What has surprised me is the songs that include lyrics outlining depression and misery being accompanied with some of the most upbeat pop productions I've heard. This album includes some of the saddest and most cutting lyrics I've heard from her. Megan Macdonald: I had gathered from the visuals in the lead-up that TTPD was going to be an exploration of heartbreak and, as someone who enjoys 'sad girl music', I have to say my expectations of TTPD have been well and truly met. I prefer her more upbeat stuff, but I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying TTPD overall … but I have a lot of thoughts about the surprise double album, The Anthology. Jessica Riga: I've fallen out of love with Taylor Swift in the past and bounced back, so with every new release I wonder when I might go cold again. I think history will judge this as one of her best albums and her artistry for writing lyrics is exceptional among her contemporaries.

She is at her poetic songwriting peak and this album is the melding of the genres she's experimented in to deliver anthem after anthem of angsty, personal, raw storytelling. I passionately disagree with the naysayers who suggest Taylor Swift is too prolific and needs to take a break. Patricia Karvelas: TTPD has exceeded my expectations, and my expectations were high. How has The Tortured Poets Department lived up to your expectations so far? To help us understand the album's standing from a fan's perspective, we've asked RN Breakfast and Q&A host Patricia Karvelas and ABC News reporters Megan Macdonald, Grace McKinnon and Jessica Riga to unpack their feelings after a weekend of living with this 122-minute collection. Less surprising is the news that it's packed with references for Swifties to obsess over, and sees the 34-year-old singer spit venom at a couple of ex-boyfriends while she unpacks the emotions that come with being one of the most popular (and wealthiest) people on the planet. It's twice as long as we expected, after Swift casually released a second part of the album just two hours after the release of the first half.

Taylor Swift's 11th studio album The Tortured Poets Department is here.

From ashes to new decode lyrics