with streaming and did...

After the surprise announcement Taylor gave on Sunday night at the Grammys we got together for an emergency episode in which we react to the exciting news of a new album being released on April 19th. We chat about Taylor's Grammy wins, her record breaking win for Album of the Year, and then of course theorise about The Tortured Poets Department. From the name, to the concept, to the confirmed tracklist, we give all our initial reactions and thoughts surrounding this new era we are suddenly in!

As we have previously mentioned, we love breaking down strange relations between Taylor’s music, and that’s exactly what we do in this week’s episode. We discuss the relations between Taylor Swift’s ten studio albums, connecting them lyrically, thematically, based on real life events, or sometimes just purely due to vibes. Starting with Red we work our way through how we view these relations between the bodies of work that come together to form one big “family tree” or musical universe. From...

In our first episode back this year we discuss some of our predictions for what Taylor Swift may release or surprise us with in 2024. To do so, we describe our bingo board, which includes references to Reputation (Taylor’s Version), the upcoming possible changes to The Eras Tour, and the possibility of TS11, Taylor’s rumoured eleventh studio album. We also go through some of our hopes and dreams for what we’d like to see in this next leg of performances and our thoughts as to what might...

Welcome to the final episode of 2023! In this one we celebrate Taylor’s amazing year as we reminisce over the many releases, tour dates, performances, and magic moments we’ve lived through over the last twelve months. We also announce the winners of our Swiftly Spoken Awards voted for by you! We’d like to thank you all for joining us this year and wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year!

To celebrate the holidays we explore Taylor’s Christmas EP, initially released in 2007! We go over its multiple releases as well as the name change from Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection to its shorter version. Then we talk about the four covers Taylor included on this release in addition to her original two Christmas time songs, which are very different to what you may imagine from the Christmas Tree Farm songstress. Finally, we reveal what we think may happen to this...

This week we delve into all things Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version), the final re-recording we have yet to discuss! When it comes to Taylor’s 2006 debut album, the reclaimed version has a lot of potential we explore in this episode, including the possible album aesthetics, release and promo predictions, and of course what may be included on the tracklist. Alongside the standard and deluxe songs, we of course go through other music from the era that could make an appearance (Beautiful Eyes and...

Motivated by Taylor Swift’s recent viral lyric change at The Eras Tour in Argentina, this week we explore some of her most memorable live lyric changes that have the potential to completely shift the interpretation of the full song! We go through our favourite performances that add or adjust lyrics from each and every era, which include an entire bridge added to Permanent Marker, a sweet shout out to Taylor Lautner during Back to December, and of course her latest live adlib while singing...

We finally get together to discuss all things 1989 (Taylor’s Version), including how well the rerecording fares against the original version, the changes in producers, the newly revealed cut lyrics from songs like Wonderland and New Romantics, and, of course, those incredible Vault Tracks! We break down some of the lyric parallels as well as try and work out why these songs never made the cut back in 2014. Our speculations include too many extremely direct references in those vulnerable...

Last week we both attended the premiere screenings of The Eras Tour Film, and were overjoyed to see Taylor Swift’s record breaking performance in HD! In this episode we go over our experiences, from exchanging friendship bracelets, collecting the exclusive merch, and finding the appropriate moment to go to the bathroom. We also discuss our favourite moments from the movie, including the details we may have previously missed as we watched the grainy livestreams, the choice of surprise songs...

With 1989 (Taylor’s Version) just around the corner, we make our return by going over all of the hidden details that have slowly been revealed over the last couple of weeks, including Sweeter Than Fiction (Taylor’s Version) being included on the Tangerine edition! We then break down all of the current theories and rumours surrounding the 1989 (TV) release. Some of the most prominent ones mention a possible surprise drop of reputation (Taylor’s Version), a double album release, a recreation of...

This week we look into a phenomenon known in the music industry as the sophomore slump, which usually occurs when an artist's second album underperforms or underwhelms in comparison to their debut project. We explore how the term came about, look into the reasons behind why the sophomore slump may occur and then discuss some examples of albums that seem to have either suffered or avoided the slump altogether. These include artists such as Billie Eilish (Happier Than Ever), Harry Styles (Fine...

This week we celebrate the two year anniversary of Swiftly Spoken Podcast by going over some of our favourite moments, memories, and episodes. We also thank you for some of our achievements along the way and reflect on everything that has changed in the Taylor Swift fandom over the last couple of years. We then move on to classifying every single Taylor Swift album as seasons, be it Lover as a summer celebration, reputation as a cold winter, or Fearless as the new found hope of spring. We go...

Now Taylor Swift has wrapped up the first leg of The Eras Tour, we take a look back at every detail of the first North American dates. To recap these last six months of shows we go over the set changes, new outfits, guests and surprises Taylor has announced along the way. We also take the opportunity to discuss not just the upcoming LATAM dates, but the 2024 International legs of The Eras Tour. Considering some of the patterns we’ve seen we talk about what certain set changes could come about...

On the last stop of The Eras Tour North American Leg in LA, California, Taylor Swift announced her next rerecording, 1989 (Taylor’s Version)! We react to the night’s surprises, including her new blue tour outfits and the reveal of her fourth overall Taylor’s Version project. We then discuss the cover and aesthetics this new/old era has brought about as well as break down all of the album editions that were made available and the secrets they contain. Finally, we go over the contents of the...

In this episode we break down the most prominent Easter Eggs and details present in the only current music video from the Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) era, the star-studded I Can See You. Directed by Taylor Swift and featuring Presley Cash, Joey King and Taylor Lautner, all major players in the original Speak Now era, it follows the group as they break Taylor out of the vault, metaphorically allowing her to reclaim her music. Not only is the video full of fun references it also points us...

We finally reveal all of our thoughts about Speak Now (Taylor's Version) including what we really thought about Taylor's third recreated album, our opinions on the Better Than Revenge lyric change, and the infamous Last Kiss shaky breath. We go over which songs have grown on us and which may have been completely changed throughout the rerecording process. Then we breakdown and discuss the From The Vault tracks, the pop-rock sensibilities present in the Fall Out Boy collab track Electric...

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) finally arrives this week! To celebrate we are concluding our Speak Now stories series by exploring the final few songs written for the album. In this episode we go over the nostalgia of Back to December and comment on the recent snippet released; talk about the incredible Dear John performance and Taylor’s “warning”; talk about Mine which was the original lead single of Speak Now; explore the rumours behind the title track; reminisce over the emotional message...

With under a month to go and the Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) Vault Tracks having been revealed, we continue our exploration into how Taylor wrote Speak Now by discussing the backstory, inspiration and details surrounding another five songs from the album. This batch includes two songs written about key events that occurred at award shows, the infamous Kanye West VMA incident which spawned Innocent, and the Grammy performance with Stevie Nicks that initiated a domino effect leading to the...

This week we’re taking a brief pause from our Speak Now Taylor’s Version content to react and break down the two new editions of Midnights! From the differences between the Til Dawn Edition and the Late Night Edition to their new designs, availability and which tracks they include. We talk about our preferences regarding the More Lana version of Snow on the Beach as well as the Karma remix featuring the up-and-coming Ice Spice. We also speak about the song coming to life in the colourful...