Amanda Seyfried reveals her two go-to Taylor Swift albums to listen to while to-and-fro from work 

Amanda Seyfried revealed her two go-to Taylor Swift albums to listen to while to-and-fro from work during the March 13, 2025, episode of the Just for Variety podcast. The 39-year-old actress divulged to host Marc Malkin that she loved playing The Tortured Poets Department and Midnights on loop.

"We would listen to Taylor Swift really loud some days because the commute is sometimes 90 minutes," Seyfried explained.

Seyfried, best known for her iconic role as Karen in the 2004 cult classic Mean Girls, talked about her latest project, Long Bright River. In this gripping adaptation of Liz Moore's bestselling novel, Seyfried plays Mickey Fitzpatrick, a Philadelphia cop working in a neighborhood plagued with opioid crisis, alcohol addiction, corruption, and other social issues.

During her interview with Malkin, Amanda Seyfried recalled how she and her assistant would try to keep things lighthearted during the commute from the sets of Brooklyn to her Catskills home.

"My assistant and I would drive to work together and drive home together...I think we kind of laughed a lot and gossiped a lot to and from work," Seyfried shared.

Seyfried also emphasized the importance of mentally separating herself from the heavy material after work.

"So when the hard sh*t happened when I was playing all that emotional stuff, we just wouldn't take it back in the car with us, subconsciously," Seyfried remarked.

Amanda Seyfried explained how Taylor Swift became a key part of her daily routine. After filming particularly intense scenes, she would listen to Swift's 2022 album Midnights and 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department during the commute. Playing Swift's music "really loud" for "90 minutes" helped her unwind after a long day at work.

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How is the Taylor Swift album The Tortured Poets Department distinctly different from Midnights?

The Eras Tour - London, UK (Image via Getty)

Amanda Seyfried's go-to Taylor Swift albums—Midnights and The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD)—showcase distinct thematic explorations.

Midnights, released on October 21, 2022, delves into nocturnal contemplations inspired by sleepless nights. Songs from the album showcase confessional lyrics, navigating emotions of heartbreak, love introspection, and infatuation. In a Billboard article dated October 21, 2022, Swift described the album as:

"The stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life... a journey through terrors and sweet dreams."

On April 19, 2024, Swift surprised fans with The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD), releasing it as a double album featuring 31 tracks instead of the originally announced 16.

During her February 16, 2024, concert in Melbourne, Australia, Taylor Swift explained why she "needed to make" this album:

"It sort of reminded me of why songwriting is something that actually gets me through life, and I've never had an album where I've needed songwriting more than I needed it on Tortured Poets," Swift shared.

Unlike Midnights, which embodies an introspective and moody, late-night confessional tone, TTPD explores deeply personal themes of grief and self-reinvention, taking an emotional deep dive into Swift's life during the ongoing tour.

According to Taylor Swift, TTPD is a "lifeline" written during a period of "complete and total upheaval." The album is more outward-facing, addressing fame, public scrutiny, and past relationships in a more direct—and at times defiant—manner.

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Taylor Swift recently concluded her record-breaking Eras Tour on December 8, 2024, in Vancouver. She is now in her post-tour phase, potentially working on new music and spending time with her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.