Taylor Swift’s career trajectory has been the subject of tremendous admiration, characterised by a series of strategic steps that have led to her dominating the charts and firmly establishing her as a cultural icon akin to great historical icons.
Her transformation from the young girl singing folk tunes for a predominantly niche American audience into an all-conquering global pop superstar and cultural phenomenon is nothing short of genius; from taking control (Taylor’s Version) of her recording masters to The Eras Tour, which saw the world’s stadia invaded by armies of Swifties bedecked in a uniform of neon, wristbands, smiles, cheers and tears.
In a tribal environment where media is fragmented and scale is nigh on impossible, she has done the impossible – she has built a global cultural empire. Much like the great empires of old, Swift built her dominion on certain pillars: catchy, vibrant pop anthems and an uncanny ability to connect with a broad range of listeners through lyrical and real-life narratives of love, loss, and triumph. These elements are conspicuously sparse in her new album, “The Tortured Poet’s Department,” which opts for a moodier, more reflective vibe, utterly devoid of the door-kicking singles we’ve come to expect. The absence of any collaboration with renowned hitmaker Max Martin, who played a pivotal role by writing and producing her biggest hits (Shake It Off, Blank Space, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, I Knew You Were Trouble, Bad Blood, Style), is particularly notable. This album will unlikely expand her empire; it may do the opposite.
In his iconic work “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” Edward Gibbon describes how the mightiest of empires often begin their descent following a peak of power and influence. Swift’s latest album, shifting towards a more introspective and sombre tone, may well be seen as her own crossing of the Rubicon.
Historically, when Rome expanded beyond its capacity to maintain its foundational virtues, it began to falter; Swift’s latest musical venture may mirror this historical pattern. She risks becoming a niche artist again by moving away from the mainstream pop that has been a staple of her success and returning to her morose, overly familiar folk origins. This is not to say that evolution in her music would inherently lead to a decline, but rather, the risk lies in straying too far from the attributes that fed her expansive appeal to a global audience.
Paul Kennedy’s “The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers” argues that diluting core strengths can precipitate a decline. Kennedy points out that empires fall when they overextend without sufficiently integrating their new domains into the core of what made them strong. Swift’s exploration into deeper, more complex, more adult, more vitriolic – even depressing – musical territory could be seen as such an “imperial overstretch”, potentially distancing her from hundreds of millions of fans who prefer her more accessible, energetic tracks.
The darker, more contemplative nature of “The Tortured Poet’s Department” may indeed demonstrate Swift’s maturity and depth as an artist, reminiscent of an empire at its cultural zenith, enriching its intellectual and artistic pursuits. However, the challenge remains to balance this, along with the sameness of middle-of-the-road production and lack of clear hits with the infectious energy, production variety and charm that fuelled her ascent. In this context, the album is imbalanced.
The real test for Swift, paralleling the historical challenges faced by empires, is whether she can successfully integrate this artistic expression with her established persona to maintain her position at the zenith of pop music. This album will likely be celebrated by her more zealous fans in the short term, but it may also be a long-term cautionary tale of a stylistic, lyrical, tonal, and musical disconnect with her broader mainstream audience. If Swift has decided that her partnership with Max Martin is over, this disconnect may be terminal.
She has cast her die; history will best judge whether “The Tortured Poet’s Department” marks a misstep or the beginning of the end.
