Taylor Swift Makes ‘Temporary Insanity’ Plea in Tortured Poets Poem: ‘It’s the Worst Men That I Write Best’

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Taylor Swift Makes ‘Temporary Insanity’ Plea in Tortured Poets Poem: ‘It’s the Worst Men That I Write Best’
In a “summary poem,” Swift — who dropped her highly anticipated album on April 19 — writes about going from “a restricted humanity” to a period of “chaos”

By Melody Chiu Published on April 19, 2024 12:06AM EDT
Taylor Swift TTPD
Taylor Swift. PHOTO: BETH GARRABRANT
Taylor Swift continues to wear her heart on her sleeve.

After announcing her latest album The Tortured Poets Department onstage at the Grammys in February, the superstar gave fans a peek at her new work with what had appeared at the time to be song lyrics.

“And so I enter into evidence/ My tarnished coat of arms / My muses, acquired like bruises / My talismans and charms / The tick, tick, tick of love bombs/ My veins of pitch black ink,” Swift, 34, posted on Feb. 4.

In a “summary poem,” Swift — who dropped her highly anticipated album on April 19 — writes about going from “a restricted humanity” to a period of “chaos”

And so I was out of the oven and into the microwave / Out of the slammer and into a tidal wave,” she writes, seemingly referencing her brief relationship with musician Matty Healy after her breakup with longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn.

Throughout the album, Swift bares her emotions — ranging from longing to anger to heartbreak, and more — as she untangles everything she went through in her personal life during a huge period of upheaval.

While she’s rarely confirmed who her music is inspired by, Swift remains vulnerable on Tortured Poets, making unmistakable references to her relationships as she shares her story.