Devotion

nobody cares, that's why. It says "for the fans" on the movie poster, but how many of those she has anymore..? Not even enough to fill movie theatres apparently. she's done for good!

The chorus is… well a bit annoying. My least favourite of the songs released so far.

The Eras Tour was basically Taylor's Teenage Dream: untouchable and almost impossible to imagine ending. Then Showgirl arrives… still doing huge numbers, but with a much weaker critical response and a fandom that suddenly seems a lot more sceptical of Taylor's work. Even the wedding has added to the more critical conversation around her image and celebrity status. Prism wasn't a flop either. It was a commercially succesful album that came immediately before Katy's narrative completely changed. So is Showgirl Taylor's Prism in a way? Could we be one underwhelming era away from the swifties getting their very own Witness?

I think her image is just tarnished beyond repair. Going into the 143 era, she was carrying the heavy weight of "flop baggage" from Witness and Smile. The GP gave her multiple chances, but they all led to disappointment. The GP doesn't see her as a serious artist. Collaborating with Dr. Luke was the final nail in the coffin.

Was it trying to escape Teenage Dream with Witness, only to spend the next decade trying to get back to it? Was it failing to capitalize on Never Really Over? Going full clown with Smile? Becoming more famous as an American Idol judge than as a recording artist? Or was the Peacock chanteuse really convinced that reuniting with Dr. Luke for 143 was the move? Considering her decade-long decline, which mistake actually did the most damage?

literally

I hope she got what she wanted

I love it

what

143 made it to my top 10 albums in 2024

Has anyone in pop had this kind of prolonged decline, where every era becomes progressively smaller than the last, and then managed to completely turn it around? Is it possible for Katy to have even a small bounce back, and what would it take? Discuss.

Katy spent 143 trying to recreate the big pop sound that made her a superstar. That didn't land. She followed it with Bandaids and Watch It Burn, which some people seem to agree are stronger songs, but they haven't changed the trajectory either. Considering the last Katy song that's close to universal acclaim (Never Really Over) was built around a Dagny interpolation, is the answer to her comeback right in front of us? Should she just call Dagny again? Is Dagny secretly the missing ingredient for a successful Katy comeback, or is it simply too late for any songwriter to reverse the "post peak flop artist" narrative? Discuss.

that's it???

On the one hand, 143 arguably cemented every negative narrative around Katy and turned her into an internet punchline. On the other hand, did it actually reset expectations? It feels like people are judging Watch It Burn on its own merits instead of expecting another Teenage Dream. Would Katy be in a better place today if 143 had never happened, or did she need to hit rock bottom before people were willing to give her another chance? Discuss.