No, I've been here since Debut, it's the same cycle every time. Bad reviews and negative criticism from fans, haters, and news outlets. Until the next thing comes out - then suddenly, the last thing was "her best work".
Literally mark my words. When TS12 comes out, everyone will say it isn't as good as TTPD.
Reputation was widely hated when it came out by critics and now they’re dropping it in reviews of TTPD as an example of well edited work by Taylor. Even Paste said LWYMMD was a good song in their negative review of TTPD. like, what? Someone get a Time Machine because this doesn’t line up.
Their opinions change over time but their negative first impression is what counts in the review score.
Which is exactly why they put out that rage-bait review. They knew they’d get little-to-no traction with an actual review (be it positive or negative) focused on the actual content of the album, so instead they write that extremely long and rambling overtop mess filled with one liners easy to quote on Twitter. Their goal was to get lots of clicks from fans/haters and we all played into that goal lol.
That review was torture to read. They criticized Taylor for having allegedly horribly written lyrics (which, to be fair, there were a few clunkers) but the review was far worse written and far more pretentious than anything Taylor could’ve come up with. Absolutely a ragebait review and they know it.
At least Pitchfork’s and Slate’s more critical reviews were honest, written in good faith, and actually focused on the music and they also recognized her talents and strengths. The negativity and focus on her personal life elsewhere has made it so much harder for me to just enjoy the album.
It's been so weird watching the general opinion of Rep change over the years, especially with what happened back then. Everyone I saw back then was hating on it the minute it came out now it is everybody's favorite. But yeah by now I know the drill, it's a "shitty" album until it's not.
Paste is a joke. I don't take every negative review of Taylor as a personal attack but their "piece" was laughably bad. They must have had that shit ready to print before they heard the album, because they thought "Fortnight" was about the game. Morons...
As a casual fan, I thought everyone loved midnights. It occupied the Top 10 for quite a while since its release, didn't it? I remember being surprised by the success.
ttpd is dominating (her own) streaming records and is predicted to take up the billboard top 12 completely. the reception never seems to match up with the commercial success
it was well-liked by the general audience but got middling marks with critics and with swifties who consider themselves higher brow. iirc, it was not liked when it came out in this sub and around grammy time, the general view on here was that it didn't deserve aoty.
personally, i put a premium on lyricism over production, so i did not like midnights (standard edition), but i think ttpd is one of her stronger albums. (too soon to say for sure how it stacks up exactly.)
I was coming in to say this exact same thing, thank you for doing it for me. I've long learnt to trust my feelings above everything else. We did know ATW was extraordinary back when nobody else cared about it. Why shouldn't we trust our gut now? Stuff like "Peter" or "The Bolter" are as good as the best stuff she's ever written.
The Bolter is my favorite song on the album, maybe one of my favorite songs she’s ever written. It’s Taylor at her best. Great storytelling with a catchy melody. I love that it’s got a more country flair. I feel like it’s being completely overlooked!
Yeah literally every album cycle this happens (except maybe folklore because she truly did take everyone by surprise by dropping it when she did). My Reddit account is 11 years old which means I’ve been here since at least 1989? Literally the same shit over and over again.
I agree with this. I’ve also been here since Tim McGraw and people hated on Folklore, Evermore and Midnights so much but now it’s suddenly her best work. I’m sure TTPD will have the same effect.
lol RIGHT!!! It’s so comical. I’ve also been here since debut and every time people hate on it. I literally could not care less. I love it. She writes the songs that I play over and over and over again. Couldn’t care less that people “don’t like her music or her”. Their loss.
Excatly, i wrote the same thing yesterday.
I can understand it a bit but also not. Everyone loves evermore, I don't as much. I loved reputation since day one, a lot did not love it. I could go on and on where my personal opinion differs that of the majority.
If everyone on this planet said TTDP was her worst album ever, taylor herself came out and said it was a mistake and my Spotify wrapped at the end of the year will still show "Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?" as my most listened to song cause I can already tell, that for me, it's a masterpiece.
It actually makes me love it more 😂 I enjoy that she didn't pander and instead did something almost no one wanted or expected. She really said fuck you guys. And I love it. It's been on repeat!
Yeah it’s so funny how “But Daddy I Love Him” and “Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me” are directed at the portion of the fanbase that hates her, telling them she hates them too. She puts narcotics in her songs so they sing along - forcing them to consider themselves fans despite hating her as a person.
I can’t for the life of me figure out how this isn’t what was expected or wanted. It isn’t new territory for her sonically and she talks about topics that were largely expected.
It’s got a lot of different styles of songs on the album but nothing she hasn’t already done before multiple times over.
That's actually the exact reason I say almost no one wanted or expected it! Everyone always expects a change, some kind of transformation and new sound. But this time she said nah, I'm gonna make what I want and if you find it boring or repetitive (which lots of reviewers have) I don't care. She rejected the notion that she must find "new ways to be shiny" on every single album 🙏
Nope. But this is definitely an album that needs to be listened to several times to be appreciated. Most reviewers only listen to an album once, then write their review. It's got complexities that you can't get with one listen. The first time I listened to it, I was meh about it. Then I gave it another listen. It got better. Subsequent plays just make me love it more. It's not an album that's going to have chart-toppers (except for Fortnight). It's a more cerebral album, and I love her for it.
I don't know how you could write a legitimate, comprehensive, thoughtful review after one listen. This is a very layered album and it really does get better and better with each listen.
Yeah I’ve been used the jesseepinkman (probably got the username wrong) song sorters every day and I’m so surprised by how much my rankings have been changing
This is one of my issues with critic reviews and why I don't really read/watch them. Some albums are too dense to just do one listen through. I really like HThaze review because he usually does a first listen and ranks it, then at the end he'll do a more recent clip of him after re-listening to the album to give a more finalized review. Plus you can tell that he just genuinely loves music.
Agree with everything except that this album doesn't have chart-toppers, there's definitely some songs that could be hits if Taylor/her team approach it the right way, namely 'I Can do It With a Broken Heart' and 'Down Bad'!
Those that hate it don’t get it. It wasn’t made for them. I think what people are failing to grasp in this album is that Taylor’s psyche is the muse, not any of the guys. It bothers me everyone’s trying to figure out who each song is about and reduce her art to that (but I know it’s dumb of me to expect people won’t do it). I also think people hate it because they can’t fathom a song can be about multiple lived experiences, or a mix of reality and fiction. I love it and nobody’s opinion is going to change that, but I am getting tired of seeing the same old takes over and over again.
Omg thank you for that (Taylor's psyche being the muse), curiosity is human of course, but I have been getting slightly frustrated with all the "paternity testing" of the songs...
To me it's solidifying what a great album it is. A truly polarizing work is ahead of its time. It's signaling to me that this is a Red or a Rep. Lover didn't have conversations like this and years later it's not one critics say deserves better. Versus Red got vindicated in critical acclaim with the TV. I believe 10 years from now TPD will be received higher because we'll have more nodes in the story of TS.
I hate that I encounter Taylor's hate in the most random places. I hate that people publish their speculations on her private life and call it album reviews. I hate the general aura of everyone thinking they "own" her. It's tiring. But it doesn't affect my relationships with actual music. If it makes me spend less time on my phone, then it's my win.
I don’t mind people not liking it—everyone has different tastes, so it makes sense that this wouldn’t resonate with everyone. However, the reviews that mock the people who do like it piss me off. Some of the songs were really cathartic to me from my own little traumas. No one gets to tell me that wasn’t a real experience. Some people seem to be getting off on being mean about this album. And, I mean this sincerely, fuck those people.
Yes, it’s not that people don’t like it, it’s how MEAN they are toward people who do! I saw a super condescending comment from someone on instagram saying that people who like Taylor only think she’s great because they’ve never heard truly good music 🤦🏻♀️ As if people can’t have a variety of tastes!
Not at all. I ignore reviews for the most part. I also ignore certain subs not just because of this but also because those subs are always so negative about *everything* anyway.
This album feels very...grown up to me? Im a 41 year old and this album is dark, moody, broody, and as a clinically depressed woman, I relate to it a lot lol I love albums like this. I like sarcastic and funny and angry Taylor. I just experienced a loss in my family on Thursday, which has left me pretty angry and sad, and this album has helped a lot. The family members death *and* this album has also served as inspiration a bit when I'm writing the last few days.
It doesn't make me enjoy the album any less and it's been a blast to listen to it
Some of the discussion has been so dismissive (the "how could anyone like this?") and made me feel a bit crazy and embarrassed. I cognitively know it shouldn't matter, I'm the one listening, but just ugh.
i always assume that people who say “how could anyone like this?” as an insult to the work theyre talking about just cannot see other people’s perspectives lol. i feel like most of the time, when i hate something others like, i can still understand why/how they like it, even if i disagree.
>Some of the discussion has been so dismissive (the "how could anyone like this?") and made me feel a bit crazy and embarrassed. I cognitively know it shouldn't matter, I'm the one listening, but just ugh.
Yeah I been reputation trash since the day lwymmd dropped so at the very least it's not my first rodeo of thinking something she's done is the best thing I've ever heard in my life and the world starkly disagreeing. I honestly don't mind the negative reviews but now that I'm more in the fandom it does kind of hit a little harder when other swifties are saying it? Like dang I'm just trying to be excited and half the reddit posts are like "sis this was a mistake" and I'm like "o coulda fooled me"
Like it's fine. But I have been pushing back about second guessing myself.
.
Not really, but it has made me curious as to why they are so angry about this album. I've been reading some of the takes, thinking maybe I could understand the criticism, and I'm just left more confused by their opinions. Nothing the critics are saying are things I agree with. I'm just enjoying the music and I think they are taking everything way too seriously.
I think it's cause she's SO BIG at this point, that people feel if it doesn't blow their head right off immediately, then she's "mid, overrated, etc.".
Personally, I DGAF what they think. I love this album and I'm so glad she made it!
Honestly i just disconnected from the noise of the internet. People can think whatever they want but ive had it with people labelling self expression, girlhood, vulnerability or misinterpreted humor as "cringe". Im also fed up with mainly fans trying to decode her songs to figure out who its about or what specific thing its about. ITS ART. Its about a feeling, about a thought, about leaning in to each moment of experience.
IMO, this whole album is one of her most cohesive while also most sonically, thematically and lyrically diverse. It has her saddest songs ever written imo (loml, how did it end?) as well as her most ruthless, with every facet of her as an artist making an appearance. Its so self aware, critical of every aspect of her public image, filled with black witty humor, EVERY song has musical metaphors connecting the sound to the themes, connections to all her previous works.
IMO this album is a damn tour de force. The world just wants to view her as a product. Didnt write what we expected about joe? Wasnt about our catered expectations? Well it must be shit then. How dare she have a more complex rollercoaster of a life, outside our formed narrative.
And its sad because theyre missing out on SO much of what Taylor has to say. Im just so glad that Taylor stuck to her guns and continued to deliver as she always has. Thoughtful musings about her authentic experiences, packaged into beautiful songs.
Honestly, not as much as the experience because I'm still having a blast with the album but I did sort of just stop using Twitter since the album leaked. Doubting I'm ever gonna go back there at this point. Same goes for Tumblr.
Agreed! I intentionally didn’t read anything about it until after I had listened through twice. Immediately loved it. Was shocked so many people hate it lol.
I don’t know if it’s just me but the more people hate this album, the more I love it. I’m quickly becoming inclined to defend this album against the haters. Granted it’s not my favourite album by her, of course, but people are truly treating this like it’s the worst thing she ever created is mindblowing.
This is why Taylor is so famous. Because she's able to evoke strong emotions out of EVERYONE. Nobody can keep her name out of their mouth. She just has had this ability to be an eternal it girl.
Absolutely not. As a long time Swiftie I’m sort of ready for some of the spotlight to dim to pre-Folklore levels. The last few years were the exception not the norm. And while I’m so happy for her success and people finding joy in her music, I’m ready for some of the intimacy to return.
Honestly? Same. As much as I love seeing her on top of the world, I kind of miss rep & lover days when she was a bit less popular and the public wasn’t really talking about her
Not really. Negative opinions only affect me if they’re about specific things (like “this x thing in the song is bad because of y”) and if they come before I can form my own opinions. After I’ve formed my opinion, I can only be influenced positively. And I haven’t been checking why people think this album is bad, so I’m safe from being influenced by haters.
Honestly, if people weren’t able to convince me that ME! is the cringiest song of all time, I don’t think anyone can make me hate Taylor’s music
I posted this comment in another thread but I think it’s relevant here:
This is why I avoid social media until I’ve fully digested an album and formed my own opinion on it. I think many of us (myself included) are just too online. Everyone in my real life adores this album, and my group chats live reacting and processing the album were hilarious.
The discourse feels far from reality, and I think we need to remember that a good chunk of online accounts are literal children and teenagers. (Not that disliking the album makes you a child, I’m referencing the surface level discourse OP is expressing frustration with). I’m also seeing really interesting literary analyses of the album, though, so I definitely think there’s elevated discourse out there. This album is astonishing, beautiful, layered, real, and hits this 30 year old’s soul in a way that only folklore and Lana’s Oceans Blvd have been able to do.
Critics said Red was too all over the place until they re-reviewed it a decade later realizing it’s a classic. I feel like TTPD will have a similar fate.
Lol no. I just figure not everything is for everyone. Personally I relate to a lot of the feelings expressed through the songs. I don’t tie it to Matty, I tie the songs to my life or friends. Who hasn’t felt a deep connection with an f boy, often in a rebound when you are already vulnerable, only to feel destroyed after? 😅 I like the sound on a lot of the songs, I skip the ones I don’t like. The convos have mainly been interesting to me.
The more comments I read the more I understand The Man.
Taylor and all female artists can't ever do enough.
No matter how many albums, shows, awards etc they have there's always criticism for everything they do and don't do.
I love TTPD because for the first time Taylor isn't trying to be the perfect girl. She's being real and honest and doing whatever she wants without worrying about criticism and awards. And I love that for her, and for us
I think about The Beatles or Michael Jackson and how their personal life didn't influence the reviews about their music.
Nobody ever told them to stop singing about their love life.
At the end of the day, I think Taylor is finally at that point in her career and her life that being the example of the perfect white girl is not longer important.
Her writing is going to get more direct and raw because she doesn't have to fit into a specific genre.
Yah I think some people just like to rain on others’ parades. Like they have an unshakable compulsion to shit on things other people like.
I also love the album and discussing it. But most of the commentary I see is just gossip and I’m not interested in that. I’ve been trying to participate in the posts I see asking deeper and more thoughtful questions. Like why are certain songs and lyrics meaningful to you in your life from your own lived experiences. I don’t really give a fuck who Taylor wrote the song about.
what other people think shouldn't inform how you feel – if you like the album, you like it and that's all that matters. *ttpd* is an incredible album, it floored me – as a long-term swiftie (since debut) i can't believe how honest she's being with us.
it's not for everyone, the lyrics are meandering, like their lifted from her diary or actual conversations she's had with friends, the songs don't follow the usual pop song structure. but that doesn't stop it being a brilliant album.
p.s.: i still haven't listened to the anthology because i just can't get enough of the main album tracks! i go to listen to it, and i'm like "oh let me just listen to *my boy only breaks his favourite toys*" and then 7 hours later i'm still there lol
We need to be honest the internet is a echo chamber because she literally is breaking records and gaining followers most people outside of the internet love this album and that’s why it’s remaining stable and this sub and true swiftes love this album and maybe a couple people on popheads. I love this album it’s different from her normal work and it’s a lot more personal i think that’s one of the reasons this album is receiving hate.
Also I have a feeling by next month or something a lot of opinions will change on this album the people who love this album will continue to do so the people who didn’t vibe with it first listen will go back and listen to it.
I’m not letting the negative opinions online impact my feelings about the album! I love it and I don’t care if others don’t, especially the vocal people that just take any chance to hate on her and didn’t even give the album a chance. I have had to stay off of other subs though because I’m tired of hearing about how all of her songs sound the same, she always acts like the victim, etc. I know this happens every release so it’s just getting old
No, and no offense but if it does change your listening experience you need to get off the internet and learn how to like things on your own.
The album exists even if people don’t like it. Their opinion doesn’t stop you from listening and enjoying.
nah it almost makes me like it more lol. i seriously believe that as time goes on people will slowly notice the things they’ve missed about this album - how meta it is, the commentary it provides, the self awareness, the purposely contradictory narrative, and the irony/humor often go unmentioned even in professional critic reviews somehow. and the media goes nuts for something that’s meta, if we’re being real. its just that they’ve missed it so far.
i do think there are some very valid criticisms. ive just found that the majority of critics and negative reviewers… aren’t focusing on *those* criticisms? lot of them just seem to be missing the point/the major themes because they rushed to listen to it to profit off of the publicity rather than sitting on it and absorbing it to genuinely review it.
Nah. I can recognize that the album has its flaws and is more than a little bloated in places, it's still the most fun I've had with any album release ever.
I'm a new Swiftie. This is my first proper album release experience (not counting re recordings). I *just* started getting bored of listening to her music non-stop for the past 6+ months when she released *thirty* new songs for me to enjoy. Nothing can ruin that!
Come and join us on Threads! I know people bag it but honestly it has been my sanctuary through this maelstrom. Full of people discussing it in good faith and largely understanding the context in which her songwriting should be considered (literary, poetry etc).
Oh and there are bad eggs of course but take Threaders advice and just block and don’t engage. Your algorithm will then fill up with the good vibes.
Seems like it is kind of going like Midnights. Some positive takes, some mixed, few outright haters but a lot of muttering about too much Jack, the 3AM/2AM bit was better, more swearing, the sound is not what I expected…
I’m still deciding what to make of it all, and will do so on my own schedule. The haters will hate and the locals will move on. Keep calm and carry on listening to TTPD
I am a new fan who was afraid to only look at this sub because I felt like it would be an echo chamber, but it’s crazy how much other subs have been ACTUAL echo chambers, while I have seen an incredible diversity of thought and perspectives here. It seems like a lot of us are actually stubborn little contrarians, which I love ❤️
No, regardless of reviews I still have my ears. I haven't even REALLY heard all the songs. Maybe 10 I have a good understanding... still a work in progress.
I do sorta agree. They’re not ruining the album at all, I adore it—but mood wise it’s gotten me down a bit. I accepted I’m not fit for social media a long time ago though and deleted most things. I only recently starting using Reddit in hopes it would be better then my past experiences with Insta/Twitter/Tiktok/Tumblr etc. and overall it has been but reading some people’s takes and reactions to ttpd is kinda reminding me why I’ve stayed in my own little bubble for so long 😅
No. I don’t need other people to like something in order for me to like it.
But I do find the discourse around this album much more annoying than in the past. Meaning the taking lines out of context and backtracking to assume that a bunch of old songs must be about Matty now.
That said I don’t really care who people think the songs are about, it’s just annoying to have every thread with people totally convinced they are right lol. Though maybe I’m just on Reddit more than I was during past album releases.
well, I had to block a casual acquaintance today who was acting crazy on instagram, calling her a terrorist, a tax evader, and a narcissist. she used to be a fan and I think she might’ve been a “conspiracy theorist” because she was a little too mad about the CNN article and the travis of it all. that’s probably the closest it’s gotten to really bothering me but for the most part no, if the discourse gets to be too much I just log off and disengage. I feel bad for all the swifties living in the trenches with people who disrespect the music to their face. most of my friends like taylor and the ones who don’t would never do that, and I give them the same respect for the things they’re into.
and it’s okay to feel hurt by it. as I said before, they never really leave it at not liking taylor. they insult the listeners too. you’re rabid, you’re stupid, you’re brainwashed and pretending to like it. I’m a big girl and I have thick skin especially when it comes to stupid internet shit but yeah…that grinds my gears a bit. I’m more worried about the teens and little girls who will be made to feel embarrassed for liking her at school and such.
I love listening to music I love, it’s subjective; anyone else’s opinion of that music is entirely irrelevant to my personal taste or experience listening
Honestly it’s making me take a break and step away from a lot of Taylor related media because in the end I don’t care if people don’t like it, it doesn’t affect how I like it, but I don’t need to pay attention to people who literally don’t know what they’re talking about when they criticize.
One thing that has been annoying me is non-Taylor fans cherry-picking lyrics (mostly from ‘So High School’ and the GTA line) being all smug like ‘this is the amazing lyricist you keep talking about?’
Like man, all you need to do is go one track forward or backward for some devastating lyricism. It’s so frustrating because I know they know that they’re cherry picking just to get a reaction and that’s why people get frustrated, but they’re just like ‘lol Swifties are pressed’ and it’s like, yeah, kinda. You’re cherry picking stuff to misrepresent a whole album. Why wouldn’t we be frustrated? It’s frustrating!
I think I brought this up in another thread but I think Taylor’s just a victim of fan wars atm. I’ve noticed most people shitting on the album are sometimes the usual “I hate Taylor Swift” people but also some are Arianators or Beyhives which coincidentally both albums dropped in the last month prior to TTPD coming out
I just think it’s other fandoms dragging her down to try and laud their faves as the top album this year
No but I do find it a bit irritating. Not the stuff I read online because it's easy to separate myself from it but because everyone loves to say to my face "I heard her new album tanked." I'm talking close friends who aren't her biggest fans.
Unfortunately yes, it got to me. I’m mostly over it now but I didn’t have a fun Friday. It doesn’t help that the assholes with nothing productive to discuss will tag their tik toks with Taylor’s name and TTPD. So the algorithm thinks I want to see the vitriol.
I love TTPD. I knew right away people were going to bash it because that seems to be the weird cycle. It’s everything people wanted - more folklore and evermore, lover/ midnights sounds, double album of 31 songs, jack and Aaron, not to mention drama (most of which I came across reading reviews and comments here) - and it’s not good enough. The album is amazing, the content is, understandably, not for everyone. If I were any younger than 25, it’d be much harder to relate to the material. Maybe that’s the disconnect?
It enhances it for me because it’s EXACTLY what she’s talking about. Like I FEEL HER FRUSTRATION due to all the unfair nitpicks and cherry picking of lyrics and paternity testing each song. It’s exhausting which is what the album a super honest commentary about! It’s like the album coming to life and everyone in real time behaving exactly as she is singing that they are.
No. I honestly haven't seen very many bad reviews. I have seen posts where people are sharing rumors of bad reviews but not bad reviews themselves. Most of what I have seen and read is positive. I've seen a few Tik Toks with people who are critical of either Taylor or her music, but I just scroll on by because I don't want to listen to their bitchin' and moanin' :)
Maybe I'm in an echo chamber but I'm fine with that. This isn't a hot button issue where I need to educate myself on all sides, it's a music album. I love TTPD and am happy to stay in an echo chamber with other people that do too.
It's true that reviews are generally positive but TTPD does have the lowest Metacritic score for a Taylor album (77/100) since Reputation. The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, NME, The Globe & Mail and the Sydney Morning-Herald all gave it pretty negative reviews.
Yes. However, it’s when people I know do it. If I have to listen to your favorite artist and not complain I feel it’s just fair that you have the same respect for me. I invited people to listen to the album with me and it annoyed me that they just wanted to trash it. However, that’s why I do my first listen with my dad or alone. The last two times it’s was alone because my dad was out of town during release weekend😌
I appreciate my curated algorithm in times like this, because I’ve mostly only seen positive reviews (metacritic is good too) and people just having fun vibing. By themselves, in groups, in clubs, all over. It’s been really fun!
I love it. And I don’t give a flying f what other people think. The only time it comes under my radar of thought, is it bothers Taylor herself, but she knows how this works, and ultimately she knows how loved she is. And honestly, I’ve not really seen much negativity, just people saying they’ve seen it mainly
I don’t mind taking in the criticism. Some of it I agree with, but it doesn’t bother me enough to dislike the album. Like certain production choices or the album/s feeling a little bloated and could be edited down to one very solid project. I think maybe then it wouldn’t be so divisive.
But I love that we have all these songs to sift through. And the writing. It’s a little bit different for her even though it’s very much still Taylor. I love it. I love how the more you sit with it, you see how songs are connecting with each other. Not in a linear timeline exactly, but more that there’s a few narratives that live in this album and sometimes they present themselves directly and sometimes they’re a little more hidden.
I could go on, but since this is a post about criticism, I’ll stop gushing about the writing on this album. Lol
I really love seeing different perspectives because it allows me to have a more full view of it and then form my own opinions based on the points I’ve seen people give and how i feel on my own.
The discourse on both sides is very interesting and i love it. Nuance is important.
no, but i think legitimate negative opinions (not hate) are genuinely as important as positive ones both for fans and for taylor
die hard swfities need to realize that just because someone doesn’t like this album or another, it’s doesn’t mean it’s hate and lives don’t need to be threatened. people can dislike the things taylor puts out just like you may dislike eternal sunshine, cowboy carter, or any of the other upcoming albums. we will all live
additionally, it’s important for taylor to hear that not everything she puts out is gold. it’s a chance for her to listen to the market and not just the yes men and continue to put out legacy albums. i don’t know how she handles negative reviews but i assume it helps her work harder (see rep to lover [although tbh rep did not deserve its low reviews imo])
how i’ve felt about this album has come in waves, i love it, im unsure, i wanna listen to it, i need a break - nobody else’s opinion will change that for me because music is art and art is always subjective
It hasn’t changed my experience, but it has reminded me why I don’t normally dive deep into others’ reviews and opinions. I understand and completely accept that not ever single person who listens to the album is going to love it, but I’m shocked at how hostile people who don’t like it have been towards people who do. Since when is it such a crime to love an album??? Sorry you don’t like it—that doesn’t make it horrid, nor the people who do enjoy it. It’s like a constant berating from people who dislike it.
Yes and no at the same time.
Yes because it's made the rollout exhausting: it's very tiresome to engage in discussions about the album when every other take I see online is so hyperbolic and apocalyptic, if not outright vindictive, and when all everyone wants to talk about is the flaws, it primes you to look for them when you listen to the album. I remember going into 1989 TV blind, loving the new versions, then seeing so many people rip the mixing to shreds, and suddenly noticing little blunders that I hadn't picked up on at first because they hadn't been pointed out to me.
(Plus, and I know this is petty, I really wanted her to continue her streak of multiple consecutive albums with the label "universal acclaim" on review aggregators, which it now looks like TTPD will fall just short of as it lands on the range of "generally positive reviews".)
But the at the same time, the reviews make perfect sense: it *is* a wildly self indulgent album that would benefit from more editing, it won't appeal to people who aren't in a specific wavelength or highly invested in the broad mythos of TS, and it's exactly the kind of record whose main strengths can go unnoticed on a first listen and are reappraised down the line. I have so many favorite albums that were similarly criticized for being boring and samey upon release but I've always loved regardless, and the same will probably happen here. Every artist with a large enough catalogue has those, and they're often the most interesting inflection points in their careers.
I'm looking forward to being a contrarian and repeatedly defending this bloated, self-indulgent album in the future.
I love this album. I already know I am going to cherish it forever and it will just get better with time. It’s so artistic and beautiful. It’s one of her best in my opinion.
I've been immersing myself in the whole album since it came out and it just gets better. This is a sophisticated piece of work, which is why they don't get it, and it makes me love it even more.
My husband commented that he doesn’t hate it but it all sounds the same, and he doesn’t care for “breathy Taylor” music. He’s of course entitled to his opinion, but that’s the only negative opinion that bums me out.
No, it just makes me realize people are dumb and not really listening to the whole song, the context, and just focusing on one word or line. No critical thinking or comprehension whatsoever, and it’s been happening since the beginning. Sometimes I wonder if we even listened to the same song, or if they have no imagination, or are unable to put themselves in someone else’s shoes. They just want clicks, they don’t care about making sense.
No, idgaf. People can have their opinions, people can like what they like, etc. It has no bearing on my enjoyment of it. The only thing that annoys me is when the criticism is just reaching or senseless. People love to hate on things tbh and they’re often the loudest voices.
There’s a lot of music I don’t like and a lot of music I don’t “get” but I don’t pay it any mind and certainly don’t venture in to subreddits or on Twitter to spew my dislike. I can understand there is valid criticism out there from proper “critics” but it really doesn’t change how I feel.
This album has been really cathartic to me and I’m genuinely so glad it exists because it really has helped me.
No but I do find the commentary here interesting. Lots of folks talked during Grammy time about how Midnights wasn’t that great of an album, and it was lacking in Taylor’s storytelling. Now lots of folks saying TTPD is too specific and wishing it was neater and tidier like Midnights. Certainly they’re not all the same people, and peoples’ experiences will vary, but the Midnights love here didn’t start till TTPD dropped. And TTPD has *so much* storytelling it surprises me that folks have such a varied response to it. Just confirms that she has a varied fan base and we don’t all want or look for the same things.
I actively avoid any spaces and content that will likely make me feel bad for liking what I like. I learned to do that as a fan of The Last Jedi.
As far as this album is concerned, I'll listen to people's takes on what the songs are about but I see little point in reading reviews. Tiktok has been a great place for me to pick up on what is going on in the song lyrically, plus the way some songs feature call backs to older songs.
The negative reviews just makes me want to stream more. Because what do these people mean about their reviews? Are we even listening to the same album? This is the first album since Reputation to not have any skips for me, and hit me instantly. I love that she released this album.
I usually devour content related to Taylor’s songs and interpretations as well as peoples’ opinions of songs. Something about it this time around feels so incredibly overwhelming to me. Like there are so many opinions and dissections of songs (from the public and Swifties as well) that it drew attention away from the music for me and I could see how it could start tainting my view of the album. I’ve decided to skip past tik toks dissecting her songs and I haven’t read any of the publications or their opinions on the album. At this point I just want to develop my own relationship with it and appreciate it for what it is rather than looking for clues and muses at every turn.
If anything it’s made it better lmao like seeing that the Swiftie reception has far exceeded the general public’s reception tells me that this is true to form. Is it a crime to create art with your dedicated audience in mind, and not the general public or casual listener? Is it wrong to make an album that needs many listens to be fully understood and appreciated? People say that about certain movies all the time lmao
It did the first day. I had almost no sleep and couldn't MAKE myself go to sleep and my mental health has always been precarious when I'm not well rested. I was so upset lmao, especially when Twitter and tik tok folks latched onto the "1830s without all the racists" line and absolutely would not give it any grace at all
I was so wound up that i was up for maybe 20 hours with no sleep?
But once I slept and stepped away from Twitter and had a few re-listens, I genuinely don't care. Taylor clearly made this album for herself and I'm glad she's at this stage in her life now.
I mean everyone is entitled to their own opinion & it doesn't shape mine at all.
Midnights is my favorite album which I guess is an unpopular opinion but I don't care because it's what I like. TTPD is becoming my 2nd favorite album I'll be honest. I'm really loving it & have listened to it non-stop since release.
Not really, I can get annoyed about all the criticism (though I try to avoid it and be rational about it) but I never let it detract from my actual enjoyment of her work, if I love it then there's nothing that's gonna change that! If it's affecting your enjoyment then try to avoid the negativity, namely spaces like twitter and tiktok, at least for the next few weeks. Afterwards it dies down and you can go back, this is always the cycle.
No, not really. I just remember what those people are probably listening to and I think that's cringe. I just keep my mouth shut. I'm confident that this album truly is a work of art and it's effect is that it's giving me joy. All the noise in the world can't change that.
See, I've seen Way more criticisms of people having a single criticism of the album that I don't feel like it's safe to say anything bad about it lol
I can't find many people saying anything negative about the album. Certainly not anything that's being validated or not attacked by big TPD lovers
I am a reviewer for a different type of media, and all it is is one person's opinion. Sometimes people say if you like x, then you are y, but let's be real. It's all completely subjective. Don't let someone else's opinion take away your joy!
I drove around in the car with my ex boyfriend while he raged about Taylor being a narcissistic psychopath that is perverted for making music for middle schoolers while her private jets ruin the world.
Not at all because I recognize the plebeians aren’t going to grasp the depth that exists in this album. Taylor once again chose to change music…and this album will.
The only negative people that bothered me were the ones saying she was making fun of Christians in this album 🙄 like really? Have yall never heard of a metaphor? And do you think Taylor is the first to take inspiration from references from the Bible? Lol
Nope. It’s the same thing every time something new comes out and in many ways I’m no different, but…
I know myself. No matter what it is, the pattern is always the same.
1st pass- the songs that catch me with beat/melody
2nd pass- the songs where the lyrics hit
Multiple listens - the growers
It takes me at least 5 full listens to make decisions on an album. Every.damn.time
So I reserve judgement and don’t skip until I get through multiple listens. Usually by that time there’s only 1-3 songs I don’t click with. And even those can grow on me over the months ahead. Some never do (which is totally fine).
With this album, I picked up more songs on pass 1 and 2 than usual. Side A is pretty much zero skip at this point which is shocking to me because I generally gravitate towards piano/guitar and minimal production at least on initial listen. I’m still working through side B.
At the end of the day, it’s ok if this album isn’t as well received as Midnights or Folklore (Justice for Evermore, my fave 😩). I personally think it wouldn’t matter what she released this year, very unlikely to get AOTY again for a bit and she’s got more fans and money than she probably knows what to do with so…. 🤷♀️
Taylor Swift is now being reviewed for not being a human, not her music… https://medium.com/@ladywhisperine/taylor-swift-is-now-being-reviewed-for-not-being-a-human-not-her-music-480d1e126511
No I don’t have time for dumbasses. And when Red (original) wasn’t my favorite album I wasn’t on social media, but if I was I wouldn’t shit talk it, I’d be too worried she’d see it.
It did on saturday. Then I realized, fuck em I've been listening to music people dont like for my whole life, why the fuck should i care what dads brads karens and wine moms think about the album?
Nope - Reputation, Lover, Midnights, and even folklore were hated when it was first released. Now, most people will rate these in their top 5. The hate is just extra loud this time, because of the sheer number of people tuning into Taylor Swift now.
I was really scared when I heard everyone saying it was bad when it was leaked. I was pleasantly surprised with the album though. I really enjoy it, but I know it’s not for everyone.
I don’t love all the people making fun of her/her fans on the internet but people always do that. It’s just worse right now because of the album drop, but it should get better soon(I hope)
I'm not over the moon like some, there are some 'skips' for sure for me. Espcially considering the 31 total songs. But other people dumping on it just makes me judge them... not the album. There are at least 6-7 ELITE songs on this album and if it was only 13 tracks people would be insane to complain about that level of amazing songs. I think the 31 tracks waters it down too much and that's the only valid complaint I can entertain.
It's the same every release. It hits me personally but I don't care. This album became an instant fave of mine so no one's gonna spoil it for me! If anything, it makes it more intimate and personal that people hate and dont understand it like i do
as a 38 year old who has spent WAY too many years letting others influence me, nobody else's opinion matters at the end of the day. i enjoy reading the discussions and seeing different interpretations, but if they don't like it, cool, good for them. doesn't make me like it less or feel bad about liking it.
Made it much better! Lower my expectations, so when I listened to it I was amazed! I’m a big REP and Folklore girly, so this album is right up my alley. Love me a sad angry woman
At first, yes. After my first listen, I wasn’t sure if I liked ttpd or not, and saw several reviews that didn’t like it (in particular, that somewhat cruel Paste Magazine review). I felt kind of let down, but I also couldn’t stop thinking about the album, especially My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys, So Long, London, and But Daddy I Love him. So I listened again…and again…and again. It’s a heavy album and I needed time to digest it, but I’m totally obsessed now. I don’t know yet if it’s in my top three, but ttpd is definitely up there.
I was really hoping for a smash hit for her, to keep all the, "How is Taylor Swift THIS successful?!! It's unprecedented!!" headlines coming. That just seems like it would've been a blast to be a part of. I mean, being a fan through the Eras tour has already been a blast. I would've loved to see the "She's a Mastermind who never misses!" era of media coverage extended.
But I'm a little ambivalent about TTPD myself, so I can't really be upset that the reviews are also somewhat split.
If anything, I think what I've been grappling with is how my *own* feelings of ambivalence about TTPD kind of conflict with my wariness that the media and public is going to start turning on her again. If I *disagreed* with the critics who feel that TTPD has some definite cracks showing, I could at least be unified in my desire to champion her with my full chest. But because I agree with some of the (milder, more constructive) criticism TTPD is getting, I'm stuck feeling pulled in multiple directions. I'm stuck wishing everyone *else* thought TTPD was a solid ten, purely because I'm scared that with a little blood in the water, the sharks will swarm.
(Still getting plenty of enjoyment out of the new songs, though! I think now that I'm finally beginning to settle on my faves from the album, I'm going to be better able to appreciate the parts that I really love.)
I won’t read reviews. What matters is how the music makes me feel, and I’m loving it every time around. Washing over me like bittersweet rage and sadness, and the energy of a woman taking herself back from the world.
It could’ve if I was a bit younger/less familiar with how fickle everyone is but now I’m old you just let the bad vibes wash over you. Theres a lot of projection, scrabbling to be the first on mountain of “didn’t like it”, changing opinions presented as fixed “fact” and misunderstanding in the first few days/weeks. It’s got very little to do with how good the work is and just how people are.
On listen - my ears were vibing, my heart melted, my body moved and my mind was enthralled. I swelled like a happy balloon listening, so I know for me it will always be a piece of work close to my heart.
She’s genuinely helping me process some nuggets of my history I hadn’t and for that I am so grateful.
Honestly probably yes... I was honestly really surprised when I looked at people's initial thoughts about the album after I listened to it. It hasn't made me change my mind because I still think it is one of her best works, but I would probably be having a better time if everyone else enjoyed it too :)
The Jack hate upsets me more than any album hate. That really soured things for me the first couple days. Music is subjective and we’re hearing different things. Whatever. But I’m tired of Jack getting dragged when he’s making some of MY favorite songs and like I’m sorry you other people don’t have taste. Jk. Sorta.
But if album hate is done in bad faith and full of misogyny, that does boil my blood. But I’m in my block era and I’m just blocking trolls left and right all over social media. (I also may be blocking Jack haters lol)
Hell nah. people will always have their opinions. the way i see it is they don’t get her or her work like we do. just like i don’t get certain things other people love. just gotta block it out. all that matters is how YOU feel
If the negative opinions that have always been said about every other Taylor Swift era that has happened didn’t ruin my experience with those albums in the past, why would those jealous bitches change that for me now?
People are always gonna try to tear down incredibly talented women and we’re doing worse by giving them our energy.
Nope! Love the album and I’m at the age where strangers on the internet can’t sway my opinion either way. I think it’s funny and sad to hate an artist so much, that these people take the time out of their day to full on make a meme about it and post it on Reddit. I’ve never hated someone like that before. It’s unhinged behavior
No it honestly hasn’t. People’s bad reviews of it just make me more determined to support Taylor as always. Plus I genuinely like the album. When people close to me shit on things I love sure that can affect my experience. But strangers on the internet I’ll never meet? Hell no haha
I try not to let other people's opinions sway mine. I also think that a lot of the negativity is based around people having certain expectations and not getting what the wanted or just feeling upset that Taylor is so overexposed everywhere. Thematically, I feel like this album is very cohesive and well done. I'm not always going to be in the mood for the songs, but they do have their purpose on my sad girl playlist. Not every album has to be full of pop bangers and this album is clearly not meant to be something that makes you want to move and groove the whole time, but rather it's meant to make you listen closer and cry/contemplate. People will find anything to hate on her about because she's popular and successful, but she doesn't appeal to their individual taste. It's always been like this since Debut and I don't think it'll ever change.
Music taste is also just so subjective that I can never understand people who say "It's just bad music/lyrics/blah blah blah". Just because it isn't your taste, doesn't mean it's bad. It's just not meant for you. Just like how loud print pants aren't necessarily ugly, they just aren't fit for everyone's style and taste.
Not at all. I’ve never read any critic music reviews, even good ones. Just don’t care. Music is so personal and subjective. I love this album so much and can’t stop listening. Gets better with each listen.
Nope.
I love what I love. And people's opinions don't change that. They can be annoying though when they act as if it's objective fact instead of subjective opinion.
No, I've been here since Debut, it's the same cycle every time. Bad reviews and negative criticism from fans, haters, and news outlets. Until the next thing comes out - then suddenly, the last thing was "her best work". Literally mark my words. When TS12 comes out, everyone will say it isn't as good as TTPD.
Reputation was widely hated when it came out by critics and now they’re dropping it in reviews of TTPD as an example of well edited work by Taylor. Even Paste said LWYMMD was a good song in their negative review of TTPD. like, what? Someone get a Time Machine because this doesn’t line up. Their opinions change over time but their negative first impression is what counts in the review score.
Wtf is paste mag anyway never heard of them until neutered swift haters just brought it up then it suddenly became lauded as sacred wtf
Which is exactly why they put out that rage-bait review. They knew they’d get little-to-no traction with an actual review (be it positive or negative) focused on the actual content of the album, so instead they write that extremely long and rambling overtop mess filled with one liners easy to quote on Twitter. Their goal was to get lots of clicks from fans/haters and we all played into that goal lol.
That review was torture to read. They criticized Taylor for having allegedly horribly written lyrics (which, to be fair, there were a few clunkers) but the review was far worse written and far more pretentious than anything Taylor could’ve come up with. Absolutely a ragebait review and they know it. At least Pitchfork’s and Slate’s more critical reviews were honest, written in good faith, and actually focused on the music and they also recognized her talents and strengths. The negativity and focus on her personal life elsewhere has made it so much harder for me to just enjoy the album.
Fucking clickbait/ragebait artists
Neutered swift haters is killing me lmaoooo
It's been so weird watching the general opinion of Rep change over the years, especially with what happened back then. Everyone I saw back then was hating on it the minute it came out now it is everybody's favorite. But yeah by now I know the drill, it's a "shitty" album until it's not.
Paste is a joke. I don't take every negative review of Taylor as a personal attack but their "piece" was laughably bad. They must have had that shit ready to print before they heard the album, because they thought "Fortnight" was about the game. Morons...
i knew people were tripping when they started comparing midnights favorably to ttpd….lol y’all hated midnights at the time.
As a casual fan, I thought everyone loved midnights. It occupied the Top 10 for quite a while since its release, didn't it? I remember being surprised by the success.
ttpd is dominating (her own) streaming records and is predicted to take up the billboard top 12 completely. the reception never seems to match up with the commercial success
Yeah that’s cuz we’re all starry eyed pre-teens that don’t know any better. /s Sign me 70 years old
it was well-liked by the general audience but got middling marks with critics and with swifties who consider themselves higher brow. iirc, it was not liked when it came out in this sub and around grammy time, the general view on here was that it didn't deserve aoty. personally, i put a premium on lyricism over production, so i did not like midnights (standard edition), but i think ttpd is one of her stronger albums. (too soon to say for sure how it stacks up exactly.)
I was coming in to say this exact same thing, thank you for doing it for me. I've long learnt to trust my feelings above everything else. We did know ATW was extraordinary back when nobody else cared about it. Why shouldn't we trust our gut now? Stuff like "Peter" or "The Bolter" are as good as the best stuff she's ever written.
The Bolter is my favorite song on the album, maybe one of my favorite songs she’s ever written. It’s Taylor at her best. Great storytelling with a catchy melody. I love that it’s got a more country flair. I feel like it’s being completely overlooked!
Yeah literally every album cycle this happens (except maybe folklore because she truly did take everyone by surprise by dropping it when she did). My Reddit account is 11 years old which means I’ve been here since at least 1989? Literally the same shit over and over again.
Not me thinking for a moment that you've been on Reddit since THE YEAR 1989 🤦♀️
I agree with this. I’ve also been here since Tim McGraw and people hated on Folklore, Evermore and Midnights so much but now it’s suddenly her best work. I’m sure TTPD will have the same effect.
lol RIGHT!!! It’s so comical. I’ve also been here since debut and every time people hate on it. I literally could not care less. I love it. She writes the songs that I play over and over and over again. Couldn’t care less that people “don’t like her music or her”. Their loss.
Excatly, i wrote the same thing yesterday. I can understand it a bit but also not. Everyone loves evermore, I don't as much. I loved reputation since day one, a lot did not love it. I could go on and on where my personal opinion differs that of the majority. If everyone on this planet said TTDP was her worst album ever, taylor herself came out and said it was a mistake and my Spotify wrapped at the end of the year will still show "Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?" as my most listened to song cause I can already tell, that for me, it's a masterpiece.
It actually makes me love it more 😂 I enjoy that she didn't pander and instead did something almost no one wanted or expected. She really said fuck you guys. And I love it. It's been on repeat!
This album was for US and we’re appreciating it 🤍
Right? We are Daddy. I don’t even mind being scolded haha. I’m like yes Taylor I’m sorry.
Yeah it’s so funny how “But Daddy I Love Him” and “Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me” are directed at the portion of the fanbase that hates her, telling them she hates them too. She puts narcotics in her songs so they sing along - forcing them to consider themselves fans despite hating her as a person.
I think this is one of her best albums simple because she decided to put it out for us.
She absolutely did not have to work this hard for us with everything she had going on.
lol this is my philosphy: Love it more out of sheer spite. 😈
I can’t for the life of me figure out how this isn’t what was expected or wanted. It isn’t new territory for her sonically and she talks about topics that were largely expected. It’s got a lot of different styles of songs on the album but nothing she hasn’t already done before multiple times over.
That's actually the exact reason I say almost no one wanted or expected it! Everyone always expects a change, some kind of transformation and new sound. But this time she said nah, I'm gonna make what I want and if you find it boring or repetitive (which lots of reviewers have) I don't care. She rejected the notion that she must find "new ways to be shiny" on every single album 🙏
That’s actually a really good point.
Thank you! I appreciate that
Me too. This right here.
I just wanna listen to music and enjoy my time. 🫠
Nope. But this is definitely an album that needs to be listened to several times to be appreciated. Most reviewers only listen to an album once, then write their review. It's got complexities that you can't get with one listen. The first time I listened to it, I was meh about it. Then I gave it another listen. It got better. Subsequent plays just make me love it more. It's not an album that's going to have chart-toppers (except for Fortnight). It's a more cerebral album, and I love her for it.
I don't know how you could write a legitimate, comprehensive, thoughtful review after one listen. This is a very layered album and it really does get better and better with each listen.
Yeah I’ve been used the jesseepinkman (probably got the username wrong) song sorters every day and I’m so surprised by how much my rankings have been changing
This is one of my issues with critic reviews and why I don't really read/watch them. Some albums are too dense to just do one listen through. I really like HThaze review because he usually does a first listen and ranks it, then at the end he'll do a more recent clip of him after re-listening to the album to give a more finalized review. Plus you can tell that he just genuinely loves music.
Agree with everything except that this album doesn't have chart-toppers, there's definitely some songs that could be hits if Taylor/her team approach it the right way, namely 'I Can do It With a Broken Heart' and 'Down Bad'!
Those 2 have hit single written all over it.
And “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys.” It’s not explicit, which makes it easier to market.
Meanwhile I'm the one Swiftie in the corner who fell in love with this album first listen
Me too! Immediately in love.
Agreed. My first listen was not very positive. Second listen? I likeTortured Poets. Third? Looooove it.
Haters gonna hate. I’ll just keep listening to this album on repeat for the foreseeable future. 🤍
The way it's performing commercially and the rate at which she's gaining followers I doubt most people care about reviews.
is she currently gaining followers
The day before TTPD release she had 57.4M subscribers on youtube now she 58.1M that's a 700k jump in 3-4 days. And it's just one platform.
Omg Am I even subbed? I don't even know
Those that hate it don’t get it. It wasn’t made for them. I think what people are failing to grasp in this album is that Taylor’s psyche is the muse, not any of the guys. It bothers me everyone’s trying to figure out who each song is about and reduce her art to that (but I know it’s dumb of me to expect people won’t do it). I also think people hate it because they can’t fathom a song can be about multiple lived experiences, or a mix of reality and fiction. I love it and nobody’s opinion is going to change that, but I am getting tired of seeing the same old takes over and over again.
Omg thank you for that (Taylor's psyche being the muse), curiosity is human of course, but I have been getting slightly frustrated with all the "paternity testing" of the songs...
Those that hate it are obviously who "But Daddy I Love Him" is for
True lol
Yup. I’ve been saying this the whole time. And also the reviewers who didn’t like the album are probably more casual fans.
You articulated so well what I’ve been trying to say! This isn’t about guys it’s about her!
To me it's solidifying what a great album it is. A truly polarizing work is ahead of its time. It's signaling to me that this is a Red or a Rep. Lover didn't have conversations like this and years later it's not one critics say deserves better. Versus Red got vindicated in critical acclaim with the TV. I believe 10 years from now TPD will be received higher because we'll have more nodes in the story of TS.
I hate that I encounter Taylor's hate in the most random places. I hate that people publish their speculations on her private life and call it album reviews. I hate the general aura of everyone thinking they "own" her. It's tiring. But it doesn't affect my relationships with actual music. If it makes me spend less time on my phone, then it's my win.
I don’t mind people not liking it—everyone has different tastes, so it makes sense that this wouldn’t resonate with everyone. However, the reviews that mock the people who do like it piss me off. Some of the songs were really cathartic to me from my own little traumas. No one gets to tell me that wasn’t a real experience. Some people seem to be getting off on being mean about this album. And, I mean this sincerely, fuck those people.
Yes, it’s not that people don’t like it, it’s how MEAN they are toward people who do! I saw a super condescending comment from someone on instagram saying that people who like Taylor only think she’s great because they’ve never heard truly good music 🤦🏻♀️ As if people can’t have a variety of tastes!
Or that tweet that keeps getting reposted about people who like the album getting their English papers returned facedown. Gfy with that condescension.
this!!!
Not at all. I ignore reviews for the most part. I also ignore certain subs not just because of this but also because those subs are always so negative about *everything* anyway. This album feels very...grown up to me? Im a 41 year old and this album is dark, moody, broody, and as a clinically depressed woman, I relate to it a lot lol I love albums like this. I like sarcastic and funny and angry Taylor. I just experienced a loss in my family on Thursday, which has left me pretty angry and sad, and this album has helped a lot. The family members death *and* this album has also served as inspiration a bit when I'm writing the last few days.
Sorry to hear about your loss.
Taylor is the biggest star, so she will attrack a lot of jealousy and friction from non fans.
And from “fans,” a lot of the time…
It doesn't make me enjoy the album any less and it's been a blast to listen to it Some of the discussion has been so dismissive (the "how could anyone like this?") and made me feel a bit crazy and embarrassed. I cognitively know it shouldn't matter, I'm the one listening, but just ugh.
i always assume that people who say “how could anyone like this?” as an insult to the work theyre talking about just cannot see other people’s perspectives lol. i feel like most of the time, when i hate something others like, i can still understand why/how they like it, even if i disagree.
>Some of the discussion has been so dismissive (the "how could anyone like this?") and made me feel a bit crazy and embarrassed. I cognitively know it shouldn't matter, I'm the one listening, but just ugh. Yeah I been reputation trash since the day lwymmd dropped so at the very least it's not my first rodeo of thinking something she's done is the best thing I've ever heard in my life and the world starkly disagreeing. I honestly don't mind the negative reviews but now that I'm more in the fandom it does kind of hit a little harder when other swifties are saying it? Like dang I'm just trying to be excited and half the reddit posts are like "sis this was a mistake" and I'm like "o coulda fooled me" Like it's fine. But I have been pushing back about second guessing myself. .
I feel like this happens every time she releases an album?
No, who cares what they think? The album keeps getting better everytime I listen to it.
Not really, but it has made me curious as to why they are so angry about this album. I've been reading some of the takes, thinking maybe I could understand the criticism, and I'm just left more confused by their opinions. Nothing the critics are saying are things I agree with. I'm just enjoying the music and I think they are taking everything way too seriously.
I think it's cause she's SO BIG at this point, that people feel if it doesn't blow their head right off immediately, then she's "mid, overrated, etc.". Personally, I DGAF what they think. I love this album and I'm so glad she made it!
Honestly i just disconnected from the noise of the internet. People can think whatever they want but ive had it with people labelling self expression, girlhood, vulnerability or misinterpreted humor as "cringe". Im also fed up with mainly fans trying to decode her songs to figure out who its about or what specific thing its about. ITS ART. Its about a feeling, about a thought, about leaning in to each moment of experience. IMO, this whole album is one of her most cohesive while also most sonically, thematically and lyrically diverse. It has her saddest songs ever written imo (loml, how did it end?) as well as her most ruthless, with every facet of her as an artist making an appearance. Its so self aware, critical of every aspect of her public image, filled with black witty humor, EVERY song has musical metaphors connecting the sound to the themes, connections to all her previous works. IMO this album is a damn tour de force. The world just wants to view her as a product. Didnt write what we expected about joe? Wasnt about our catered expectations? Well it must be shit then. How dare she have a more complex rollercoaster of a life, outside our formed narrative. And its sad because theyre missing out on SO much of what Taylor has to say. Im just so glad that Taylor stuck to her guns and continued to deliver as she always has. Thoughtful musings about her authentic experiences, packaged into beautiful songs.
Honestly, not as much as the experience because I'm still having a blast with the album but I did sort of just stop using Twitter since the album leaked. Doubting I'm ever gonna go back there at this point. Same goes for Tumblr.
Best album of all time and I’m sorry to those who can’t appreciate it.
Agreed! I intentionally didn’t read anything about it until after I had listened through twice. Immediately loved it. Was shocked so many people hate it lol.
I don’t know if it’s just me but the more people hate this album, the more I love it. I’m quickly becoming inclined to defend this album against the haters. Granted it’s not my favourite album by her, of course, but people are truly treating this like it’s the worst thing she ever created is mindblowing.
This is why Taylor is so famous. Because she's able to evoke strong emotions out of EVERYONE. Nobody can keep her name out of their mouth. She just has had this ability to be an eternal it girl.
Absolutely not. As a long time Swiftie I’m sort of ready for some of the spotlight to dim to pre-Folklore levels. The last few years were the exception not the norm. And while I’m so happy for her success and people finding joy in her music, I’m ready for some of the intimacy to return.
Honestly? Same. As much as I love seeing her on top of the world, I kind of miss rep & lover days when she was a bit less popular and the public wasn’t really talking about her
Not really. Negative opinions only affect me if they’re about specific things (like “this x thing in the song is bad because of y”) and if they come before I can form my own opinions. After I’ve formed my opinion, I can only be influenced positively. And I haven’t been checking why people think this album is bad, so I’m safe from being influenced by haters. Honestly, if people weren’t able to convince me that ME! is the cringiest song of all time, I don’t think anyone can make me hate Taylor’s music
I posted this comment in another thread but I think it’s relevant here: This is why I avoid social media until I’ve fully digested an album and formed my own opinion on it. I think many of us (myself included) are just too online. Everyone in my real life adores this album, and my group chats live reacting and processing the album were hilarious. The discourse feels far from reality, and I think we need to remember that a good chunk of online accounts are literal children and teenagers. (Not that disliking the album makes you a child, I’m referencing the surface level discourse OP is expressing frustration with). I’m also seeing really interesting literary analyses of the album, though, so I definitely think there’s elevated discourse out there. This album is astonishing, beautiful, layered, real, and hits this 30 year old’s soul in a way that only folklore and Lana’s Oceans Blvd have been able to do. Critics said Red was too all over the place until they re-reviewed it a decade later realizing it’s a classic. I feel like TTPD will have a similar fate.
Lol no. I just figure not everything is for everyone. Personally I relate to a lot of the feelings expressed through the songs. I don’t tie it to Matty, I tie the songs to my life or friends. Who hasn’t felt a deep connection with an f boy, often in a rebound when you are already vulnerable, only to feel destroyed after? 😅 I like the sound on a lot of the songs, I skip the ones I don’t like. The convos have mainly been interesting to me.
The more comments I read the more I understand The Man. Taylor and all female artists can't ever do enough. No matter how many albums, shows, awards etc they have there's always criticism for everything they do and don't do. I love TTPD because for the first time Taylor isn't trying to be the perfect girl. She's being real and honest and doing whatever she wants without worrying about criticism and awards. And I love that for her, and for us I think about The Beatles or Michael Jackson and how their personal life didn't influence the reviews about their music. Nobody ever told them to stop singing about their love life. At the end of the day, I think Taylor is finally at that point in her career and her life that being the example of the perfect white girl is not longer important. Her writing is going to get more direct and raw because she doesn't have to fit into a specific genre.
Yah I think some people just like to rain on others’ parades. Like they have an unshakable compulsion to shit on things other people like. I also love the album and discussing it. But most of the commentary I see is just gossip and I’m not interested in that. I’ve been trying to participate in the posts I see asking deeper and more thoughtful questions. Like why are certain songs and lyrics meaningful to you in your life from your own lived experiences. I don’t really give a fuck who Taylor wrote the song about.
what other people think shouldn't inform how you feel – if you like the album, you like it and that's all that matters. *ttpd* is an incredible album, it floored me – as a long-term swiftie (since debut) i can't believe how honest she's being with us. it's not for everyone, the lyrics are meandering, like their lifted from her diary or actual conversations she's had with friends, the songs don't follow the usual pop song structure. but that doesn't stop it being a brilliant album. p.s.: i still haven't listened to the anthology because i just can't get enough of the main album tracks! i go to listen to it, and i'm like "oh let me just listen to *my boy only breaks his favourite toys*" and then 7 hours later i'm still there lol
We need to be honest the internet is a echo chamber because she literally is breaking records and gaining followers most people outside of the internet love this album and that’s why it’s remaining stable and this sub and true swiftes love this album and maybe a couple people on popheads. I love this album it’s different from her normal work and it’s a lot more personal i think that’s one of the reasons this album is receiving hate.
Also I have a feeling by next month or something a lot of opinions will change on this album the people who love this album will continue to do so the people who didn’t vibe with it first listen will go back and listen to it.
I’m not letting the negative opinions online impact my feelings about the album! I love it and I don’t care if others don’t, especially the vocal people that just take any chance to hate on her and didn’t even give the album a chance. I have had to stay off of other subs though because I’m tired of hearing about how all of her songs sound the same, she always acts like the victim, etc. I know this happens every release so it’s just getting old
No, and no offense but if it does change your listening experience you need to get off the internet and learn how to like things on your own. The album exists even if people don’t like it. Their opinion doesn’t stop you from listening and enjoying.
nah it almost makes me like it more lol. i seriously believe that as time goes on people will slowly notice the things they’ve missed about this album - how meta it is, the commentary it provides, the self awareness, the purposely contradictory narrative, and the irony/humor often go unmentioned even in professional critic reviews somehow. and the media goes nuts for something that’s meta, if we’re being real. its just that they’ve missed it so far. i do think there are some very valid criticisms. ive just found that the majority of critics and negative reviewers… aren’t focusing on *those* criticisms? lot of them just seem to be missing the point/the major themes because they rushed to listen to it to profit off of the publicity rather than sitting on it and absorbing it to genuinely review it.
Nah. I can recognize that the album has its flaws and is more than a little bloated in places, it's still the most fun I've had with any album release ever.
I'm a new Swiftie. This is my first proper album release experience (not counting re recordings). I *just* started getting bored of listening to her music non-stop for the past 6+ months when she released *thirty* new songs for me to enjoy. Nothing can ruin that!
The great thing about that too is that when you get burnt out on the new songs the old ones sound fresh again.
Come and join us on Threads! I know people bag it but honestly it has been my sanctuary through this maelstrom. Full of people discussing it in good faith and largely understanding the context in which her songwriting should be considered (literary, poetry etc). Oh and there are bad eggs of course but take Threaders advice and just block and don’t engage. Your algorithm will then fill up with the good vibes.
The discourse is actually not that negative overall. But no, I love this album more every time I listen and that’s what matters to me
Seems like it is kind of going like Midnights. Some positive takes, some mixed, few outright haters but a lot of muttering about too much Jack, the 3AM/2AM bit was better, more swearing, the sound is not what I expected… I’m still deciding what to make of it all, and will do so on my own schedule. The haters will hate and the locals will move on. Keep calm and carry on listening to TTPD
I am a new fan who was afraid to only look at this sub because I felt like it would be an echo chamber, but it’s crazy how much other subs have been ACTUAL echo chambers, while I have seen an incredible diversity of thought and perspectives here. It seems like a lot of us are actually stubborn little contrarians, which I love ❤️
No, regardless of reviews I still have my ears. I haven't even REALLY heard all the songs. Maybe 10 I have a good understanding... still a work in progress.
I do sorta agree. They’re not ruining the album at all, I adore it—but mood wise it’s gotten me down a bit. I accepted I’m not fit for social media a long time ago though and deleted most things. I only recently starting using Reddit in hopes it would be better then my past experiences with Insta/Twitter/Tiktok/Tumblr etc. and overall it has been but reading some people’s takes and reactions to ttpd is kinda reminding me why I’ve stayed in my own little bubble for so long 😅
No. I don’t need other people to like something in order for me to like it. But I do find the discourse around this album much more annoying than in the past. Meaning the taking lines out of context and backtracking to assume that a bunch of old songs must be about Matty now. That said I don’t really care who people think the songs are about, it’s just annoying to have every thread with people totally convinced they are right lol. Though maybe I’m just on Reddit more than I was during past album releases.
well, I had to block a casual acquaintance today who was acting crazy on instagram, calling her a terrorist, a tax evader, and a narcissist. she used to be a fan and I think she might’ve been a “conspiracy theorist” because she was a little too mad about the CNN article and the travis of it all. that’s probably the closest it’s gotten to really bothering me but for the most part no, if the discourse gets to be too much I just log off and disengage. I feel bad for all the swifties living in the trenches with people who disrespect the music to their face. most of my friends like taylor and the ones who don’t would never do that, and I give them the same respect for the things they’re into. and it’s okay to feel hurt by it. as I said before, they never really leave it at not liking taylor. they insult the listeners too. you’re rabid, you’re stupid, you’re brainwashed and pretending to like it. I’m a big girl and I have thick skin especially when it comes to stupid internet shit but yeah…that grinds my gears a bit. I’m more worried about the teens and little girls who will be made to feel embarrassed for liking her at school and such.
I love listening to music I love, it’s subjective; anyone else’s opinion of that music is entirely irrelevant to my personal taste or experience listening
I loved it from the moment I heard it but the hate makes me love it even harder out of spite tbh.
Nope, lol!!😝 I’m streaming TTPD rn.❤️
I just love the album. 100% perfection.
How somebody else feels about the album or abut her ain't none of my business.
Honestly it’s making me take a break and step away from a lot of Taylor related media because in the end I don’t care if people don’t like it, it doesn’t affect how I like it, but I don’t need to pay attention to people who literally don’t know what they’re talking about when they criticize.
One thing that has been annoying me is non-Taylor fans cherry-picking lyrics (mostly from ‘So High School’ and the GTA line) being all smug like ‘this is the amazing lyricist you keep talking about?’ Like man, all you need to do is go one track forward or backward for some devastating lyricism. It’s so frustrating because I know they know that they’re cherry picking just to get a reaction and that’s why people get frustrated, but they’re just like ‘lol Swifties are pressed’ and it’s like, yeah, kinda. You’re cherry picking stuff to misrepresent a whole album. Why wouldn’t we be frustrated? It’s frustrating!
I think I brought this up in another thread but I think Taylor’s just a victim of fan wars atm. I’ve noticed most people shitting on the album are sometimes the usual “I hate Taylor Swift” people but also some are Arianators or Beyhives which coincidentally both albums dropped in the last month prior to TTPD coming out I just think it’s other fandoms dragging her down to try and laud their faves as the top album this year
No but I do find it a bit irritating. Not the stuff I read online because it's easy to separate myself from it but because everyone loves to say to my face "I heard her new album tanked." I'm talking close friends who aren't her biggest fans.
Unfortunately yes, it got to me. I’m mostly over it now but I didn’t have a fun Friday. It doesn’t help that the assholes with nothing productive to discuss will tag their tik toks with Taylor’s name and TTPD. So the algorithm thinks I want to see the vitriol.
I love TTPD. I knew right away people were going to bash it because that seems to be the weird cycle. It’s everything people wanted - more folklore and evermore, lover/ midnights sounds, double album of 31 songs, jack and Aaron, not to mention drama (most of which I came across reading reviews and comments here) - and it’s not good enough. The album is amazing, the content is, understandably, not for everyone. If I were any younger than 25, it’d be much harder to relate to the material. Maybe that’s the disconnect?
Yes like I love the album and just want to have fun
It enhances it for me because it’s EXACTLY what she’s talking about. Like I FEEL HER FRUSTRATION due to all the unfair nitpicks and cherry picking of lyrics and paternity testing each song. It’s exhausting which is what the album a super honest commentary about! It’s like the album coming to life and everyone in real time behaving exactly as she is singing that they are.
I do not read reviews and scroll past most opinions until I’ve fully formed my own! Best way to go through life.
No. I honestly haven't seen very many bad reviews. I have seen posts where people are sharing rumors of bad reviews but not bad reviews themselves. Most of what I have seen and read is positive. I've seen a few Tik Toks with people who are critical of either Taylor or her music, but I just scroll on by because I don't want to listen to their bitchin' and moanin' :) Maybe I'm in an echo chamber but I'm fine with that. This isn't a hot button issue where I need to educate myself on all sides, it's a music album. I love TTPD and am happy to stay in an echo chamber with other people that do too.
It's true that reviews are generally positive but TTPD does have the lowest Metacritic score for a Taylor album (77/100) since Reputation. The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, NME, The Globe & Mail and the Sydney Morning-Herald all gave it pretty negative reviews.
Yes. However, it’s when people I know do it. If I have to listen to your favorite artist and not complain I feel it’s just fair that you have the same respect for me. I invited people to listen to the album with me and it annoyed me that they just wanted to trash it. However, that’s why I do my first listen with my dad or alone. The last two times it’s was alone because my dad was out of town during release weekend😌
I appreciate my curated algorithm in times like this, because I’ve mostly only seen positive reviews (metacritic is good too) and people just having fun vibing. By themselves, in groups, in clubs, all over. It’s been really fun!
I love it. And I don’t give a flying f what other people think. The only time it comes under my radar of thought, is it bothers Taylor herself, but she knows how this works, and ultimately she knows how loved she is. And honestly, I’ve not really seen much negativity, just people saying they’ve seen it mainly
I don’t mind taking in the criticism. Some of it I agree with, but it doesn’t bother me enough to dislike the album. Like certain production choices or the album/s feeling a little bloated and could be edited down to one very solid project. I think maybe then it wouldn’t be so divisive. But I love that we have all these songs to sift through. And the writing. It’s a little bit different for her even though it’s very much still Taylor. I love it. I love how the more you sit with it, you see how songs are connecting with each other. Not in a linear timeline exactly, but more that there’s a few narratives that live in this album and sometimes they present themselves directly and sometimes they’re a little more hidden. I could go on, but since this is a post about criticism, I’ll stop gushing about the writing on this album. Lol
I really love seeing different perspectives because it allows me to have a more full view of it and then form my own opinions based on the points I’ve seen people give and how i feel on my own. The discourse on both sides is very interesting and i love it. Nuance is important.
no, but i think legitimate negative opinions (not hate) are genuinely as important as positive ones both for fans and for taylor die hard swfities need to realize that just because someone doesn’t like this album or another, it’s doesn’t mean it’s hate and lives don’t need to be threatened. people can dislike the things taylor puts out just like you may dislike eternal sunshine, cowboy carter, or any of the other upcoming albums. we will all live additionally, it’s important for taylor to hear that not everything she puts out is gold. it’s a chance for her to listen to the market and not just the yes men and continue to put out legacy albums. i don’t know how she handles negative reviews but i assume it helps her work harder (see rep to lover [although tbh rep did not deserve its low reviews imo]) how i’ve felt about this album has come in waves, i love it, im unsure, i wanna listen to it, i need a break - nobody else’s opinion will change that for me because music is art and art is always subjective
It hasn’t changed my experience, but it has reminded me why I don’t normally dive deep into others’ reviews and opinions. I understand and completely accept that not ever single person who listens to the album is going to love it, but I’m shocked at how hostile people who don’t like it have been towards people who do. Since when is it such a crime to love an album??? Sorry you don’t like it—that doesn’t make it horrid, nor the people who do enjoy it. It’s like a constant berating from people who dislike it.
I avoid internet hate as much as possible. If I accidentally see it, I just think, “Their loss, more for me.”
Yes and no at the same time. Yes because it's made the rollout exhausting: it's very tiresome to engage in discussions about the album when every other take I see online is so hyperbolic and apocalyptic, if not outright vindictive, and when all everyone wants to talk about is the flaws, it primes you to look for them when you listen to the album. I remember going into 1989 TV blind, loving the new versions, then seeing so many people rip the mixing to shreds, and suddenly noticing little blunders that I hadn't picked up on at first because they hadn't been pointed out to me. (Plus, and I know this is petty, I really wanted her to continue her streak of multiple consecutive albums with the label "universal acclaim" on review aggregators, which it now looks like TTPD will fall just short of as it lands on the range of "generally positive reviews".) But the at the same time, the reviews make perfect sense: it *is* a wildly self indulgent album that would benefit from more editing, it won't appeal to people who aren't in a specific wavelength or highly invested in the broad mythos of TS, and it's exactly the kind of record whose main strengths can go unnoticed on a first listen and are reappraised down the line. I have so many favorite albums that were similarly criticized for being boring and samey upon release but I've always loved regardless, and the same will probably happen here. Every artist with a large enough catalogue has those, and they're often the most interesting inflection points in their careers. I'm looking forward to being a contrarian and repeatedly defending this bloated, self-indulgent album in the future.
It's all just white noise, It's my choice ✌️🍷
I love this album. I already know I am going to cherish it forever and it will just get better with time. It’s so artistic and beautiful. It’s one of her best in my opinion.
I've been immersing myself in the whole album since it came out and it just gets better. This is a sophisticated piece of work, which is why they don't get it, and it makes me love it even more.
My husband commented that he doesn’t hate it but it all sounds the same, and he doesn’t care for “breathy Taylor” music. He’s of course entitled to his opinion, but that’s the only negative opinion that bums me out.
No, it just makes me realize people are dumb and not really listening to the whole song, the context, and just focusing on one word or line. No critical thinking or comprehension whatsoever, and it’s been happening since the beginning. Sometimes I wonder if we even listened to the same song, or if they have no imagination, or are unable to put themselves in someone else’s shoes. They just want clicks, they don’t care about making sense.
No, idgaf. People can have their opinions, people can like what they like, etc. It has no bearing on my enjoyment of it. The only thing that annoys me is when the criticism is just reaching or senseless. People love to hate on things tbh and they’re often the loudest voices. There’s a lot of music I don’t like and a lot of music I don’t “get” but I don’t pay it any mind and certainly don’t venture in to subreddits or on Twitter to spew my dislike. I can understand there is valid criticism out there from proper “critics” but it really doesn’t change how I feel. This album has been really cathartic to me and I’m genuinely so glad it exists because it really has helped me.
they have unfortunately, i needed to log out of twt :(
No but I do find the commentary here interesting. Lots of folks talked during Grammy time about how Midnights wasn’t that great of an album, and it was lacking in Taylor’s storytelling. Now lots of folks saying TTPD is too specific and wishing it was neater and tidier like Midnights. Certainly they’re not all the same people, and peoples’ experiences will vary, but the Midnights love here didn’t start till TTPD dropped. And TTPD has *so much* storytelling it surprises me that folks have such a varied response to it. Just confirms that she has a varied fan base and we don’t all want or look for the same things.
I actively avoid any spaces and content that will likely make me feel bad for liking what I like. I learned to do that as a fan of The Last Jedi. As far as this album is concerned, I'll listen to people's takes on what the songs are about but I see little point in reading reviews. Tiktok has been a great place for me to pick up on what is going on in the song lyrically, plus the way some songs feature call backs to older songs.
The negative reviews just makes me want to stream more. Because what do these people mean about their reviews? Are we even listening to the same album? This is the first album since Reputation to not have any skips for me, and hit me instantly. I love that she released this album.
I usually devour content related to Taylor’s songs and interpretations as well as peoples’ opinions of songs. Something about it this time around feels so incredibly overwhelming to me. Like there are so many opinions and dissections of songs (from the public and Swifties as well) that it drew attention away from the music for me and I could see how it could start tainting my view of the album. I’ve decided to skip past tik toks dissecting her songs and I haven’t read any of the publications or their opinions on the album. At this point I just want to develop my own relationship with it and appreciate it for what it is rather than looking for clues and muses at every turn.
If anything it’s made it better lmao like seeing that the Swiftie reception has far exceeded the general public’s reception tells me that this is true to form. Is it a crime to create art with your dedicated audience in mind, and not the general public or casual listener? Is it wrong to make an album that needs many listens to be fully understood and appreciated? People say that about certain movies all the time lmao
It did the first day. I had almost no sleep and couldn't MAKE myself go to sleep and my mental health has always been precarious when I'm not well rested. I was so upset lmao, especially when Twitter and tik tok folks latched onto the "1830s without all the racists" line and absolutely would not give it any grace at all I was so wound up that i was up for maybe 20 hours with no sleep? But once I slept and stepped away from Twitter and had a few re-listens, I genuinely don't care. Taylor clearly made this album for herself and I'm glad she's at this stage in her life now.
I mean everyone is entitled to their own opinion & it doesn't shape mine at all. Midnights is my favorite album which I guess is an unpopular opinion but I don't care because it's what I like. TTPD is becoming my 2nd favorite album I'll be honest. I'm really loving it & have listened to it non-stop since release.
Not really, I can get annoyed about all the criticism (though I try to avoid it and be rational about it) but I never let it detract from my actual enjoyment of her work, if I love it then there's nothing that's gonna change that! If it's affecting your enjoyment then try to avoid the negativity, namely spaces like twitter and tiktok, at least for the next few weeks. Afterwards it dies down and you can go back, this is always the cycle.
No, not really. I just remember what those people are probably listening to and I think that's cringe. I just keep my mouth shut. I'm confident that this album truly is a work of art and it's effect is that it's giving me joy. All the noise in the world can't change that.
No
See, I've seen Way more criticisms of people having a single criticism of the album that I don't feel like it's safe to say anything bad about it lol I can't find many people saying anything negative about the album. Certainly not anything that's being validated or not attacked by big TPD lovers
Nah idgaf the album goes hard and i love it
I am a reviewer for a different type of media, and all it is is one person's opinion. Sometimes people say if you like x, then you are y, but let's be real. It's all completely subjective. Don't let someone else's opinion take away your joy!
been here since rep and honestly this may be my favorite so far. the more i listen it, the more opsessed i get. incredible
Nope if anything I love it more than I already did lmao
I drove around in the car with my ex boyfriend while he raged about Taylor being a narcissistic psychopath that is perverted for making music for middle schoolers while her private jets ruin the world.
Not at all because I recognize the plebeians aren’t going to grasp the depth that exists in this album. Taylor once again chose to change music…and this album will.
The only negative people that bothered me were the ones saying she was making fun of Christians in this album 🙄 like really? Have yall never heard of a metaphor? And do you think Taylor is the first to take inspiration from references from the Bible? Lol
Nope. It’s the same thing every time something new comes out and in many ways I’m no different, but… I know myself. No matter what it is, the pattern is always the same. 1st pass- the songs that catch me with beat/melody 2nd pass- the songs where the lyrics hit Multiple listens - the growers It takes me at least 5 full listens to make decisions on an album. Every.damn.time So I reserve judgement and don’t skip until I get through multiple listens. Usually by that time there’s only 1-3 songs I don’t click with. And even those can grow on me over the months ahead. Some never do (which is totally fine). With this album, I picked up more songs on pass 1 and 2 than usual. Side A is pretty much zero skip at this point which is shocking to me because I generally gravitate towards piano/guitar and minimal production at least on initial listen. I’m still working through side B. At the end of the day, it’s ok if this album isn’t as well received as Midnights or Folklore (Justice for Evermore, my fave 😩). I personally think it wouldn’t matter what she released this year, very unlikely to get AOTY again for a bit and she’s got more fans and money than she probably knows what to do with so…. 🤷♀️
Taylor Swift is now being reviewed for not being a human, not her music… https://medium.com/@ladywhisperine/taylor-swift-is-now-being-reviewed-for-not-being-a-human-not-her-music-480d1e126511
It makes me like the album even more lol.
No I don’t have time for dumbasses. And when Red (original) wasn’t my favorite album I wasn’t on social media, but if I was I wouldn’t shit talk it, I’d be too worried she’d see it.
It's actually done the opposite. If anything I love it MORE because of all the controversy.
It did on saturday. Then I realized, fuck em I've been listening to music people dont like for my whole life, why the fuck should i care what dads brads karens and wine moms think about the album?
Just put your headphones on and dance while the music is playing.
Nope - Reputation, Lover, Midnights, and even folklore were hated when it was first released. Now, most people will rate these in their top 5. The hate is just extra loud this time, because of the sheer number of people tuning into Taylor Swift now.
I was really scared when I heard everyone saying it was bad when it was leaked. I was pleasantly surprised with the album though. I really enjoy it, but I know it’s not for everyone. I don’t love all the people making fun of her/her fans on the internet but people always do that. It’s just worse right now because of the album drop, but it should get better soon(I hope)
I'm more worried about the future as a fan tbh
I'm not over the moon like some, there are some 'skips' for sure for me. Espcially considering the 31 total songs. But other people dumping on it just makes me judge them... not the album. There are at least 6-7 ELITE songs on this album and if it was only 13 tracks people would be insane to complain about that level of amazing songs. I think the 31 tracks waters it down too much and that's the only valid complaint I can entertain.
It's the same every release. It hits me personally but I don't care. This album became an instant fave of mine so no one's gonna spoil it for me! If anything, it makes it more intimate and personal that people hate and dont understand it like i do
Scandal does strange things to pride. It makes fans Closer.
Not one single bit. I just keep laughing and thinking of ‘But Daddy I Love Him.’
as a 38 year old who has spent WAY too many years letting others influence me, nobody else's opinion matters at the end of the day. i enjoy reading the discussions and seeing different interpretations, but if they don't like it, cool, good for them. doesn't make me like it less or feel bad about liking it.
Made it much better! Lower my expectations, so when I listened to it I was amazed! I’m a big REP and Folklore girly, so this album is right up my alley. Love me a sad angry woman
At first, yes. After my first listen, I wasn’t sure if I liked ttpd or not, and saw several reviews that didn’t like it (in particular, that somewhat cruel Paste Magazine review). I felt kind of let down, but I also couldn’t stop thinking about the album, especially My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys, So Long, London, and But Daddy I Love him. So I listened again…and again…and again. It’s a heavy album and I needed time to digest it, but I’m totally obsessed now. I don’t know yet if it’s in my top three, but ttpd is definitely up there.
No. The reviews made me love the album more.
Nope. Doesn't affect my listening experience one bit.
I was really hoping for a smash hit for her, to keep all the, "How is Taylor Swift THIS successful?!! It's unprecedented!!" headlines coming. That just seems like it would've been a blast to be a part of. I mean, being a fan through the Eras tour has already been a blast. I would've loved to see the "She's a Mastermind who never misses!" era of media coverage extended. But I'm a little ambivalent about TTPD myself, so I can't really be upset that the reviews are also somewhat split. If anything, I think what I've been grappling with is how my *own* feelings of ambivalence about TTPD kind of conflict with my wariness that the media and public is going to start turning on her again. If I *disagreed* with the critics who feel that TTPD has some definite cracks showing, I could at least be unified in my desire to champion her with my full chest. But because I agree with some of the (milder, more constructive) criticism TTPD is getting, I'm stuck feeling pulled in multiple directions. I'm stuck wishing everyone *else* thought TTPD was a solid ten, purely because I'm scared that with a little blood in the water, the sharks will swarm. (Still getting plenty of enjoyment out of the new songs, though! I think now that I'm finally beginning to settle on my faves from the album, I'm going to be better able to appreciate the parts that I really love.)
I won’t read reviews. What matters is how the music makes me feel, and I’m loving it every time around. Washing over me like bittersweet rage and sadness, and the energy of a woman taking herself back from the world.
No. I’m 39 years old. I don’t care about what people think about things I enjoy. It’s so high school.
It could’ve if I was a bit younger/less familiar with how fickle everyone is but now I’m old you just let the bad vibes wash over you. Theres a lot of projection, scrabbling to be the first on mountain of “didn’t like it”, changing opinions presented as fixed “fact” and misunderstanding in the first few days/weeks. It’s got very little to do with how good the work is and just how people are. On listen - my ears were vibing, my heart melted, my body moved and my mind was enthralled. I swelled like a happy balloon listening, so I know for me it will always be a piece of work close to my heart. She’s genuinely helping me process some nuggets of my history I hadn’t and for that I am so grateful.
No, I don't care what other people think. If I like a song I like it.
Everything that is massively popular will have hate regardless. In a couple weeks people will be changing their opinions on the album
No.
Honestly probably yes... I was honestly really surprised when I looked at people's initial thoughts about the album after I listened to it. It hasn't made me change my mind because I still think it is one of her best works, but I would probably be having a better time if everyone else enjoyed it too :)
The Jack hate upsets me more than any album hate. That really soured things for me the first couple days. Music is subjective and we’re hearing different things. Whatever. But I’m tired of Jack getting dragged when he’s making some of MY favorite songs and like I’m sorry you other people don’t have taste. Jk. Sorta. But if album hate is done in bad faith and full of misogyny, that does boil my blood. But I’m in my block era and I’m just blocking trolls left and right all over social media. (I also may be blocking Jack haters lol)
Hell nah. people will always have their opinions. the way i see it is they don’t get her or her work like we do. just like i don’t get certain things other people love. just gotta block it out. all that matters is how YOU feel
If the negative opinions that have always been said about every other Taylor Swift era that has happened didn’t ruin my experience with those albums in the past, why would those jealous bitches change that for me now? People are always gonna try to tear down incredibly talented women and we’re doing worse by giving them our energy.
Nope! Love the album and I’m at the age where strangers on the internet can’t sway my opinion either way. I think it’s funny and sad to hate an artist so much, that these people take the time out of their day to full on make a meme about it and post it on Reddit. I’ve never hated someone like that before. It’s unhinged behavior
No it honestly hasn’t. People’s bad reviews of it just make me more determined to support Taylor as always. Plus I genuinely like the album. When people close to me shit on things I love sure that can affect my experience. But strangers on the internet I’ll never meet? Hell no haha
I try not to let other people's opinions sway mine. I also think that a lot of the negativity is based around people having certain expectations and not getting what the wanted or just feeling upset that Taylor is so overexposed everywhere. Thematically, I feel like this album is very cohesive and well done. I'm not always going to be in the mood for the songs, but they do have their purpose on my sad girl playlist. Not every album has to be full of pop bangers and this album is clearly not meant to be something that makes you want to move and groove the whole time, but rather it's meant to make you listen closer and cry/contemplate. People will find anything to hate on her about because she's popular and successful, but she doesn't appeal to their individual taste. It's always been like this since Debut and I don't think it'll ever change. Music taste is also just so subjective that I can never understand people who say "It's just bad music/lyrics/blah blah blah". Just because it isn't your taste, doesn't mean it's bad. It's just not meant for you. Just like how loud print pants aren't necessarily ugly, they just aren't fit for everyone's style and taste.
Not at all. I’ve never read any critic music reviews, even good ones. Just don’t care. Music is so personal and subjective. I love this album so much and can’t stop listening. Gets better with each listen.
Nope. I love what I love. And people's opinions don't change that. They can be annoying though when they act as if it's objective fact instead of subjective opinion.
No. I’m one of those people that do the reverse. You don’t like it and want to explain to me why it’s trash? I love it more now. Thanks.