Like so many parents, I woke up to the news that Taylor Swift had released not one, but actually two (two!) new albums — and quickly shared this exciting news with my kids, who are both little Swfities budding.
My daughter immediately told me she wanted to listen to all the songs while she finished her breakfast. So we listened to “Fortnight”, the first song and first single from The Department of Tortured Poets album, before leaving for school.
After dropping the kids off, I considered waiting until they got home before playing the rest of the songs for myself, but ultimately decided to stream the album while they were out of town. the House.
It turned out to be the right decision. The Department of Tortured Poets is, as one would expect, masterfully designed. The melodies get under your skin, the lyrics burn, the dissident tracks are scathing and the ballads will break your heart.
But will the album resonate with children and tweens? Well, maybe not.
It is a brooding and dark work. The album is full of deeper meanings that I, a woman in my thirties, cannot fully grasp upon first listen. So even though kids who love Swift, her personality and much of her music may to want listening to the album, you don’t really get the impression that it will appeal to the new generation of Swifties. This one is for us.
I’m about the same age as Swift. I grew up alongside the superstar – and as she grew up, she certainly did. But while I appreciate the depth of her new work, my kids, unsurprisingly, are interested in the singer’s previous songs.
The Department of Tortured Poets is the singer’s most melancholy work to date, which isn’t terribly surprising given that the word “tortured” appears in the album’s title. There’s no danceable “Shake It Off,” no fanciful “Enchanted,” no wormy “You Belong With Me,” no hopelessly romantic “Mine,” no serious “Love Story,” no ” Cruel Summer” ready for radio.
Instead, there are overt references to sex (such as the line: “He said if the sex was half as good as the conversation was soon they’d be pushing strollers”) and profanity. There’s even a song where she repeats the phrase “F you, Aimee” repeatedly (presumably, this is a diss track aimed at a certain reality TV icon, IYKYK).
It would be unfair to expect Swift to remain frozen in time, a teenager coming of age and forever singing about young love. But as parents, it’s a complicated thing to see celebrities our kids idolize enter adulthood and spread more adult messages.
Many of us have a hard time dealing with the transformations of stars like Olivia Rodrigo and JoJo Siwa, stars who are popular with kids but who have recently moved more into their new adult personas.
When it comes to Swift, it’s especially complicated, because many of us parents love her ourselves, and our kids might understandably be devastated if We listen to this album but don’t allow them to do the same. For me – and therefore, so many other parents – Swift marks the intersection between our own musical loves and those of our children. Yet with this album, we may find that this overlap does not hold.
Many kids, including mine, became Swifties last year thanks to the Eras Tour. The concert shined a spotlight on Swift’s earlier eras, such as Intrepid And Speak Now albums, which seem much more suitable for children. The tour also spurred an entire subculture characterized by friendship bracelets and sparkly dresses and a complete celebration of childhood — and as a result, kids, tweens, and teens fell in love with the Swift brand.
So what’s a parent to do when this icon their children love so much releases an album containing material that isn’t necessarily suitable for their ears?
I wish I had a better answer here, but all I can say is this: Every parent has to find their own way to determine whether or not their children can listen. The Department of Tortured Poets in its entirety and without surveillance or censorship.
My controversial take on profanity is that I’m not too concerned about protecting my children from it, at least for now. I had no problem singing “F the patriarchy” next to my kids while streaming the movie The Eras Tour, even though my daughter adorably thinks the iconic line says “put your patriarchal keychain on the ground,” an error I am in no hurry to correct.
Then again, my kids are little and the sexual references and insults still come mostly through their hands. When it comes to older children, who can understand these concepts better and can be influenced in one way or another by their favorite star’s point of view? I don’t know the right way to handle this type of content with them. I don’t even know if there is East a good way. Instead, I think it should come down to each parent’s comfort level.
Here’s my best advice, from one Swiftie parent to a few million others: go through the album while your kids are away, if possible. May I suggest you take a long drive and listen to as many albums as possible? Going to a cafe to treat yourself is optional, although highly recommended.
Then draw your own conclusions. Determine your own best approach. Maybe your kids will listen to and love this new album. Maybe you (or they) will decide it’s not for them. Either way, this is going to be difficult for many parents to manage… but hey, at least we have some good music to listen to while we think about our approach.
