"Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets Department' Album: A Surprise Double Release"

Taylor Swift's 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," is a sprawling and self-indulgent release that delves into her tumultuous emotional experiences. Departing from her previous folk-pop albums, this album features autobiographical and spiteful tales of heartbreak, with detailed, referential lyrics. Swift's prolific output and commercial success are evident in the album's abundance, including a surprise second volume, "The Anthology." While some tracks are potent reminders of her ability to evoke doomed romances, the album as a whole generates diminishing returns, with familiar sonic backdrops and themes.