Study Shows Taylor Swift Album That’s New Jersey’s Number 1

In case you haven’t been paying attention for the past several years, Taylor Swift is a somewhat popular individual. There are very few people in New Jersey who don’t either own a Taylor Swift album or spend time streaming Taylor Swift music.

Like many music lovers in New Jersey, my wife Kathleen is a total “Swiftie.” She loves every Taylor Swift album and just about every song. Some may think people who feel this way about Taylor Swift are ridiculous or obsessive. I think it’s great. I see the happiness it brings fans and there’s nothing wrong with anything that makes people happy.

I’m also a fan of quite a few Taylor Swift albums. I wouldn't call myself a “Swiftie,” not because I’d be ashamed or embarrassed to do so. I just don’t think I qualify because while I like a lot of her music, it’s not at the level that I see in my wife, daughter, and other Taylor Swift album fanatics.

If I had to choose a favorite Taylor album it would probably be one of her earlier albums like “Taylor Swift” from 2006 or 2008’s “Fearless.” However, my choice does not align with that of most New Jersey Taylor Swift fans.

A recent study by Betway found the favorite Taylor Swift album in North America. They “analyzed annual Google search data to uncover the most-searched Taylor Swift era across the United States,” and broke it down by state.

For example, they learned that the favorite Taylor Swift album in New York and Pennsylvania is the new album “The Tortured Poets Department.”

According to the study, New Jersey’s favorite Taylor Swift album is “Lover” from 2019. Lover is followed by “Tortured Poets,” in second and 2012’s “Red” ranking third. Then it’s 2010’s “Speak Now,” and “Midnights” from 2022 rounding out the top five.

The list from sixth to eleventh includes, “1989,” “Fearless,” “Reputation,” “Folklore,” “Evermore,” and lastly, my preference, “Taylor Swift.”

Check out the full study and chart by U.S. states and Canada here.

Taylor Swift's 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, has already come with surprise after surprise. From the double album release to the songs shading Kim Kardashian, Matty Healy, and Joe Alwyn, TTPD has "left no crumbs," as they say.

What stood out to us most about the 31 songs is that Swifties -- whether happy and in love or going through it -- all loved her dark and cheeky lyricism. Despite whatever mood you are in, it seems as though the pop icon has managed to perfectly balance vulnerable, crushing lyrics of hurt and heartache, all while giving her fans something to dance to and smile through the pain.

I am not a Swiftie, but I can recognize when Swift, 34, has a hit. As a songwriter, Swift can be clever, and her usage of advanced vocabulary absolutely shines on this album. At other times, as pointed out by others on social media, Swift can be a little juvenile with some of her lines, making us wonder what the hype is all about.

However, compared to other successful pop artists of today, no one else does it like Taylor Swift. She reaches her fans worldwide with her lyricism and musicianship. Every album is an event, and this one is no exception. TTPD has been compared to her 2020 album, folklore, with fans commending her use of synths on this album as well.

Longtime collaborator and friend Jack Antonoff shared his love for Taylor on X (formerly Twitter) and listed his favorite tracks on the record, both of which actually ended up on our list as well. "!! FOTS heads lets go !!" he writes of the 7th track, "Fresh Out The Slammer." He later hyped up track 4, "Down Bad," as it "heads as well."

Though the album opener is bubbly and fun to dance to, the lyrics are actually pretty sad and depressing. Post Malone echoes Swift's lines: "I love you, it's ruining my life." Swift admits she was a functioning alcoholic, driven to be such because of her longtime ex, Joe Alwyn. She swooned over Posty on Instagram that she's been a "huge fan" of his because of "the writer he is, his musical experimentation and those melodies he creates that just stick in your head forever." We witness that "magic" on the opening track.

There are no shortage of synths on the album. Track number 4, "Down Bad" has fun instrumentation, matching the playful lyrics of the cosmic love she had for 1975 frontman Matty Healy. "Staring at the sky, come back and pick me up," she asks aliens. Of her short romance with Healy, she acknowledges the perception: "They’ll say I’m nuts if I talk about the existence of you." She's probably right. Admit it, you thought she was slumming when she was dating him.

Track 7, "Fresh Out The Slammer," is a fun track and the most dynamic of the bunch. The song's guitar reverb intro gives us Lana Del Rey and Orville Peck vibes. You can't help but dance along to this song. Near minute 3, the song slows down and changes the whole energy as the song wraps up.

By track 13, we get another lyrically depressing dance bop with "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart." The song is an anthem for those of us who have no choice but to push through the hard times. She sings,” I can show you lies…”, “Lights, camera, action, bitch smile, even when you wanna die.” The song is believed to be about the breakup with Joe Alwyn, as Swift at this time seemed unfazed about it, as reflected in lyrics: "I was grinning like I’m winning I was hitting my marks. ‘Cause I can do it with a broken heart.” You can’t help but dance along to the chipper, ‘80s feeling song. She declares at the end, "'Cause I'm miserable! And nobody even knows!" before challenging, "Try and come for my job."

In this synthy track, Swift sings about how she is a gem and she will always have a hold on her ex lover. Whether she will be your wife or smash up your bike, she's gonna get you back in track 18 of the double album. She declares, "I'll make you think twice you'll find that you were never not mine."