Making a running playlist takes me longer than the actual run itself. Some people pick songs based on having the beat match their pace, some listen to only podcasts, some don’t listen to music at all. I make playlists based on my planned workout; certain songs just scream “hill repeats,” “speed” or “long runs.”
When a new album drops, my go-to move is to give it a test run – literally. But with an injury sidelining me, I’m living vicariously through Taylor Swift’s latest release, “The Tortured Poets Department” (TTPD), imagining where each track will fit into my playlists when I’m back out there.
The Warm-Up
I love a slow build during my warm ups. To me, “Holy Ground” and “State of Grace” are perfect, but this is TTPD, not Red.
You’re standing outside waiting for your GPS to kick in while “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” is playing. “I just want to know if rusting my sparkling summer was the goal,” you hit start and take a few steps to get your footing—and slowly pick up the pace. “The Alchemy” comes on right after and by the time she’s singing “these chemicals hit me like white wine,” those running endorphins have kicked in.
Honourable mentions: “Fortnight”, “Guilty as Sin”
Workouts
Workout sessions demand upbeat tempos for that extra push. While TTPD lacks the usual bops, there are a few that fit the bill. “Reputation” may be a better album suited for hill repeats or tempo runs.
Cross Training
“Down Bad.” This one is obvious, isn’t it? “Now I’m down bad crying at the gym.” Girl, same. I would rather be out running than doing these squats.
Speed Work and Hills
“Florida!!!” is one of my favourites on the album and I know this one is going to show up a lot on different playlists. For speed work I’m excited to have each step go along with the beat after Taylor and Florence sing “Florida!!!” *stomp stomp stomp stomp stomp*.
“I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.” I love the tempo in this one, especially in the chorus and post-chorus. The verses are a bit slower, allowing for a breather in between reps. When she sings “I was grinnin’ like I’m winnin’, I was hittin’ my marks, ‘Cause I can do it with a broken heart,” I like to think it was about hitting the right paces while she was getting ready for the Eras tour.
“I Hate it Here.” This one is for the moments between reps, “quick, quick tell me something awful.” The awful thing is you’ve only done one rep and have five more to go.
Honourable mentions: “But Daddy I love him,” “So High School.”
The Cool Down
We want a slower song, but still keep us moving after a workout like speedwork or hills.
“So Long, London.” There’s still a decent bpm pushing us to the end, she aptly sings: “So long London, had a good run, a moment of warm sun.”
“Fresh Out of the Slammer.” I’ll be texting my husband when I’m about 10 minutes from home: “Now, pretty baby, I’m runnin’ back home to you” in hopes that he will have a post-run smoothie chilled and ready.
Honourable mentions: “The Albatross,” “The Prophecy.”
The Long Run
Long runs I like to take a bit slower. I don’t want to go out too fast, and I don’t want to feel too tired at the end. The perfect long run songs for me are those I can sing along with.
“The Black Dog” is another one of my favourites from this album, it’s slow, but has its moments, especially the chorus. You’ll find me running along the Humber River picking up my pace every time she sings: “Old habits die screaming.”
“Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” Oh you know I’m going to be singing along with this one while: “I levitate down your street.”
Honourable mentions: “The Tortured Poets Department,” “My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys.”
Stretching
After a run, it’s important to s t r e t c h. We need a nice, low, and slow song to bring our heart rate down.
“How did it end?” Hopefully it was a good run, and you can sit and listen to this one while you scroll through Strava.
“loml” Might not be the typical choice to wrap up a run—it’s a bit of a tearjerker. Hold that stretch for a few extra seconds while you sit with the lyrics and realize loml went from representing “love of my life” to “loss of my life.”
Honourable mentions: “I Look in People’s Windows,” “The Manuscript.”
See you back out there singing Taylor Swift songs, just as soon as I can.
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