base talk P4K: Tortured Poets 6.6/ Anthology 6.0

[LIDDOATIN]

Appropriate score for a Mediocre project from a mediocre artist

[Bacardo Royale]

Too generous

[Gladiator]

1 hour ago, Pillz said:

Too high of a score. She's like the McDonalds of pop, churning out songs like burgers

McDonalds hasn't updated their menu in decades other than bringing things that are limited time back. Reminds me a Barbadian singer.

 

At least choose a fast food change that releases new menu items. Like Taco Bell.

 

Thanks!

 

Edited April 22 by Gladiator

[Margaux]

[BGood2Me]

So, the final score for the (total) album is 63 on metacritic? 

[Uncatena]

a well written, respectful review! I don't agree with the score or most of it (besides the point that I can feel like she wrote the songs to the music and not the other way around), but it feels like a fair review nonetheless. 

 

that 7.1 Lover is looking worse and worse though lmao

[Illuminati]

You are supposed to combine the two scores, it's 12.6/10

[storminthedark]

Quote

It's not Swift's fault that we're so obsessed with her, but this album gives the impression that she can't quite hear herself over the roar of the crowd. Tearjerkers like "So Long, London" and "loml" fall short when every lyric carries equal weight. There's no hierarchy of tragic detail; these songs fail to distill an overarching emotional truth, tending to smother rather than sting. It would help if Swift were exploring new musical ideas, but she is largely retreading old territory—unsurprising, perhaps, given that the last three years of her life have been consumed by re-recording her old albums and touring her past selves. The new music is colored in familiar shades of Antonoff (sparse drum programming, twinkly synths) and Dessner (suppler, more strings). Songs sound like other songs—"I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" like Midnights' "Mastermind"; the intro of "So Long, London" like that of Folklore's "My Tears Ricochet." Her melodies feel staid, like they are made to fit the music, rather than the other way around.

 

If Swift believes that output for its own sake is what she has to offer, she underestimates her gift.

This is the crux of the issue with the album(s)

[RandomHooker]

45 minutes ago, Ger.vaz said:

Funny to see Rihanna and gaga fans here talking about quality in music but I guess it muss be boring not having anything else to do other than buying creams and migrane pills. So, go for it girls, act the fool. 

 

OT: not surprised, but this her best album and there is not basic, "bop" seeker gay in this world that can change that. 

You sound so mad

 

Gaga and Rihanna, even though are Avon ladies now, are still living icons who have made daring moves, and impacted more lives than Taylor will ever in her inflated career. She can break all the sales and streaming records, it's the same as BTS. Rabid stans living vicariously, flaunting nuMB3Rs on the internet. Basic is the definition of Taylor, not Gaga or Rihanna. Go back to living your high school memories just like your fave is doing at 34.

[Peroxide]

Shame. That's a harsh score.
 

6.6 for TTPD is so frustrating… especially when you look at the scores for her other projects.
 

I think a lower score for The Anthology is fair because (as I've mentioned before) the additional 15 songs dragged down the album for me… and like others have said, yeah Taylor needs an editor.

 

It's a shame the album is getting a weaker critical reception compared to Midnights because this record is so much stronger. By a very large margin.

 

However, yeah if one good thing is going to come from this response (at least with critics) it will push her to work with different producers and writers for TS12.

[fa77ot]

18 minutes ago, Illuminati said:

You are supposed to combine the two scores, it's 12.6/10

[Ger.vaz]

4 minutes ago, RandomHooker said:

You sound so mad

 

Gaga and Rihanna, even though are Avon ladies now, are still living icons who have made daring moves, and impacted more lives than Taylor will ever in her inflated career. She can break all the sales and streaming records, it's the same as BTS. Rabid stans living vicariously, flaunting nuMB3Rs on the internet. Basic is the definition of Taylor, not Gaga or Rihanna. Go back to living your high school memories just like your fave is doing at 34.

What's with the meltdown? 

 

I'm enjoying so much my fave's new record. Go and pretend to like that jazz album from gaga 

 

OT: they can say whatever they want, this record is perfect. 

[Peroxide]

1 hour ago, cuteboyzay said:

I'm seeing more and more TikToks of people reallyyy upset about this album. Non-Stans and Stans of Taylor alike. Even people with POETRY and English degrees are hating the album because they truly have no clue why she's regarding it as "Poetry" when the writing is not near as good as her previous works . 

 

I truly feel Taylor needs to do what many artists have done and learn that not EVERY ALBUM has to translate to commercial dominance. Some things are just meant for the fans and it's ok to release an album or two that is meant for JUST the fans. You don't always need to go all out and purposefully dominate every chart just to be perceived as "the best". It's better she learns that now rather than later because she is 10 albums deep (not including the TVs) and she's at a point in her career where she has nothing to prove. And she's still writing, performing, and promoting as if she feels like she does.

Tbh the fan reaction to this project has been glowing… very glowing (look at the album thread) it's a very different story to Midnights and Lover.

 

It's a mixture of Taylor being overexposed and casual fans not having bops/bangers… that and The Anthology isn't connecting with more mainstream audiences because it's such a dense listening experience. My dad's girlfriend was complaining because "there's nothing like 'The Man' on this record"

 

Kinda tracks that Rep TV is more than likely next on the release schedule. Feels timely in a way.

[Cruel Summer]

Well, they're wrong, but it's much better than I expected from them so I'll take it. 

[bluebirdsforever]

Some albums hit, some albums don't. A single album is not a referendium on someone's entire capacity as an artist and I'm not sure why some people in this thread (on both sides) are pretending that it is. I understand it can be fun for some reason to see someone you don't like - and don't know, mind you - 'taken down a peg,' but let's keep things in perspective.

Taylor remains a generation-defining talent either way; I just hope some of the more lukewarm reviews of this record push her to take a second and lean back into what she does best. She's clearly drowning under the weight of hype and expectation at the moment (who wouldn't be?) and, like this review says, can't hear herself over the noise. There's a lot I really love about this album and a lot I don't, but you can't say it isn't interesting. I think we'll look back on it very differently in the context of the whole career, in the same way that something like Reputation has taken on new layers with time.

[LittleStarmen]

if they rated a 6 is truly a 4 lol

[cuteboyzay]

1 hour ago, chiliam said:

this is such an insane take.

You think she is gunning for commercial dominance with a 30 tracks album with average 4mins songs and have long ass wordy lyrics and mellow melodies? 

 

This is exactly an album for the fans, cause we are the only ones willing to digest all the melody and lyrics, learn about the lore to appreciate this masterpiece. While non-fan can give their two cents about how`s they dislike the album after 1-2 listens and that`s ok. But it seems like a bizarre concept for you that there`s people who actually enjoys this body of work.

 

 

 

Girl please, let's NOT act like Taylor's main goal ever since Midnights has not been reflective of her need and hunger for dominating the charts. The variants, the constant remixes, the constant promotion in every single media outlet known to man. It's very evident this is more than something "just for the fans".

 

It's constructive criticism that MANY artists have gone through. If this were simply "for the fans" then why are Swifties doxxing journalists and being rac!st towards other stanbases? Why are journalists hiding bylines because some of the Swifties cannot handle the fact that maybe Taylor made a misstep? If some of the stanbase were THIS proud of her work and this amazed by it, the opinions of many others including journalist and critics would not matter whatsoever. But for some reason it does. You have to realize that Taylor Swift cares about how people perceive her beyonddd just what her fans think of her. So not every single piece of her work will be as good or authentic as many would hope to be. I'm still trying to get into the album myself and hope I can, because I think there's more to her that meets the eye than what we think. She's hardworking as h*ll and she's obviously doing SOMETHING right.

Edited April 22 by cuteboyzay

[TheCal]

oh no wayy....

 

Edited April 22 by TheCal

[americanshameless]

 

PANNED-glitter.gif

[cuteboyzay]

33 minutes ago, Peroxide said:

Tbh the fan reaction to this project has been glowing… very glowing (look at the album thread) it's a very different story to Midnights and Lover.

 

It's a mixture of Taylor being overexposed and casual fans not having bops/bangers… that and The Anthology isn't connecting with more mainstream audiences because it's such a dense listening experience. My dad's girlfriend was complaining because "there's nothing like 'The Man' on this record"

 

Kinda tracks that Rep TV is more than likely next on the release schedule. Feels timely in a way.

I think maybe with this release. In comparison to most of her others, there's a strong divide. Now I totally see why what your dad's girlfriend said would be ridiculous because The Man is DEF not near her best work lmao! 
 

I just feel maybe to a capacity she's TOO big. And it's a double edged sword to where it's affecting the way she's delivering some of her art and the way other's are perceiving it. It happened to Michael Jackson to a degree as well. 
 

I feel she is just coming out with so much, and maybe too much of a good thing exists… idk. This was the first Taylor release ever that I've been excited for, so it might take me some time to just sit down and reallyyyy see what some other's Swifties are seeing.

[BnPac]

To be honest, it's a favorable review. If it wasn't popitism, she would have gotten a lower score. 

 

I wish in time I fill get what the Swifties see in the album but for now, it's difficult and I gave it more chances than Midnights. However there are songs that I really like Down Bad, Florida and the Anthology has more melodies and is more colorful but she needs to trim, really trim and edit. 

[Taylor fanboy]

6.6 6

 

This is so reputation CODED!

 

 

[chaeyonce]

5 hours ago, Flower said:

The Anthology being lower than the first half 

 

Aaron Denser stans in shambles 

 

 

This is the only part where I agree with P4K

 

[Chemist]

4 hours ago, chiliam said:

Why i am kind of happy about this.

This make me like the album even more

[Kern]

55 minutes ago, LittleStarmen said:

if they rated a 6 is truly a 4 lol

So Kacey's new album should be 4 too? And Scarlet even 3? Same for PinkPantheress and the list goes on