Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology dropped over a year ago on April 19, 2024. However, the 15 additional tracks featured on The Anthology — released just two  hours after the original album — don’t get the attention they deserve. In fact, I’d argue they’re even better than the original songs, offering more soothing vocals and catchy melodies.  

As a lifelong Swiftie, I was shocked — and honestly a little heartbroken — to find out that The Critic’s original coverage of The Tortured Poets Department completely glossed over some of the album’s best tracks. The Anthology tracks? They’re softer, sadder, and somehow even more poetic than the original 16. If you consider yourself a music lover, you absolutely must listen to them; these songs deserve their moment in the spotlight. 

I may be a bad example — sure, I suppose I can get a little emotional — but, to my embarrassment, I’ve quite literally cried to some of these songs. More than once. 

So, in order to (hopefully) convince at least one person to appreciate the beauty of these songs more, I’m going to recommend five  tracks from TTPD: The Anthology that I think anyone can enjoy.

I’d like to preface this by saying that it was extremely difficult to choose (it took me longer to make up my mind than write this article…).

1. “The Black Dog”

Listening to “The Black Dog” feels like reading a book; I can visualize every scene as it plays out. Interestingly enough, the entire thing feels like it’s playing out in black and white. The lyrics are sharp, the melody flows, and Swift’s voice sounds stronger, with more steel in it. And the bridge? Classic scream-it-in-your-room Swift. 

Musically, “The Black Dog” relies on a moody, minimalist piano base that sets a somber tone, without becoming too harsh. During lines where Swift begins to revisit more painful or difficult memories, the beat sharpens, the tempo quickens, and a subtle tension builds up in her voice. It feels like she’s screaming out her anger, but she’s not. There is a simmering undertone of rage throughout the entire song, not loud and explosive, but slow and cold. 

With lyrics like, “Were you making fun of me with some esoteric joke?” Swift nails the spiraling feeling of doubting an entire relationship — whether it be romantic, familial, or platonic — after it ends badly.  Screaming lines like, “And hire a priest to come and exercise my demons / Even if I die screaming / And I hope you hear it” has become a new version of self-therapy. The song truly felt like it delivered an emotional catharsis.

2. “The Prophecy”

“The Prophecy” is more delicate in contrast to “The Black Dog,” yet both immediately caught my attention on the morning TTPD: The Anthology was released. From the very beginning, the song holds a sense of stillness — almost like time has stopped so Swift can reminisce and dissect her past. The lyrics are full of yearning, but it’s not a dramatic, loud yearning; it’s the kind that sounds more like quiet pleading, a last-ditch prayer whispered into the void. I think this part of the song perfectly encapsulates the theme: 

“Feeling like the very last drops of an ink pen / A greater woman stays cool / But I howl like a wolf at the moon / And I look unstable / Gathered with a coven ’round a sorceress’ table / A greater woman has faith / But even statues crumble if they’re made to wait / I’m so afraid I sealed my fate / No sign of soulmates.”

The melody — according to the research I did — relies primarily on piano, but it sounds more acoustic in this song, muted and simple. The song is carried by its vulnerable and relatable lyrics. Swift focuses on the idea of fate, not just wondering if she’s simply destined for solitude, but questioning what she can do to change it. It makes me stare off into space at best, or cry, questioning my life, at worst. 

3. “Peter”

One of the reasons I love “Peter” is the allusion to the classic fairytale of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys of Neverland. It feels like a memory I never lived: bittersweet, nostalgic, and painfully beautiful. I cannot put into words the attachment I feel to this song. Swift molds the fairytale relationship of Peter Pan and Wendy to something very real: growing up and growing apart. Her vocals are breathy and soft, almost like she’s singing from a distance — as if she’s already accepted the loss of the person she’s singing about, but the grief hasn’t abandoned her. 

The production of the song is light, with subtle layers of melody intertwining as the song builds. It relies on a lullaby-like rhythm, being gentle, slow, and slightly wistful. 

My favorite part is probably, “’Cause love’s never lost when perspective is earned / And you said you’d come and get me, but you were twenty-five / And the shelf life of those fantasies has expired.” Even now, I’m debating my decision to put this song as low on the list as it is. 

4. “How Did It End?”

“How Did It End” holds an even greater devastation than “The Prophecy.” Similarly, the song feels very still, probably even more so than “The Prophecy.” Once again, the song has a piano base — honestly, most of the songs on this list do, because it just makes them that much more heartbreaking — and it truly feels like perfection. The melody softly flows, rising and falling cyclically, using slow, broken arpeggios to give the song an almost enchanting feel. Her vocals are soft, almost ghost-like, as though she’s trying not to disturb the dust that’s settled over an old, unfinished story. 

Musically, the song is very much stripped to the bones, relying mostly on the piano. There’s no dramatic beat, no production tricks — just a metaphorically empty space. Swift concludes each verse with the question “How did it end?” followed by a haunting interlude, where the listener only hears the soft piano and Swift’s own humming. It’s not truly a request for some kind of information; rather, I interpret it as an aching plea for closure that never came. 

I actually had this song ranked third, but after casually turning on “Peter” in the background while working and then promptly abandoning my productivity to sing along, I knew I had to change it’s ranking, leading me to put “How Did It End?” lower. I reiterate, this ranking was not easy at all, which is why everyone should give a listen to The Anthology. It is that girl. 

5. “The Manuscript”

“The Manuscript” feels more like reading a diary: raw, unfiltered, somewhat messy, and utterly real. It’s a look back at Swift’s entire life and the track’s placement as last on the entire album makes it even more devastating: “And at last, she knew what the agony had been for / The only thing that’s left is the manuscript / One last souvenir from my trip to your shores / Now and then, I reread the manuscript / But the story isn’t mine anymore.”

This is probably the slowest song on the album, with the music only having a fully flowing melody towards the half-way point of the song. Up to this point, it’s built up entirely of short notes, with quiet pauses between each of them. The arrangement is sparse, letting every note and word land with maximum emotional impact. 

Lyrically, “The Manuscript” explores the messy, non-linear nature of life — how love and life aren’t neat chapters but a jumble of moments, regrets, and hopes scrawled in no particular order: “And the years passed like scenes of a show / The professor said to write what you know / Lookin’ backwards might be the only way to move forward.” This track is a sort of acceptance to the unpredictability of life and love. 

Overall, The Anthology feels like a hidden masterpiece — quietly overshadowed by the original tracks, yet just as worthy of love and praise. These songs are intimate, soft enough to slip beneath your skin and beautiful enough to draw tears when you may not expect them. With the second half of this album, Swift didn’t just write songs; she crafted poetry in grayscale, each lyric a brushstroke in black and white. While I’m happy that I got to share my love for this album with you and hopefully get you to listen to some of my favorite tracks, I also find myself disappointed that The Critic failed to give these songs the attention they deserved initially. In the words of Taylor Swift herself, “A diamond’s gotta shine,” and the new songs released on The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology are true gems.