album Taylor Swift - 'THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT'

[If U Seek Amy]

Just finished. I like the album on first listen I do. I felt similarly to Midnights and now I love Midnights so I am not worried. Just not an instant impact for me of love. She needs to move on from Jack officially. Too much of the album is just Midnights 2.0 production wise. Her lyrics and vocal delivery uplift his overdone productions. They are good, just too similar. Near the end I started getting fatigued and it blended together too much. I would give it a like 7/10 for now. I can see this growing on me a lot though with time. I gave the leak a single listen. Now I will wait for official release before I try again

[Redstreak]

19 minutes ago, Jaguarqueef said:

4/10

4/10

 

The only highlights are
 
The only highlights are Florida!! (Saved by Florence) and The Black Dog.
 
I sometimes wonder if I was tricked by Ms. Swift's one-two strokes of genius with Folklore and Evermore, but I remember even her poppier albums have highs of watching it go round and round each time but not caring bc that D is THAT GOOD!(Style) or fervently begging a man who doesn't care about you to remember dancing in the kitchen in the fridge light (ATW)
 
She is a CAPABLE and compelling writer when she TRIES to be. She isn't trying right now. 
 
This is the most monotone boring breakup album I have ever heard. Unfitting for a relationship of 7 years. There are no extremely high points of this relationship that could make you understand why the low points would be so low. 
 
Hell, it doesn't even feel like an intimate album. It feels like looking at someone through a window w/ shades. 
 
This feels like two fundamentally incompatible people who somehow stayed together for seven years.. He didn't cheat on her, he didn't belittle her, he didn't abuse her; he simply couldn't give her what she needed which according to her is attention.
 
And don't get me started on Antonoff's production..the synths sound soooo out of place in such a downtempo album. The lack of variety in beats until Florida. She needs a new producer ASAP.
 
But Taylor Swift could fart on a synth beat and go triple platinum by the years end, get countless Grammys, etc. I do hope this mediocrity isn't rewarded

This is pretty much the opinion of someone who only listens to songs for beats

[Taylor fanboy]

Just now, Dear Reader said:

I wish she went a BIT harder at the end of The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived 

Nnnnn like how "harder"? The decibels were already HIGH.

[wastedpotential]

1 minute ago, Dear Reader said:

I wish she went a BIT harder at the end of The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived 

Oh see I think she had to keep him alive at the end

 

 

There's no point in ending him so hard he dies too quickly to rot in prison for a few years 

[Walk_Away21]

1 minute ago, Taylor fanboy said:

@Walk_Away21 sis give it a chance.

 

Yes Hack is still Hacking here but it's a step up from Loser - MID.

 

xoxo

I am waiting til Friday. I only heard the Charlie Puta snippet line. I trust you!

[Taylor fanboy]

Just now, Magickarp said:

@Timeless you will definitely (idk if u wanna get spoiled so i will use tags)

  Reveal hidden contents

HATE

this album

 

What song was this again  asdfghjl there's essays of lyrics i forgot

I think @Timeless will

 

Spoiler

Appreciate it. I trust the good sis

 

[SpaceOddity]

Track descriptions.

 

Spoiler

6. But Daddy - This is kind of a sonic recall to her more innocent melodies of Speak Now but it's backed up by Melodrama-lite production. It's cute.

7. Slammer - One of those boring slowtempos she usually tucks right at the lower end of the album. Nothing she hasn't melodically done a hundred times before and with better results. 

8. Florida!!! - A Vault 1989 track and a Dance Fever track had a mediocre baby. 9. Me
9. See Slammer

10. My Tears Ricochet's more epic cousin. 

 

[Dear Reader]

Just now, Taylor fanboy said:

Nnnnn like how "harder"? The decibels were already HIGH.

I meant adding some electric guitar for example 

[wastedpotential]

1 minute ago, Redstreak said:

This is pretty much the opinion of someone who only listens to songs for beats

Oh drag 

[Gladiator]

4 minutes ago, 1989 said:

The Black Dog is insane 

 

and she's insane for making it a bonus track wtf 

I loved it on first listen, but I'm listening to it with headphones on and so many of the lyrics are so relatable. If I was closer in time to the breakup of my life that hit me the hardest, I'd be a sobbing mess because that's the stuff I think about listening to it. Very relatable.

[Da Vinci]

1 hour ago, TaylenaStan said:

but besides that i also feel like she lost her ear for melodies?! like her melodies on Fearless, SN, Red >>>>>>> Mid, PTSD

This is my biggest issue. I think the production is a step up from Midnights (even Jack's, well except for I Can Do It with a Broken Heart ).

The lyrics are also nicer and nothing jarring like the "glitter gel" pen songs in Midnights or whatever. Who's Afraid... is great storytelling from a lyrical and production standpoint.

 

BUT

 

The melodies are just not giving and her bedroom pop vocal delivery doesn't help. Like I literally couldn't finish some songs out of boredom. And this is coming from someone who stans folklore and Red ballads and midtempos over the upbeat ones. The 1, cardigan, willow, champagne problems, etc. even the Midnights singles were a lot more instant melodically than anything here. The complaints saying "everything sounds the same" are probably talking about the melodies which is true. I feel like even just one or two outstanding songs would've made me like the album as a whole a lot more.

 

[Dear Reader]

oh The Alchemy I'm SO SORRY for ever doubting you 

[pinkbowvintage]

The Black Dog cover really is the best one that matches the sound the most 

[1989]

Six weeks of breathing clean air 

I still miss the smoke 

Were you making fun of me with some esoteric joke?

Now I wanna sell my house and set fire to all my clothes 

And hire a priest to come and exercise my demons 

Even if I die screaming 

And I hope you hear it 

 

[Taylor fanboy]

Just now, Walk_Away21 said:

I am waiting til Friday. I only heard the Charlie Puta snippet line. I trust you!

I noticed Jack is stepping up when someone else is involved (Max Martin Mafia, Aaron's Crew, Lose'r's spelling b team).

 

Do you like Billie Eilish? I noticed some hints of her. Cc @wish

[wastedpotential]

Just now, Dear Reader said:

oh The Alchemy I'm SO SORRY for ever doubting you 

I'm so glad I claimed ha 

[Taylor fanboy]

1 minute ago, Dear Reader said:

I meant adding some electric guitar for example 

Knowing Jack, there's electric guitar there, he just buries instruments like always.

[Walk_Away21]

Just now, Taylor fanboy said:

I noticed Jack is stepping up when someone else is involved (Max Martin Mafia, Aaron's Crew, Lose'r's spelling b team).

 

Do you like Billie Eilish? I noticed some hints of her. Cc @wish

Oh that's not-

 

[pinkbowvintage]

I can't be the only one who hears intentional The Little Mermaid soundscape in But Daddy I Love Him, can I?? 

[Strawberry Bubble]

47 minutes ago, Strawberry Bubble said:

Okay, I'm not going to share my honest opinion about it lol. I'm just going to wait for it to get better by tomorrow 

Okay, it's actually getting better the more I listen. Thank god I found the leak, so I can enjoy the album tomorrow 

[BloodLuster]

California - Fresh Out The Slammer - The Next Best American Record yeah that's iT

Edited April 18 by BloodLuster

[wastedpotential]

Oh and that FOTS switchup I've always wanted that in a Taylor song 

[Dear Reader]

1 minute ago, 1989 said:

Six weeks of breathing clean air 

I still miss the smoke 

Were you making fun of me with some esoteric joke?

Now I wanna sell my house and set fire to all my clothes 

And hire a priest to come and exercise my demons 

Even if I die screaming 

And I hope you hear it 

 

the way I had to pick myself from off the floor after I heard that. oh my GOD 

[delugeional]

So does she just try harder on aaron tracks or what? 

[Lille]

I allowed myself one song...

 

I Can Do It With A Broken Heart SOTY idc idc