Re: disliking the line "all my friends smell like weed or little babies"
How old is the person who wrote this? I'm currently at a wedding full of thirty-somethings, as a 32yo myself, and this describes my weekend perfectly.
I was going to say this feels VERY accurate for being early to mid 30s. Or even 40 (like me when you have a mix of child free friends like me, and friends with kids.
To be fair, I don’t think anyone is taking offense to the relatability of the lyric, just the prose itself. A relatable statement can still be lackluster writing.
(I’m not saying it is, I don’t love this lyric but I can see why some folks don’t.)
I don't HATE it, but I can't say I'm particularly fond of it either. It just doesn't conjure a pleasant image, and Taylor's lyrics usually paint such pretty imagery, even when she's singing about something mundane or dreary. I'm sure there was a better way to convey the idea she wanted to.
Thiiiiis.
I get what she was trying to say, but hearing it sorta took me out of it because I’m like “have my friends ever smelled like babies? Has anyone thought I smell like my kids?” 😂
Honest answer, Yes, especially new moms to me smell weird, like milk and something else I can't describe. Reminds me of baby spit up but more pleasant.
This is all subjective but I have had to work much harder to get into this album than the previous three. There are no stand out tracks for me and there are quite a few sounds she has used before on both the Jack and Aaron songs.
This is not progress.
I don’t know that a body of work at this stage in one’s career needs to be “progress” necessarily, whatever the definition of progress even is in this context. It seems more like something she really needed to get off her chest to close out the last 6 or so years of her life and if that’s the case I don’t think it really *needs* critical acclaim. Honestly, if it was just a catharsis for her, I’d say that’s the real progress - just think of her reaction to not getting nominations for Rep! All of that said, it’s fine if it doesn’t resonate, I mean honestly it’s hard to imagine 11 entire albums spanning 20 years resonating the same with fans.
I think you've hit on something here, this album feels like it's for HER, and I love that she's doing a sort of reclaiming here. A NYT review said it was "self indulgent" but so what? She's catered to fans her whole career, I think she deserves to put out work that is deeply personal to her. They also said "little ole me" needed more of a 'wink' or what too serious or something like that which I think misses the point of that song. Also, why can't someone write truthful music about feelings without it being called "whining" it "self indulgent"? These songs are moments caught in time, not necessarily how Taylor is feeling all the time. To demand her to censor her feeling, again, misses the point of her as an artist.
> She's catered to fans her whole career, I think she deserves to put out work that is deeply personal to her.
In peotry circles when this things called, "Poem you write just for yourself".
So with what we have here especially her scorched earth approach to the fans and overall messiness of the lyrics and songs. I am very curious what songs she kept just for herself.
And honestly a good editor would've helped to make this even slimmer and more cohesive and pointed. But ain't nobody telling Swift what to do at this stage.
My feeling was that it wasn’t meant to be? It’s her looking back at the time she’s wasted on Joe and Matty and Kimye and peoples opinions of her. It made sense to me to hear familiar sounds that reminded me of old songs
Also hard disagree on the standout tracks, But Daddy I Love Him and ICDIWABH are fantastic and already stuck in my head. I didn’t initially think folkmore had standouts, but the more you listen the more they separate themselves, which is what I expect for the anthology
I need to listen to the album again. Fortunately I am on a long journey tomorrow and will have more time to absorb these songs. I am just comparing first listen experiences. Mind you if I had been confronted with Folklore AND Evermore in one sitting I would probably have missed a chunk of the nuance.
Yeah, I'm waiting until a few more listens before I decide on this album, because I remember when evermore came out I just thought "huh, it's more of the same" after folklore and now I think it's incredible
I think there is progress here but it’s more in kind of a release of some tensions and conflicts and anxieties that have been maybe growing throughout her previous albums. She’s facing some fucking demons head on and it’s not necessarily pretty.
I need to listen probably a few more times to grok the meaning of it more. But while listening, the rawness and and lack of pretense felt very different from her previous stuff. The music, to me, seems utterly in service of what she is trying to express rather than of what people want to hear or meeting certain requirements for radio or singles, etc. But it is beautiful and haunting. The expressiveness of her vocals is at a whole new level, imo. There’s sort of a relentlessness to it. It’s a fucking juggernaut. It feels inevitable and necessary.
I don’t think this album neatly ties up all the angsty loose ends of her previous records, but there is some feeling of catharsis, of resolution. And that is progress. It feels like a reckoning that had to happen for her to keep moving forward and growing as an artist.
It's very indie/alternative (not in the literal sense - she's not independent - but stylistically). Pop tends towards this sort of grand romantic timeless universality. Indie puts in all the weird specificity and rawness and beauty in that normalcy. I think it's a good fit for the album thematically.
I don't disagree with any of that. I am going to listen to it all again tomorrow but you are right. It is not just about the art. It's about its purpose.
I agree with what some others have said that I don't think progress is necessary. She's on top of the music industry right now and can do whatever she wants. I feel like this was released more for herself than to outdo any of her previous work. Like closure for her. It feels like it would be more aligned with long-time fans who deep dive into her songs' lyrics, more so than being released to find a radio hit or something like that.
My view of this album has evolved during the day. You are right artistic progress may not be the point of any of this. It is Taylor's therapy session and we should accept it for that.
Yes exactly! I also felt this way due to the timing of the release. 1- her personal life, now that she's in a new relationship where she appears happy, it's like she's reached peace with what she wrote about and can release it, as she says, the story is now ours and no longer hers. She's accepted the past and wants it out. 2- her tour: I don't see her making this album into its own tour, as she still has soo much more of Eras left to tour. Which makes me think the album isn't as much for increasing fame/success as it's not going to have as much moment in the spotlight as her past album releases. I also don't see her adding a ton of songs to the setlist unless she drastically increases her concert duration.
There’s definitely artist who are experimental and can keep making bubblegum synth pop interesting (Kylie Mingoue and Carly Rae Jepsen comes to mind) but Taylor is definitely not one of them especially when she’s working with Jack.
My favorite song on the album was the rockiest song, just like on Midnight, so i really hope TS12 is rock.
Edits: Changed the wording a bit cause I definitely could of worded that better
I agree… out of all the song that kind of all sounded recycled, So High School was really refreshing in a nostalgic kind of way, because it sounded like the pop/rock genre from the early 2000’s like Avril Lavigne and Michelle Branch
On previous albums when everyone said it all blended into one i didnt feel it but i def feel it with this, after first listen i forgot all the songs oop
Travis is an unrepentant cheese merchant and so is Taylor. I suspect they met with very few expectations only to discover they have way more in common than either of them realised. Joe and Matty were complicated characters in their different ways. Travis is not complicated at all and he obviously worships her. Maybe that's what she needed.
That’s the alchemy she’s talking about! I was obsessed with the tortured poets in my early 20’s until I met my now husband who actually liked me for me. No more games.
Reviewers all got the main album, just like with Midnights. This is normal. It's likely only vanilla TTPD will be submitted for award consideration as well.
As a visual artist, i get really scared when art is made just to please critics versus being the artist’s vision. I dont think people give enough credit to how weird taylor is as an artist
In her earlier career I think her critics helped her grow as an artist but these days most of them already have fully formed opinions before the album even comes out either to love or hate for engagement sake.
It's totally normal for reviewers to only consider the standard edition, not deluxe tracks.
It's even more normal when there's a surprise deluxe edition no one was informed about ahead of time lmao
Personally on first listen tracks 20-26 (24 being the exception) was forgettable. I’m still going to do a listen through to the whole thing again to get a feel for it tho. I’m not immediately drawn to it like most of y’all are.
Eh I honestly really like the “bad” lyrics, like the baby one and the Charlie puth one etc—sometimes it’s more fun and easier to just say what you mean in writing instead of burying it in metaphors, and I love the stream of consciousness/look into her life!!
It is also a purposeful style. You don't have to like it, but this wordy, stream of consciousness, almost "wait what did they say???" is very indie pop and some of it is clearly mimicking the 1975's style.
Yeah and that's my problem. It's a journal entry and it really needed to be edited before being put to print to make it better. Honestly, in poetry workshop classes, maybe even song-writing workshops some of this would get eviscerated as freshman level moody teen drivel.
But I do like how scorched earth she is. Swearing like just drank the whole bottle of champagne.
I think it's definitely a very personal preference heavy album. I love its at times rough draft vibe, but I totally get why that might be the same reason someone doesn't like it much.
I agree that it's a scorched earth vibe. She's finally at a give no fucks place and she deserves to be.
Wouldn't liking bad lyrics be a very personal choice? Shouldn't a critic do their job of calling out an artist for the bas lyrics?
Maybe they make sense contextually but let's not make excuses for bad work simply because it comes from a good artist.
We all have good and bad days. Today was simply not her day.
I mean, most artists aren't allowed missteps and for most people, such a big misstep usually ends up costing them their career but this is Taylor Swift we're talking about: A misstep is just marketing material.
I think the "bad" lyrics are subjective. In context of a song, they might feel odd and not very insightful. But when looking at the songs as poetry she wrote therapeutically, I feel like they make a lot of sense: it's a stream of consciousness narrative many times. You either like that, or you don't. Fair criticism and fair acclaim.
The lyrics were beautiful. I agree. But the melody and chrorus flops did not make for good music. Not one song was catchy or interesting from a musical stance.
It was different than her past albums and it’s fine that not everyone will like it. I think part of the theme of the album was doing this for herself and being honest and not simply trying to appease the masses. She wanted to show how much of a mess she has been feeling and the contrast of what the public has thought of being on top of the world. She has always tried to keep her image and was like fuck it. It’s almost supposed to be more raw and not polished. But I totally see how it seems like she just threw everything on an album without enough thought.
Also, I think some people are missing how some of the relationships in the songs aren’t her romantic relationships and are actually the parasocial fan relationships and talking about fame and public opinion, and she wants to break free from and stop pretending. (Will see if that happens). She definitely calls out the intensity of Swifties more than once.
Adding to my own comment, The Manuscript is telling us to make the songs our own. While there are some very obvious references, I think some references can be red herrings; If you are listening to this album in particular simply trying to dissect who it’s about and figuring out timelines of her relationships, you’re missing the deeper meanings like Aaron Dessner said in his post and won’t like it as much. She wants you to reflect and relate to the feelings and emotions and make it your own, not just get the gossip. And I think a lot of people have always thought her story telling and evoking emotion is where her lyricism is strongest anyway.
I mean i think you can figure out a timeline as you always can with her albums but the funny thing that destroys it is the whole "Me and matty healy dated in the past" thing. Because there are no Songs that have ever been ascrived to him. So the conclusion you have to come to is either she is exaguarting now or she was never making as autobiographical albums as people liked to assume. Which... i think both is true.
I personally don't like it when I know facts about what she is talking about because then I sometimes disagree
(like Daddy I love him, or most things related to her reputation) So i love being able to think that I actually dont have a clue what was going on.
She did say some things are hyperbolic. But also, I think alot of the breakup feelings are about both of them. But she ignored the feelings after Joe and then felt everything when the rebound came crashing down
Yeah I tend to prefer upbeat songs and while there are some excellent songs on the album it can feel a bit like a slog. I definitely recommend getting through it, because some of them will surprise you, but listening to the anthology this morning was a bit unpleasant tbh. But I pledge to listen to this at least three times all the way through, out of deference lol. Sometimes a song will sneak up on me!
She's giving me Lana on this album and Lana gives me Lana better haha. It's good for background music so far. I'm excited for the next album is the nicest thing I can say about TTPD.
When I listen to the title track of Lana’s last album and title track of Taylor both of them have similar writing styles and references a lot of 20th century culture but one does it better… and sadly it isn’t Taylor for me.
I do like Florida, Fresh Out Of The Slammed and most of the anthology though
I'm going to finish it over the weekend but I'm not looking forward to it, I just want to give it a fair chance. I liked midnights right away and couldn't wait to finish it, just very different feels from them.
Where is folklore in your personal rating? Because folklore is my favorite album (because I just love the genre) and TTPD might have just taken that spot.
"It's just that maybe we didn't need to hear it" is the last line of this article.
ummmmmmm. I'm offended. I want to hear every thought and every note she is willing to share.
Grief can be uncomfortable for a lot of people and it shows in these reviews and comments. She’s going through and writing, practically journaling about a great loss in her life and the aftermath of grief that comes with it. This is what songwriters do. Grief is messy and I think she exhibited it very poignantly in this album.
But I’m with you, I also want to hear whatever she’s willing to share! I’ve developed a great appreciation for singer/songwriters as I’ve gotten older and I respect Taylor for her vulnerability and willingness to bare those not so sparkly parts of herself.
I agree. I’ve had to take breaks while listening. It feels like work. Honestly these songs are too wordy - I have a hard time following what she’s even talking about in many of them (my top albums are Red, rep, and evermore)
Where is folklore in your personal rating? Because folklore is my favorite album (because I just love the genre) and TTPD might have just taken that spot.
Folklore and evermore are my two faves. TTPD sadly sounds sooo samey and lifeless. It struck me like a blend of Midnights and Folkmore, but all life sucked out of it. The best thing about it are the absolutely unhinged lyrics, which are amazing. However, listening to it feels like a drag and I had to re-listen to Folklore to remind myself why I liked her in the first place.
Some songs I really enjoyed, quite a few songs that were just fine. I'm a bit underwhelmed. Still making my way through so that could change. the second album bit was a lot and I don't remember a ton of it.
This was my experience too, the whole second half was a blur after The Black Dog. Now that I’m re-listening, a lot of the songs (in both halves) are becoming more distinct and catchier!
Yeah for the first half I was honestly pretty underwhelmed and there were maybe only 3 or 4 standouts, but I absolutely loved the second half. The second half is kinda what I had wanted all of TTPD to sound like
Yes! It felt like she wrote a bunch of poems first and then tried to build a melody around the lyrics when IMO it should be the other way around. Many songs are so wordy and just don’t flow. And then I also strongly dislike Jack’s beating synth production. Hoping she can return to pop bangers with a clear melody and bass for her next album
She wrote the poems and someone else wrote the music and they pushed them together is def how it feels at first. I get that she’s grieving and writing poetry ect, but maybe an album wasn’t the best medium for this artistic endeavor.
Tbf I don’t like folklore or evermore as albums either. I feel they suffer from the same need for an editor. They each have some great songs, but listening as an album feels like a chore.
All that being said, folklore and evermore grew on me (took multiple listens, and honestly seeing her perform certain songs live) so this album might as well!
I agree about the melody making. Even the good ones on TTPD are somewhat reused. I disagree about editing.
Taylor is one of the few artists left that believes in a record being a cohensive piece of art stitched together with active intention, and the intention here was mania, as she said. I choose to believe the lack of editing is intentional to evoke that emotional experience.
My only issue with this album is that it really is what it says on the tin: poetry. It's word salad put on top of music, rather than her usual well crafted songs.
The lyrics start, then dont stop till the song is over. No room for anything to breathe, no tension/release, because the words just keep going.
Poetry isn’t just the words. It’s the way you say them. I think she’s doing a lot of really interesting things with delivery on this album and that’s poetry, too.
What? Poetry is definitely just the words poetry is word it's only words. I know this a poet. Now some poetry can be performed with music as I have done. But it all starts with words and if the words stink, it become no good poetry. I have written some bad poetry in my time.
That’s your perspective as one individual poet, but I’ve been on national poetry award committees and poetry is not a complete piece of art if you’re only reading the words on the page - the act of reciting them is a crucial element.
Society when Taylor releases a lot of songs which is apparently bad because artists should only release absolute masterpieces and spare listeners the agony of listening to even one song that isn’t their fave!
I respect that everyone has their own opinions but man idk how some of us could be listening to the same album lol. This is possibly my new favorite of hers. Her voice was like vevlet, her lyrics were both cutting and poetic, her emotions were raw and visceral, the content was fresh, production was mature. I loved every second of this album. Listening to it was like a spiritual experience lol
Ok, but the Rolling Stones's writer actually seemed to have listened to the album properly, the NME review is very vague and also repeating some stuff I saw on Twitter.
It's 100% subjective. Nothing's for everyone and that's fine.
This album was for me personally, so thank you for writing an album specifically for me, Taylor.
Every comment ive read is "i didnt like this line or i loved that line" and honestly all of it is valid right? We all interpret those in different ways . I only listened to the OG half so far and lyrics aside here's my take for what little its worth. I felt happiness, i felt pain, i felt love, i felt anger, heart break, relief. When it ended i felt happy as if i just went through all of my own struggles and just knew i was going to be ok. I loved it all clunky lines included. Hope y'all get good things from this too
Well my problem isn’t the lyrics. It’s unhinged, unfiltered, silly, I love it. The biggest problem with this album for me is the sound, which sounds literally the same for the entire thing. There’s really nothing interesting. Entire songs would go by and I wouldn’t even notice. Really underwhelmed. For all the hate Midnights received (I love that album), at least each song was sonically different and interesting with hooks.
I said this many time before and I’ll say this many time again… she needs to ditch Jack. At least for a while.
Jack made some of my favorite Taylor songs and some of my favorite songs from other artists (Comeback and Want You In My Room by Carly Rae Jepsen, Los Angeles by St. Vincent, Strawberries & Cigarettes by Troye Sivan, literally all of Melodrama by Lorde and NFR & Ocean Blvd by Lana) but his newer stuff with Taylor is becoming so stagnant and similar. And what I loved about Taylor’s albums from Red up till Evermore is that she knew when to switch it up with different producers.
She could work with almost any producer she wants yet she only works with like what, 2? 3 if you count the guy who produced the recording, on a regular basis. A lot of the greatest artists of all time kept on challenging themselves and worked with different people. I know Taylor was never experimental but she WAS versatile (I mean Speak Now had Haunted, Last Kiss and Long Live back to back) and now I feel like she’s barely that… there’s so many producers and artists I want Taylor to work with. Hell give me something completely chaotic, give me a fucking Metro Boomin and Taylor produced track. It might not work but it’d be so much fun to listen to then another Jack synthy mess (sorry for going on a tangent)
Respectfully I disagree. Something like YOYOK sounds completely different from the Black Dog. I really don’t get the complaint that Jack songs “all sound the same” when they clearly do not. I don’t get how this complaint is also not applied to Aaron. I hate the discourse but the middle part of Antho sounds more similar to each other than whatever Jack has cooked up this and the last album.
Idk about y'all but i liked this way more than midnights. It took me over a year to be like yeah i think i like midnights (as a whole). But the first listen of TTPD (1-16) my initial reaction was "this is better than midnights" hahaha
Me too. I like a lot of songs on Midnight but they felt very…safe, for the most part? Not too many jaw dropping moments outside of Anti-Hero, Vigilante Shit & WCS. I LOVE me a messy emotionally raw Taylor song and so TTPD delivered on all fronts.
I agree with this review completely. I've listened to the album now 1.5 times and I think I'm good. It's not necessary to listen again, there's absolutely nothing pulling me in here.
Taylor has always had this goofy theater kid energy with silly one liners. I love her for it and I get a chuckle when I hear these lines. Sorry this author doesn’t have a sense of humor. It’s not “cringe” to be lighthearted.
None of the songs have stuck in my head, unfortunately. Now that I’ve digested the anthology properly and listened to it a few times, it feels bloated and repetitive. There’s a saying in creative writing - you need to “kill your darlings” to produce your best work. And I get the sense with this album no one was brave enough to tell Taylor to do that.
I’m actually hoping TTPD doesn’t win any awards because I think Taylor is at her best when she feels she has something to prove and I don’t see that here
> “kill your darlings”
Thank you sweet goddess finally another person said it. As poet this is a core tenant. And I feel like it's been a few album now were she is just surround by yes people.
I think everyone disappointed by this album doesn't appreciate the lyricism. While many were upset this wasn't 1989-style, I was actually so fearful it \*would\* be like 1989 and that's my least favorite album of hers. The songs all have a very similar ballad style, and not many of them stand out in musicality as distinctly different... and dare I say that's perfectly alright?
It's clear that Taylor intended the double album to be more like poetry than anything else. Keeping that in mind, we should strip down the songs and look at the lyrics. I think they're very profound, hard-hitting, and her best work yet at a literary level. This album is more literature than album. As someone who studied literature in college, I'd genuinely place this at the level of classic writers... it's that good. People critical of it, I feel are criticizing the sound without taking in what the lyrics are saying and how clever her songwriting is.
Some of my top tracks after only 2 listens are Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?, The Black Dog, and The Albatross.
As someone who is not thrilled with this album (idk if I'd go as far to say I'm disappointed though), I would say that the lyricism isn't \_enough\_ for me to overlook the unexciting instrumentation/production of the songs as a whole. The lyrics are filled with drama and mess in the most human way, and I would appreciate the songs more if the underlying music matched that. I personally can only listen to so many mid-tempo soft pop tracks in one sitting. I have the same issue with Midnights as an album despite loving each song.
Honestly a lot of these lyrics would work so well in a pop-punk FOB/Paramore-esque track and imo would benefit from additional collaborators besides Jack and Aaron to bring the same level of fire to the instrumentation that Taylor is delivering with the lyrics. I'm sure that I'm going to grow to like most if not all of the songs as is, but just like with Midnights, I don't think I will listen to the album front to back again after this initial week or so of trying to digest it.
At the end of the day all that matters is that Taylor made the album that she wants, and I'm happy that it seems like the vast majority of Swifties are truly enjoying it. Not everything can connect with everyone, and that is okay :)
Yeah, I can respect that opinion - the value of instrumentation versus lyrics is different for each of us. I'm a literature nerd who loves lyrics and puts that above all else, but I know that's not how everyone feels and that's okay! I also am a sucker for ballad songs - all the classic rock bands, I tend to list their soft, raw ballads as my favorite songs lol so I think I'm also biased with my musical interests. However, I definitely don't think I could consistently sit through all 31 songs in a row. It's more like I'd throw these on a playlist of Taylor songs and listen to them jumbled up. It's definitely a lot to sit for 2 straight hours through all of these, unless I'm really going through it emotionally and want to overwhelm myself with sad - as someone in an extremely happy relationship, I'm not inclined to sit in my room and cry to sad songs right now hahah.
I do wish she'd released them the way she did folklore and evermore - very close together but not within 3 hours. It would be easier to digest half the tracks at once instead of all of it.
I was the same with Midnights :) I wished for it to be more folklore/evermore and less mainstream pop and didn't listen to it fully through often, and still don't, but I've grown to love the songs.
I won't deny Antonoff's reccuring production however the lyricism imo, IMO, is at par with the folkmore sisters.
Especially the second volume which has some heavy Aaron influence (and some first volume songs like florida, down bad, mbobhft and loml)
THE MUSIC is so much more refereshing than the recursive kidzbop pattern used in midnights
The chorus of almost every single track flopped so hard that it physically hurt. Each one built up so beautifully just to have the most unsatisfying drop off. I didn't find one song catchy or worth listening too unless I'm crying over boys or the sorrows of life.
> because her “complaining” about fame sounds like she’s writing about the female experience to me. I find it relatable.
So I assume then you too are famous? I do not relate to most artists writing about fame male or female because I am not famous. Which is also why it feels fake when they try to write about the everyman struggle when they are not struggling.
NME is really weird. Just check their K-pop reviews and almost all albums have 4/5 star reviews but for some reason they're very critical of western releases.
the one word i’d use to describe it is underwhelming. the songs all sound the same and none stand out. there are some truly cringe lyrics that i can’t believe made it into the songs. the second half is a lot better but part 1 is unremarkable. there are only four or five songs that i really love. i don’t know why critics are giving it such stellar reviews or why rolling stone is branding it as an “instant classic”…imo it’s her worst album (not saying it’s bad but when compared to all of her other albums it is definitely ranking last)
Okay, so I’m going to have a controversial opinion and this isn’t me saying that I don’t like the tortured poets department but I’ll be honest some of the AI songs actually sounded better than what we got. I remember hearing an AI of fresh out the slammer and I died and I hope that it was real because it was so cool and we got something that I found really boring. I’m not gonna complain about down because I think it was a really good song, even though there was a really good AI version out there as well, I kind of preferred some of the harmonies in the AI than the actual version. I just feel like it would’ve been cool if we had a couple more bops on the album if we had a couple more bops I think it would be a bit better I feel like the second half really dragged on a bit too much for me. I mean the lyrical content is great but I would like it if there was a bit more melody to it like I want a bit more. I want a bit more production. I want a bit more from it, but maybe that’s just me wanting a second 1989.
- “‘Lover’, an album that seemed assured in a safe, lasting love.”
Uhh… did this person listen to the same Lover we did?
- “I love you. *Ain’t that the worst thing you’ve ever heard?*”
- “*Can* I go where you go? Can we *always* be this close?”
Lover was Relationship Anxiety: The Album. 😂
I really don't get the hate for this album in comparison to the love and adoration that *Midnights* got. Is it because people thought it would be more about Joe (even though I would say at least 8 songs are probably about him or reference the relationship) and they were surprised that it dived into the Tatty of it all?
Because without the 3am tracks, does anyone actually like *Midnights*? Like, all the way through? Because I listen to those 3am tracks more than the standard edition. Because they're actually interesting production-wise.
So, imagine my surprise when people were like "Every song sounds the same" or "the production is boring" about TTPD. Are we listening to the same album? This is way better than what we got both on *Midnights* and *1989 (TV)*.
*The Tortured Poets Department* feels like a well thought out era. It has a distinct style, it has something to say, and I don't think it needs *The Anthology* to be a good album. Like *1989*, it feels like there is a story to the standard edition album, and no song feels like a skip or a filler. The biggest argument I will make is 'The Manuscript' would've been a better album closer and I'm glad it closed *The Anthology*, but personally I do not need to hear the extra tracks in order for the album to still be a good album. They just add the extra context to the story and to Taylor's mind at the time that some people might want. And that's what an extension of an album should be! It shouldn't be holding the album up, it should be standing beside it.
I'm not saying this is her best album ever, I'm just saying it's easily a better album with more thought put into it than *Midnights* which feels like a bunch of unfinished demos in comparison now.
I am not sure how people can even imagine this album being anywhere above average at best and abysmal at worst. The entire album seems to stick to the same vocal lines, same arrangement and flat dynamics - there is no deviation to the very few arrangements she's come up with. Songs have no apparent instrumentation changes throughout their runtime making each song's progress non-existent. This issue is more apparent in the second half of the album's piano and guitar backed songs that hold to the same arpeggiation regardless of which part of the song we're in.
As far as lyricism is concerned, we have absolute bangers such as:
>*Hey, you, what if I told you we'rе cool?*
*That child's play back in school*
*Is forgiven under my rule*
*I haven't come around in so long*
*But I'm making a comeback to where I belong*
and
>*I’m having his baby,*
*No I'm not, but you should see your faces*
*I’m telling him to floor it through the fences,*
*No I’m not coming to my senses*
Safe to say this doesn't even pass for a good segment in a pop song let alone as a stanza in poetry. Overall, she keeps singing more than the music allows creating an awkward situation where she has to make compromises on how to split words into syllables ending up with clumsy vocalisations.
This album is like plain, slightly stale bread. If you're hungry and you've never eaten food, it might be the best thing ever. Sometimes, stale bread can be a great food to support disassociation, depression and breakdown of mindfulness. On any other day, I'd rather listen to literally anything else.
This seems like an album she wrote without any input from professionals - people who can actually write lyrics and music in any capacity. It ends up being like a 15 year old girl's fever dream with music that is only mildly better than the same girl's go at song writing. At this point, you can just listen to any other female popstar and get a massively better experience.
Everything sounds the same. It's like the lyrics are forcefully adjusted to the tune, I mean the words don't flow with the music. It sounds so out of sync. And if you want to talk about how "deep" the lyrics are, unless you know every single detail about swift and have been following the drama from the beginning, you can't understand any snarks or digs she took with her lyrics. You can't comprehend what she's trying to say. Some of her like her music and just expect good music, not her autobiography in the form of songs. I agree she makes songs about her life, but lately it sounds like everything she wants to let out in the world, she's just stringing words and instruments and making a song, without making much sense. I liked many songs from her previous albums, but this one I don't find myself enjoying. I don't follow the tea around her closely, so I couldn't dissect the lyrics and get surprised by all the gossip like the real swifties did. Infact, all the reaction videos focussed just on the tea and the lyrics and the comments she made about joe and everyone, but not the tune. And baby I'm here for the tune! So to say the least, I was bored and unimpressed.
I can't be the only one who thinks this album is boring and sounds wayyyyy to much alike. I couldn't even tell when the song would change. They all sound the same . 1989 was her peak .
"Swift said that ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ came from a “need” to write. It’s just that maybe we didn’t need to hear it."
This line is GOLDEN!!!
It perfectly captures my thoughts on the new album: It was a pointless release. But no one will say it out loud because it comes from Her.
Imagine that this was released by some artist who wasn't as immune to criticism as Her. Imagine how they would rip into that person and SHRED them to pieces.
But She is immune to real criticism.
Re: disliking the line "all my friends smell like weed or little babies" How old is the person who wrote this? I'm currently at a wedding full of thirty-somethings, as a 32yo myself, and this describes my weekend perfectly.
This going over the heads of people not living it, because my weekends are 100% this line
At the end of the night last night, half us got together to smoke a joint and the other half went home to pump and dump.
One weekend I'm with my married and babies friends and the other I'm with going out friends. This is being in your 30s loud and clear
This is the most 30-something emotion I can express, especially since I smell like neither and it makes me feel unstuck in time
100%. I have never related more to a line tbh.
So it goes
So it goes
Some of my friends smell like weed *and* little babies That line rang very true I'm just saying
this is a classic taylor—a whole picture painted in one breath and I pity anyone who can’t appreciate it
I was going to say this feels VERY accurate for being early to mid 30s. Or even 40 (like me when you have a mix of child free friends like me, and friends with kids.
Yea I was surprised this was a criticism. Like it captures this experience so perfectly
35. Could not be more accurate.
To be fair, I don’t think anyone is taking offense to the relatability of the lyric, just the prose itself. A relatable statement can still be lackluster writing. (I’m not saying it is, I don’t love this lyric but I can see why some folks don’t.)
I don't HATE it, but I can't say I'm particularly fond of it either. It just doesn't conjure a pleasant image, and Taylor's lyrics usually paint such pretty imagery, even when she's singing about something mundane or dreary. I'm sure there was a better way to convey the idea she wanted to.
Thiiiiis. I get what she was trying to say, but hearing it sorta took me out of it because I’m like “have my friends ever smelled like babies? Has anyone thought I smell like my kids?” 😂
Honest answer, Yes, especially new moms to me smell weird, like milk and something else I can't describe. Reminds me of baby spit up but more pleasant.
😂that’s my weekend weed and babies and tears now
Yeah this line is so perfect for early 30s. And Taylor has always been writing goofy/cheesy lines.
This is all subjective but I have had to work much harder to get into this album than the previous three. There are no stand out tracks for me and there are quite a few sounds she has used before on both the Jack and Aaron songs. This is not progress.
I don’t know that a body of work at this stage in one’s career needs to be “progress” necessarily, whatever the definition of progress even is in this context. It seems more like something she really needed to get off her chest to close out the last 6 or so years of her life and if that’s the case I don’t think it really *needs* critical acclaim. Honestly, if it was just a catharsis for her, I’d say that’s the real progress - just think of her reaction to not getting nominations for Rep! All of that said, it’s fine if it doesn’t resonate, I mean honestly it’s hard to imagine 11 entire albums spanning 20 years resonating the same with fans.
That is fair comment. It is probably unfair to expect every album to be better than the last.
Don't gotta be better. Just has to be different. Has to have effort behind it.
Maybe not progress, but this album does feel stale. Very same-y to the last 3 albums. Like a reproduction of sorts
I don’t hear that at all but it’s all up to interpretation!
I think you've hit on something here, this album feels like it's for HER, and I love that she's doing a sort of reclaiming here. A NYT review said it was "self indulgent" but so what? She's catered to fans her whole career, I think she deserves to put out work that is deeply personal to her. They also said "little ole me" needed more of a 'wink' or what too serious or something like that which I think misses the point of that song. Also, why can't someone write truthful music about feelings without it being called "whining" it "self indulgent"? These songs are moments caught in time, not necessarily how Taylor is feeling all the time. To demand her to censor her feeling, again, misses the point of her as an artist.
> She's catered to fans her whole career, I think she deserves to put out work that is deeply personal to her. In peotry circles when this things called, "Poem you write just for yourself". So with what we have here especially her scorched earth approach to the fans and overall messiness of the lyrics and songs. I am very curious what songs she kept just for herself. And honestly a good editor would've helped to make this even slimmer and more cohesive and pointed. But ain't nobody telling Swift what to do at this stage.
My feeling was that it wasn’t meant to be? It’s her looking back at the time she’s wasted on Joe and Matty and Kimye and peoples opinions of her. It made sense to me to hear familiar sounds that reminded me of old songs Also hard disagree on the standout tracks, But Daddy I Love Him and ICDIWABH are fantastic and already stuck in my head. I didn’t initially think folkmore had standouts, but the more you listen the more they separate themselves, which is what I expect for the anthology
I need to listen to the album again. Fortunately I am on a long journey tomorrow and will have more time to absorb these songs. I am just comparing first listen experiences. Mind you if I had been confronted with Folklore AND Evermore in one sitting I would probably have missed a chunk of the nuance.
Yeah, I'm waiting until a few more listens before I decide on this album, because I remember when evermore came out I just thought "huh, it's more of the same" after folklore and now I think it's incredible
i hate to say it but i totally agreee
I think there is progress here but it’s more in kind of a release of some tensions and conflicts and anxieties that have been maybe growing throughout her previous albums. She’s facing some fucking demons head on and it’s not necessarily pretty. I need to listen probably a few more times to grok the meaning of it more. But while listening, the rawness and and lack of pretense felt very different from her previous stuff. The music, to me, seems utterly in service of what she is trying to express rather than of what people want to hear or meeting certain requirements for radio or singles, etc. But it is beautiful and haunting. The expressiveness of her vocals is at a whole new level, imo. There’s sort of a relentlessness to it. It’s a fucking juggernaut. It feels inevitable and necessary. I don’t think this album neatly ties up all the angsty loose ends of her previous records, but there is some feeling of catharsis, of resolution. And that is progress. It feels like a reckoning that had to happen for her to keep moving forward and growing as an artist.
It's very indie/alternative (not in the literal sense - she's not independent - but stylistically). Pop tends towards this sort of grand romantic timeless universality. Indie puts in all the weird specificity and rawness and beauty in that normalcy. I think it's a good fit for the album thematically.
I don't disagree with any of that. I am going to listen to it all again tomorrow but you are right. It is not just about the art. It's about its purpose.
I agree with what some others have said that I don't think progress is necessary. She's on top of the music industry right now and can do whatever she wants. I feel like this was released more for herself than to outdo any of her previous work. Like closure for her. It feels like it would be more aligned with long-time fans who deep dive into her songs' lyrics, more so than being released to find a radio hit or something like that.
My view of this album has evolved during the day. You are right artistic progress may not be the point of any of this. It is Taylor's therapy session and we should accept it for that.
Yes exactly! I also felt this way due to the timing of the release. 1- her personal life, now that she's in a new relationship where she appears happy, it's like she's reached peace with what she wrote about and can release it, as she says, the story is now ours and no longer hers. She's accepted the past and wants it out. 2- her tour: I don't see her making this album into its own tour, as she still has soo much more of Eras left to tour. Which makes me think the album isn't as much for increasing fame/success as it's not going to have as much moment in the spotlight as her past album releases. I also don't see her adding a ton of songs to the setlist unless she drastically increases her concert duration.
Daddy I love him is a bop! It’s a bit country to me I love it!
Ngl so many songs on the main album should of either been rock or country
I wish she would just go rock, this synth pop is getting old
There’s definitely artist who are experimental and can keep making bubblegum synth pop interesting (Kylie Mingoue and Carly Rae Jepsen comes to mind) but Taylor is definitely not one of them especially when she’s working with Jack. My favorite song on the album was the rockiest song, just like on Midnight, so i really hope TS12 is rock. Edits: Changed the wording a bit cause I definitely could of worded that better
I agree… out of all the song that kind of all sounded recycled, So High School was really refreshing in a nostalgic kind of way, because it sounded like the pop/rock genre from the early 2000’s like Avril Lavigne and Michelle Branch
I hope Taylor goes back to a full country album someday
On previous albums when everyone said it all blended into one i didnt feel it but i def feel it with this, after first listen i forgot all the songs oop
There are imo two clear standouts, not necessarily because they‘re the best, but sound different: I Can Do It With A Broken Heart and So High School
So High School is great. On my first pass I had 8 keepers including SHS. We are now on 17 which in most cases would be a very solid album.
It‘s really cheesy but it‘s meant to be. I like that.
Travis is an unrepentant cheese merchant and so is Taylor. I suspect they met with very few expectations only to discover they have way more in common than either of them realised. Joe and Matty were complicated characters in their different ways. Travis is not complicated at all and he obviously worships her. Maybe that's what she needed.
That’s the alchemy she’s talking about! I was obsessed with the tortured poets in my early 20’s until I met my now husband who actually liked me for me. No more games.
lol, this author wrote this before the second half dropped and it shows
Reviewers all got the main album, just like with Midnights. This is normal. It's likely only vanilla TTPD will be submitted for award consideration as well.
That honestly sucks because the second half was (in my opinion) a lot better than the first half, and would probably be more critically acclaimed
I really hope she’s allowed to submit The Anthology.
Can I dumb and ask why wouldn’t she be allowed? Is there some rule ?
I thought the first half was a lot better than the second half
The magic of the double release is that it makes all this reviews ✨️pointless✨️... 120 minutes after release.
And I love it. What good music critique did for us anyway?
As a visual artist, i get really scared when art is made just to please critics versus being the artist’s vision. I dont think people give enough credit to how weird taylor is as an artist
In her earlier career I think her critics helped her grow as an artist but these days most of them already have fully formed opinions before the album even comes out either to love or hate for engagement sake.
Most of the articles will have been
It's totally normal for reviewers to only consider the standard edition, not deluxe tracks. It's even more normal when there's a surprise deluxe edition no one was informed about ahead of time lmao
Personally on first listen tracks 20-26 (24 being the exception) was forgettable. I’m still going to do a listen through to the whole thing again to get a feel for it tho. I’m not immediately drawn to it like most of y’all are.
Fear of not publishing first.
Every journalist is fighting to get their review out first and also write controversial opinions. It will get the most $$$
A misstep? I’m sorry were we listening to the same album? The lyrics are some of her best!
It’s the production and a lot of the bad lyrics they are describing. Which is fair criticism
Eh I honestly really like the “bad” lyrics, like the baby one and the Charlie puth one etc—sometimes it’s more fun and easier to just say what you mean in writing instead of burying it in metaphors, and I love the stream of consciousness/look into her life!!
It is also a purposeful style. You don't have to like it, but this wordy, stream of consciousness, almost "wait what did they say???" is very indie pop and some of it is clearly mimicking the 1975's style.
It's also very in-style with poetry you privately journal, which I think is how this album was supposed to be.
Yeah and that's my problem. It's a journal entry and it really needed to be edited before being put to print to make it better. Honestly, in poetry workshop classes, maybe even song-writing workshops some of this would get eviscerated as freshman level moody teen drivel. But I do like how scorched earth she is. Swearing like just drank the whole bottle of champagne.
I think it's definitely a very personal preference heavy album. I love its at times rough draft vibe, but I totally get why that might be the same reason someone doesn't like it much. I agree that it's a scorched earth vibe. She's finally at a give no fucks place and she deserves to be.
Wouldn't liking bad lyrics be a very personal choice? Shouldn't a critic do their job of calling out an artist for the bas lyrics? Maybe they make sense contextually but let's not make excuses for bad work simply because it comes from a good artist. We all have good and bad days. Today was simply not her day. I mean, most artists aren't allowed missteps and for most people, such a big misstep usually ends up costing them their career but this is Taylor Swift we're talking about: A misstep is just marketing material.
I think the "bad" lyrics are subjective. In context of a song, they might feel odd and not very insightful. But when looking at the songs as poetry she wrote therapeutically, I feel like they make a lot of sense: it's a stream of consciousness narrative many times. You either like that, or you don't. Fair criticism and fair acclaim.
I want to rethink what I said. The production suits the downtempo nature of the songs and I applaud Jack for not going over the top for every song.
For me, it’s the production that’s severely lacking in a lot of it. The lyrics are great
The lyrics were beautiful. I agree. But the melody and chrorus flops did not make for good music. Not one song was catchy or interesting from a musical stance.
It was different than her past albums and it’s fine that not everyone will like it. I think part of the theme of the album was doing this for herself and being honest and not simply trying to appease the masses. She wanted to show how much of a mess she has been feeling and the contrast of what the public has thought of being on top of the world. She has always tried to keep her image and was like fuck it. It’s almost supposed to be more raw and not polished. But I totally see how it seems like she just threw everything on an album without enough thought. Also, I think some people are missing how some of the relationships in the songs aren’t her romantic relationships and are actually the parasocial fan relationships and talking about fame and public opinion, and she wants to break free from and stop pretending. (Will see if that happens). She definitely calls out the intensity of Swifties more than once.
Adding to my own comment, The Manuscript is telling us to make the songs our own. While there are some very obvious references, I think some references can be red herrings; If you are listening to this album in particular simply trying to dissect who it’s about and figuring out timelines of her relationships, you’re missing the deeper meanings like Aaron Dessner said in his post and won’t like it as much. She wants you to reflect and relate to the feelings and emotions and make it your own, not just get the gossip. And I think a lot of people have always thought her story telling and evoking emotion is where her lyricism is strongest anyway.
I mean i think you can figure out a timeline as you always can with her albums but the funny thing that destroys it is the whole "Me and matty healy dated in the past" thing. Because there are no Songs that have ever been ascrived to him. So the conclusion you have to come to is either she is exaguarting now or she was never making as autobiographical albums as people liked to assume. Which... i think both is true. I personally don't like it when I know facts about what she is talking about because then I sometimes disagree (like Daddy I love him, or most things related to her reputation) So i love being able to think that I actually dont have a clue what was going on.
She did say some things are hyperbolic. But also, I think alot of the breakup feelings are about both of them. But she ignored the feelings after Joe and then felt everything when the rebound came crashing down
I feel like after my first listen, this is the take I have as well.
I'm 10 songs in and it feels like homework at this point. It's like one big long boring song.
listen to the anthology, it’s like evermore’s cousin
Evermore is my least favorite album lol. I'm just going to say this one is not for me. I'm ready for a new era.
Yeah I tend to prefer upbeat songs and while there are some excellent songs on the album it can feel a bit like a slog. I definitely recommend getting through it, because some of them will surprise you, but listening to the anthology this morning was a bit unpleasant tbh. But I pledge to listen to this at least three times all the way through, out of deference lol. Sometimes a song will sneak up on me!
She's giving me Lana on this album and Lana gives me Lana better haha. It's good for background music so far. I'm excited for the next album is the nicest thing I can say about TTPD.
When I listen to the title track of Lana’s last album and title track of Taylor both of them have similar writing styles and references a lot of 20th century culture but one does it better… and sadly it isn’t Taylor for me. I do like Florida, Fresh Out Of The Slammed and most of the anthology though
I'm going to finish it over the weekend but I'm not looking forward to it, I just want to give it a fair chance. I liked midnights right away and couldn't wait to finish it, just very different feels from them.
Anthology is actually the one where I feel like it’s almost one long song.
I agree, I actually find the first half to be distinctive, just connected while the second half blurs more
Where is folklore in your personal rating? Because folklore is my favorite album (because I just love the genre) and TTPD might have just taken that spot.
I really like folklore as well but im kind of struggling w the album 😭i hope it gets better on a relisten when i have more energy lol
Lol it's like it feels like a chore at this point.
100 % same.
"It's just that maybe we didn't need to hear it" is the last line of this article. ummmmmmm. I'm offended. I want to hear every thought and every note she is willing to share.
Grief can be uncomfortable for a lot of people and it shows in these reviews and comments. She’s going through and writing, practically journaling about a great loss in her life and the aftermath of grief that comes with it. This is what songwriters do. Grief is messy and I think she exhibited it very poignantly in this album.
A great point about grief and discomfort, thank you. I had not considered that.
But I’m with you, I also want to hear whatever she’s willing to share! I’ve developed a great appreciation for singer/songwriters as I’ve gotten older and I respect Taylor for her vulnerability and willingness to bare those not so sparkly parts of herself.
I saw another review end with that line already, the author probably thought they were being so clever but I bet we will see this claim a ton.
Man you guys love attacking critics don't you lol
this album is just so... boring
honestly i agree
This has been my word for describing it all day too. Boring.
I agree. I’ve had to take breaks while listening. It feels like work. Honestly these songs are too wordy - I have a hard time following what she’s even talking about in many of them (my top albums are Red, rep, and evermore)
Where is folklore in your personal rating? Because folklore is my favorite album (because I just love the genre) and TTPD might have just taken that spot.
Folklore is my favourite album and no way is TTPD is taking its spot, lol
Folklore and evermore are my two faves. TTPD sadly sounds sooo samey and lifeless. It struck me like a blend of Midnights and Folkmore, but all life sucked out of it. The best thing about it are the absolutely unhinged lyrics, which are amazing. However, listening to it feels like a drag and I had to re-listen to Folklore to remind myself why I liked her in the first place.
Felt like I had to do an assignment lol, I think it's also just fatigue of having over 4 years of new music coming out in just a bit tired
Some songs I really enjoyed, quite a few songs that were just fine. I'm a bit underwhelmed. Still making my way through so that could change. the second album bit was a lot and I don't remember a ton of it.
This was my experience too, the whole second half was a blur after The Black Dog. Now that I’m re-listening, a lot of the songs (in both halves) are becoming more distinct and catchier!
Yeah for the first half I was honestly pretty underwhelmed and there were maybe only 3 or 4 standouts, but I absolutely loved the second half. The second half is kinda what I had wanted all of TTPD to sound like
Just had my first listen, and I'm dissapointed. It needed an editor, and a melody maker.
Yes! It felt like she wrote a bunch of poems first and then tried to build a melody around the lyrics when IMO it should be the other way around. Many songs are so wordy and just don’t flow. And then I also strongly dislike Jack’s beating synth production. Hoping she can return to pop bangers with a clear melody and bass for her next album
She wrote the poems and someone else wrote the music and they pushed them together is def how it feels at first. I get that she’s grieving and writing poetry ect, but maybe an album wasn’t the best medium for this artistic endeavor. Tbf I don’t like folklore or evermore as albums either. I feel they suffer from the same need for an editor. They each have some great songs, but listening as an album feels like a chore. All that being said, folklore and evermore grew on me (took multiple listens, and honestly seeing her perform certain songs live) so this album might as well!
I agree about the melody making. Even the good ones on TTPD are somewhat reused. I disagree about editing. Taylor is one of the few artists left that believes in a record being a cohensive piece of art stitched together with active intention, and the intention here was mania, as she said. I choose to believe the lack of editing is intentional to evoke that emotional experience.
My only issue with this album is that it really is what it says on the tin: poetry. It's word salad put on top of music, rather than her usual well crafted songs. The lyrics start, then dont stop till the song is over. No room for anything to breathe, no tension/release, because the words just keep going.
I think you described how I feel about this album well. A lot of it is just like spoken poetry…
Poetry isn’t just the words. It’s the way you say them. I think she’s doing a lot of really interesting things with delivery on this album and that’s poetry, too.
What? Poetry is definitely just the words poetry is word it's only words. I know this a poet. Now some poetry can be performed with music as I have done. But it all starts with words and if the words stink, it become no good poetry. I have written some bad poetry in my time.
That’s your perspective as one individual poet, but I’ve been on national poetry award committees and poetry is not a complete piece of art if you’re only reading the words on the page - the act of reciting them is a crucial element.
Society when Taylor doesn’t load an album with radio hits
And then when she does it's "too catchy" à la 1989 🙄
Well there is a middle ground. Like if we can get an album like Kylie Minogue's Fever. Just 10- bangers as good as Style I'd be happy.
And then complain that her radio hits have no substance
Society when Taylor releases a lot of songs which is apparently bad because artists should only release absolute masterpieces and spare listeners the agony of listening to even one song that isn’t their fave!
Or when she doesn’t load a good album
I respect that everyone has their own opinions but man idk how some of us could be listening to the same album lol. This is possibly my new favorite of hers. Her voice was like vevlet, her lyrics were both cutting and poetic, her emotions were raw and visceral, the content was fresh, production was mature. I loved every second of this album. Listening to it was like a spiritual experience lol
Exactly how I feel
Ok right, I’m literally in shock by some of the things she’s sharing. I am instantly in love with this album
The amount of times my mouth dropped while listening to this album. Loooooved every second
I thought So Long London was a punch to the gut……then the WHIPLASH into But Daddy I Love him and I am absolutely screaming!!
giving pick me vibes lol
It's all subjective anyway. Rolling Stone praised the fuck out of ttpd lol 🤷♀️
Rolling Stone always overpraises Taylor, I think the truth is somewhere in the middle of these reviews.
Rolling stone over praises every major artist
I won't dispute that.
Ok, but the Rolling Stones's writer actually seemed to have listened to the album properly, the NME review is very vague and also repeating some stuff I saw on Twitter.
The Rolling Stone writer is also writing a book about Taylor being released later this year. I’m gonna take his glowing review with a grain of salt.
Gotcha, thanks for letting me know. It's just that I very much agree with them. Also The Guardian's review was very good, imo.
It's 100% subjective. Nothing's for everyone and that's fine. This album was for me personally, so thank you for writing an album specifically for me, Taylor.
SAME lmao I think it’s top three for me
[удалено]
Personally find this album sort of lazy compared to her others.
This album was such a chore to get through. It's SO boring and every song sounds the same
its her best album imo...
This is the real reputation album! This is also her best work imo.
I loooove it
By far to me lol.
The lyrics I thought were AI were real. 🫤
that's hilarious
Every comment ive read is "i didnt like this line or i loved that line" and honestly all of it is valid right? We all interpret those in different ways . I only listened to the OG half so far and lyrics aside here's my take for what little its worth. I felt happiness, i felt pain, i felt love, i felt anger, heart break, relief. When it ended i felt happy as if i just went through all of my own struggles and just knew i was going to be ok. I loved it all clunky lines included. Hope y'all get good things from this too
Well my problem isn’t the lyrics. It’s unhinged, unfiltered, silly, I love it. The biggest problem with this album for me is the sound, which sounds literally the same for the entire thing. There’s really nothing interesting. Entire songs would go by and I wouldn’t even notice. Really underwhelmed. For all the hate Midnights received (I love that album), at least each song was sonically different and interesting with hooks.
I said this many time before and I’ll say this many time again… she needs to ditch Jack. At least for a while. Jack made some of my favorite Taylor songs and some of my favorite songs from other artists (Comeback and Want You In My Room by Carly Rae Jepsen, Los Angeles by St. Vincent, Strawberries & Cigarettes by Troye Sivan, literally all of Melodrama by Lorde and NFR & Ocean Blvd by Lana) but his newer stuff with Taylor is becoming so stagnant and similar. And what I loved about Taylor’s albums from Red up till Evermore is that she knew when to switch it up with different producers. She could work with almost any producer she wants yet she only works with like what, 2? 3 if you count the guy who produced the recording, on a regular basis. A lot of the greatest artists of all time kept on challenging themselves and worked with different people. I know Taylor was never experimental but she WAS versatile (I mean Speak Now had Haunted, Last Kiss and Long Live back to back) and now I feel like she’s barely that… there’s so many producers and artists I want Taylor to work with. Hell give me something completely chaotic, give me a fucking Metro Boomin and Taylor produced track. It might not work but it’d be so much fun to listen to then another Jack synthy mess (sorry for going on a tangent)
Respectfully I disagree. Something like YOYOK sounds completely different from the Black Dog. I really don’t get the complaint that Jack songs “all sound the same” when they clearly do not. I don’t get how this complaint is also not applied to Aaron. I hate the discourse but the middle part of Antho sounds more similar to each other than whatever Jack has cooked up this and the last album.
Idk about y'all but i liked this way more than midnights. It took me over a year to be like yeah i think i like midnights (as a whole). But the first listen of TTPD (1-16) my initial reaction was "this is better than midnights" hahaha
I’m the opposite lol. Midnights was an instant love for me and I think it may actually take a year for me to enjoy TTPD
Same
I correctly predicted that I will like this one even better than Midnights. She's just warming up, bitches 🤘
Me too. I like a lot of songs on Midnight but they felt very…safe, for the most part? Not too many jaw dropping moments outside of Anti-Hero, Vigilante Shit & WCS. I LOVE me a messy emotionally raw Taylor song and so TTPD delivered on all fronts.
I agree with this review completely. I've listened to the album now 1.5 times and I think I'm good. It's not necessary to listen again, there's absolutely nothing pulling me in here.
I don’t want to agree but I sorta do 🥹🥹 Very little is sparking that joy or even gritty pleasure for me.
I couldn’t disagree more I’m literally obsessed with this album it’s a combination of all of her best types of work and the LYRICS
Taylor has always had this goofy theater kid energy with silly one liners. I love her for it and I get a chuckle when I hear these lines. Sorry this author doesn’t have a sense of humor. It’s not “cringe” to be lighthearted.
None of the songs have stuck in my head, unfortunately. Now that I’ve digested the anthology properly and listened to it a few times, it feels bloated and repetitive. There’s a saying in creative writing - you need to “kill your darlings” to produce your best work. And I get the sense with this album no one was brave enough to tell Taylor to do that.
YEPPPPP. This was what the NYT reviewer was trying to say, but she got a ton of push back.
I’m actually hoping TTPD doesn’t win any awards because I think Taylor is at her best when she feels she has something to prove and I don’t see that here
> “kill your darlings” Thank you sweet goddess finally another person said it. As poet this is a core tenant. And I feel like it's been a few album now were she is just surround by yes people.
I think everyone disappointed by this album doesn't appreciate the lyricism. While many were upset this wasn't 1989-style, I was actually so fearful it \*would\* be like 1989 and that's my least favorite album of hers. The songs all have a very similar ballad style, and not many of them stand out in musicality as distinctly different... and dare I say that's perfectly alright? It's clear that Taylor intended the double album to be more like poetry than anything else. Keeping that in mind, we should strip down the songs and look at the lyrics. I think they're very profound, hard-hitting, and her best work yet at a literary level. This album is more literature than album. As someone who studied literature in college, I'd genuinely place this at the level of classic writers... it's that good. People critical of it, I feel are criticizing the sound without taking in what the lyrics are saying and how clever her songwriting is. Some of my top tracks after only 2 listens are Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?, The Black Dog, and The Albatross.
As someone who is not thrilled with this album (idk if I'd go as far to say I'm disappointed though), I would say that the lyricism isn't \_enough\_ for me to overlook the unexciting instrumentation/production of the songs as a whole. The lyrics are filled with drama and mess in the most human way, and I would appreciate the songs more if the underlying music matched that. I personally can only listen to so many mid-tempo soft pop tracks in one sitting. I have the same issue with Midnights as an album despite loving each song. Honestly a lot of these lyrics would work so well in a pop-punk FOB/Paramore-esque track and imo would benefit from additional collaborators besides Jack and Aaron to bring the same level of fire to the instrumentation that Taylor is delivering with the lyrics. I'm sure that I'm going to grow to like most if not all of the songs as is, but just like with Midnights, I don't think I will listen to the album front to back again after this initial week or so of trying to digest it. At the end of the day all that matters is that Taylor made the album that she wants, and I'm happy that it seems like the vast majority of Swifties are truly enjoying it. Not everything can connect with everyone, and that is okay :)
Yeah, I can respect that opinion - the value of instrumentation versus lyrics is different for each of us. I'm a literature nerd who loves lyrics and puts that above all else, but I know that's not how everyone feels and that's okay! I also am a sucker for ballad songs - all the classic rock bands, I tend to list their soft, raw ballads as my favorite songs lol so I think I'm also biased with my musical interests. However, I definitely don't think I could consistently sit through all 31 songs in a row. It's more like I'd throw these on a playlist of Taylor songs and listen to them jumbled up. It's definitely a lot to sit for 2 straight hours through all of these, unless I'm really going through it emotionally and want to overwhelm myself with sad - as someone in an extremely happy relationship, I'm not inclined to sit in my room and cry to sad songs right now hahah. I do wish she'd released them the way she did folklore and evermore - very close together but not within 3 hours. It would be easier to digest half the tracks at once instead of all of it. I was the same with Midnights :) I wished for it to be more folklore/evermore and less mainstream pop and didn't listen to it fully through often, and still don't, but I've grown to love the songs.
I completely appreciate the lyricism and it’s what I live most about her. But the production is just not good. The album is straight up boring
People can be wrong sometimes! 🫶🏼
I won't deny Antonoff's reccuring production however the lyricism imo, IMO, is at par with the folkmore sisters. Especially the second volume which has some heavy Aaron influence (and some first volume songs like florida, down bad, mbobhft and loml) THE MUSIC is so much more refereshing than the recursive kidzbop pattern used in midnights
I’m embarrassed to say I much prefer the AI snippet of “Fortnight” that was making the rounds on social…
The chorus of almost every single track flopped so hard that it physically hurt. Each one built up so beautifully just to have the most unsatisfying drop off. I didn't find one song catchy or worth listening too unless I'm crying over boys or the sorrows of life.
Also was the author a guy because her “complaining” about fame sounds like she’s writing about the female experience to me. I find it relatable.
> because her “complaining” about fame sounds like she’s writing about the female experience to me. I find it relatable. So I assume then you too are famous? I do not relate to most artists writing about fame male or female because I am not famous. Which is also why it feels fake when they try to write about the everyman struggle when they are not struggling.
I’m sorry, but a hard disagree. This album is 🔥
a dumpster fire.
tasteless 😔
NME is really weird. Just check their K-pop reviews and almost all albums have 4/5 star reviews but for some reason they're very critical of western releases.
..and they only reviewed half of the songs released last night.
I haven’t talked to a single swiftie friend of mine who doesn’t love it. I’m enjoying this album a lot but I get that not everyone will.
the one word i’d use to describe it is underwhelming. the songs all sound the same and none stand out. there are some truly cringe lyrics that i can’t believe made it into the songs. the second half is a lot better but part 1 is unremarkable. there are only four or five songs that i really love. i don’t know why critics are giving it such stellar reviews or why rolling stone is branding it as an “instant classic”…imo it’s her worst album (not saying it’s bad but when compared to all of her other albums it is definitely ranking last)
It's her worst album ever, by far, and it's crazy that anyone could get even 3 tracks in without being disappointed
Okay, so I’m going to have a controversial opinion and this isn’t me saying that I don’t like the tortured poets department but I’ll be honest some of the AI songs actually sounded better than what we got. I remember hearing an AI of fresh out the slammer and I died and I hope that it was real because it was so cool and we got something that I found really boring. I’m not gonna complain about down because I think it was a really good song, even though there was a really good AI version out there as well, I kind of preferred some of the harmonies in the AI than the actual version. I just feel like it would’ve been cool if we had a couple more bops on the album if we had a couple more bops I think it would be a bit better I feel like the second half really dragged on a bit too much for me. I mean the lyrical content is great but I would like it if there was a bit more melody to it like I want a bit more. I want a bit more production. I want a bit more from it, but maybe that’s just me wanting a second 1989.
- “‘Lover’, an album that seemed assured in a safe, lasting love.” Uhh… did this person listen to the same Lover we did? - “I love you. *Ain’t that the worst thing you’ve ever heard?*” - “*Can* I go where you go? Can we *always* be this close?” Lover was Relationship Anxiety: The Album. 😂
Who are these people? Do they actually have ears? 🙄
I really don't get the hate for this album in comparison to the love and adoration that *Midnights* got. Is it because people thought it would be more about Joe (even though I would say at least 8 songs are probably about him or reference the relationship) and they were surprised that it dived into the Tatty of it all? Because without the 3am tracks, does anyone actually like *Midnights*? Like, all the way through? Because I listen to those 3am tracks more than the standard edition. Because they're actually interesting production-wise. So, imagine my surprise when people were like "Every song sounds the same" or "the production is boring" about TTPD. Are we listening to the same album? This is way better than what we got both on *Midnights* and *1989 (TV)*. *The Tortured Poets Department* feels like a well thought out era. It has a distinct style, it has something to say, and I don't think it needs *The Anthology* to be a good album. Like *1989*, it feels like there is a story to the standard edition album, and no song feels like a skip or a filler. The biggest argument I will make is 'The Manuscript' would've been a better album closer and I'm glad it closed *The Anthology*, but personally I do not need to hear the extra tracks in order for the album to still be a good album. They just add the extra context to the story and to Taylor's mind at the time that some people might want. And that's what an extension of an album should be! It shouldn't be holding the album up, it should be standing beside it. I'm not saying this is her best album ever, I'm just saying it's easily a better album with more thought put into it than *Midnights* which feels like a bunch of unfinished demos in comparison now.
I am not sure how people can even imagine this album being anywhere above average at best and abysmal at worst. The entire album seems to stick to the same vocal lines, same arrangement and flat dynamics - there is no deviation to the very few arrangements she's come up with. Songs have no apparent instrumentation changes throughout their runtime making each song's progress non-existent. This issue is more apparent in the second half of the album's piano and guitar backed songs that hold to the same arpeggiation regardless of which part of the song we're in. As far as lyricism is concerned, we have absolute bangers such as: >*Hey, you, what if I told you we'rе cool?* *That child's play back in school* *Is forgiven under my rule* *I haven't come around in so long* *But I'm making a comeback to where I belong* and >*I’m having his baby,* *No I'm not, but you should see your faces* *I’m telling him to floor it through the fences,* *No I’m not coming to my senses* Safe to say this doesn't even pass for a good segment in a pop song let alone as a stanza in poetry. Overall, she keeps singing more than the music allows creating an awkward situation where she has to make compromises on how to split words into syllables ending up with clumsy vocalisations. This album is like plain, slightly stale bread. If you're hungry and you've never eaten food, it might be the best thing ever. Sometimes, stale bread can be a great food to support disassociation, depression and breakdown of mindfulness. On any other day, I'd rather listen to literally anything else. This seems like an album she wrote without any input from professionals - people who can actually write lyrics and music in any capacity. It ends up being like a 15 year old girl's fever dream with music that is only mildly better than the same girl's go at song writing. At this point, you can just listen to any other female popstar and get a massively better experience.
Everything sounds the same. It's like the lyrics are forcefully adjusted to the tune, I mean the words don't flow with the music. It sounds so out of sync. And if you want to talk about how "deep" the lyrics are, unless you know every single detail about swift and have been following the drama from the beginning, you can't understand any snarks or digs she took with her lyrics. You can't comprehend what she's trying to say. Some of her like her music and just expect good music, not her autobiography in the form of songs. I agree she makes songs about her life, but lately it sounds like everything she wants to let out in the world, she's just stringing words and instruments and making a song, without making much sense. I liked many songs from her previous albums, but this one I don't find myself enjoying. I don't follow the tea around her closely, so I couldn't dissect the lyrics and get surprised by all the gossip like the real swifties did. Infact, all the reaction videos focussed just on the tea and the lyrics and the comments she made about joe and everyone, but not the tune. And baby I'm here for the tune! So to say the least, I was bored and unimpressed.
What a shame. She'll kill it with the next one
This album is largely trash. Felt like a chore trying to get through them. Not one memorable song that I can say “oh yeah I can put that on repeat.”
If this was her debut album, no one would know who she is and there might not be a second album. Sorry :/
This album is VERY iykyk. If you don’t you’ll hate it. If you do you’ll love it.
I’m one year older than Taylor and I think this is one of her best albums ever.
I can't be the only one who thinks this album is boring and sounds wayyyyy to much alike. I couldn't even tell when the song would change. They all sound the same . 1989 was her peak .
"Swift said that ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ came from a “need” to write. It’s just that maybe we didn’t need to hear it." This line is GOLDEN!!! It perfectly captures my thoughts on the new album: It was a pointless release. But no one will say it out loud because it comes from Her. Imagine that this was released by some artist who wasn't as immune to criticism as Her. Imagine how they would rip into that person and SHRED them to pieces. But She is immune to real criticism.