Did Taylor Swift Fall Off? "Tortured Poets Department" analysis
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- čas přidán 12. 06. 2024
- Why has this album not "it" for so many? What is it about besides disappointing Englishmen? Is there a hit? What have we done to this woman?
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AVAA
I’m in my 40s and this album hit me like a freight train, in the best way. I feel like it’s such a mid-life crisis album in an amazing way!! I related to so much of the lyrics, even though I’ve been married for 21 years! Even in a committed (& overall happy) relationship, you even go through periods where you two are on the same page and it’s amazing, then times where you feel resentful and taken for granted. (I almost cried during the “drill the safe” image, it’s perfect.) There are also times you feel like 16 year old inside, ready to “floor in through the fences.” There are times you wonder where that “cosmic love” went.
I guess you need some mileage to appreciate a lot of these songs 😂
As for “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me,” Swift revealed that she wrote the tune “alone, sitting at the piano in one of those moments when I felt bitter about just all the things we do to our artists as a society and as a culture.”
“There’s a lot about this particular concept on ‘The Tortured Poets Department,'” she added. “What do we do to our writers, and our artists, and our creatives? We put them through hell. We watch what they create, then we judge it. We love to watch artists in pain, often to the point where I think sometimes as a society we provoke that pain and we just watch what happens.”
I missed this, where did she say this? Was it on one of the streaming platforms?
What she describes isn't hell, just the trials and tribulations of life. Humans judge each other for all kinds of things, what artists go through really isn't that different then what everyone goes through. And as much as there is judgment, at least for them there is more love and support.
Yes! Totally agree with this too!! So much commentary on what it feels like to be her, at this moment in time.
@@sandygonsalves4646that’s true, too. I feel like it’s ok though, because she’s expressing things we all go through and that’s why it’s impactful for a lot of us. This particular song hit me as a mom who has stayed home for a lot of that time. I felt like it captured the images of being caged, taken for granted, but maybe I’m still powerful inside after all.
I think it’s ok to love her music, feel sorry for her and also feel a little resentful of how much she has and how privileged she is. She isn’t god and it’s fine to have critiques about the flaws and problems people create.
@@sandygonsalves4646 that’s specially not true for female celebrities. They get constant death and rape threats, their bodies are constantly scrutinized, their lives are a constant stream of “is she pregnant? anorexic? wrinkles? ew, old and gross!”.
When they are getting started it’s constant sexual harassment from producers and label executives, with the promise that ~maybe~ one day they could make it.
They are rich, which does offset a lot of the trials and tribulations us mortals go through, but their lives are by no means easy. It’s not a coincidence that a significant portion of great artist end up addicted to something, institutionalized or committing suicide
AVAA Skye! Selfishly I am so happy you have found Taylor Swift because you speak so well. You’re excellent at pointing out themes, mentioning criticisms without overly ripping apart the concepts, being complementary without being saccharine, and calling out the people who deserve to be called out. You vocalize many of my thoughts so well. As I have listened I’ve become so much more entranced by what Taylor is doing on this album and for me she has done it yet again. Although I’m in my late 20s so I may relate to these songs more than teens.
AVAA
As a Taylor fan I really appreciate your analysis videos. Even when I disagree with what you say, I still respect it. But I’m just really glad that you see the brilliance of this album that a lot of people are failing to see or choosing to ignorantly not understand. It is frustrating for me because I became a fan of Taylor because of her writing and her poetry. I know I am bias but I do try to keep a level head and look at her work outside of that. And I don’t think every album is a masterpiece, even when I love it. But this album is probably her most real album. I really appreciate your view on the tricks of this album because I kind of wanted to scream “Yes! Thank you. He gets it!” Especially with The Tortured Poets Department. A lot of people don’t like it and just not understanding the point of it. But when I first heard that line “we’re just modern idiots” I got goosebumps because her using a simplistic word in that moment drives the point home. And it’s gratifying. I became a fan of her in 2006 and I’ve been one ever since. I’ve watched her go from unknown and turn into this “It” girl not once but twice. And it’s exhausting to watch and observe so I can’t imagine how exhausting it is to actually live it. She wraps it up all very well with Clara Bow. The Tortured Poets Department is the thesis and Clara Bow is the ending conclusion and summary analysis that pulls everything all together. And it’s a beautiful piece of art. And when everything is said and done her art is the legacy she will leave behind, not her image. Or at least that’s what she hopes and strives for.
AAVA :)
your video is making me feel so much better after seeing all the comments online about the album, i genuinely felt like i was listening to a different album. it cant be called 'bad' objectively, in any sense of the word according to me. it might not be for some people, like i acknowledge a lot of artists are not up my alley but i can still appreciate their art and talent. somehow i think online spaces are incapable of perceiving taylor swift (or her work) objectively, or separating her art from her persona. Music critics (reall famous ones) have mentioned swift's billionaire status and private jets on in their reviews and talked about how she couldnt possibly be tortured. maybe its a consequence of being so 'huge', "taylor swift' the popstars overshadows any and all opinions people might've had of her music.
thanks for being one space that is able to have nuanced conversations !
I LOVE that you said “stans” aren’t good for artists and that stans don’t live an artist, they love how they make them feel. YES! You articulated something perfectly that I’ve been feeling but couldn’t quite put into words. 👏👏👏 Subscribed. 😊
I think there is a misconception of people who say things like "we're not worthy" or "mother gifted us". for 99% of people who talk like that, its hyperbole. We dont actually think that shes above being human and making mistakes... its just a cultural mannerism to show over the top excitement for an artist we love. Sorry to people who think its annoying but its like a love language, dont take it so serious
Hey, I'm 66 and I agree with you.
I enjoy hearing the perspective of someone that had to look up "loml" instead of "rivulets" or "precocious". I'm getting concerned about the reading comprehension of some of these young swifties, but at least she's expanding their vocabulary.
Please... Most of us are not native English speakers. Why would I know what rivulets mean
@@Anna13Tonks teens and non native speakers absolutely get a pass. My problem is with 20 or 30 something native English speakers reviewing the album and they all need to look up every third word. I'm genuinely concerned that no one reads books anymore and the education system is failing their generation.
AVAA!!!
a taylor album release isn't complete without your review honestly.
my favorite thing about the album is that she's so aware of her fame and the pressures on her and she calls out everyone, finally. i truly think this is the most honest and vulnerable taylor has been
can't wait for your review on the second part of the album. i lovee the dessner songs
AVAA
I'm the same age as Taylor and you nearly convinced me that I must be 37 by the end of this video
*pretends to laugh*
Came here to say this. As someone 6 months older than her, when he said nearing 40, I was like “whoa, I’m not even 35 until June!!!! Back off!” Jokingly of course, but still. 😂
lol 😂 dont worry, to us old people, even 37 seems really young 😂
AVAA. Funny thing about the Bob Dylan comment is that TTPD really reminded me of Dylan's Blood on the Tracks in terms of its approach. Might be high praise but this album grows on me each hour I listen to it
Also, I love the bloke on the bench post-it 🤭
Bob Dylan's best known tracks were covers of Bon Dylan's songs. I have never heard a famous Bob Dylan performance.
edit to add AVAA and that ive seen all your analysis of Taylors albuns and i truly tought: oooh that french dude will like this album hahaha love your pov on Taylor work!
Im a swiftie for more than a decade and this is the most difficult album to digest. Not because is bad, but because it deals with so much dark feelings that you have to take time to breath. Especially when you are at a similar situation. I've saw many fans saying that they didnt like the album and my theory is that this album (as in aspect to the fans) are more for her older fans. Not because younger people cant understand it but the way se describes her feelings are waaaay more mature and show a wisdom that we dont see in Red for example. Im 3 years younger than Taylor and i see she describing people and feelings that only come with age. And thats why people tought it was repetitive or bad. Because they dont know what its ahead in regards of pain and suffering as we age. I havent listen to the second part yet bc since friday im processing the first album. I think its her more mature album to this date and people are just waiting to have an excuse to hate on her. And also: its a good reflection of the american school system when most people that criticize the lyrics dont fully understand them. English is my second language and im blown away sometimes about how people that speak english since they where born cant understand simple metaphors but i can.
Most definitely for her older fans, I’m in my 40s and this album feels like a true mid-life crisis in the best way. She seems too young to be going through this already, but I’ve learned she’s nothing if not precocious 🤣
I agree. I am a fan in my 40s and could relate to everything she was saying. Infact for those who say she is petty I will also say she is the most self aware artist that I know. The level of vulnerability she showed in this album was not flattering for her. To expose this much to create art is commendable. I can’t even confess some of the feelings she exposed to my friends much more strangers knowing the toxicity out there. It was like therapy for me
I think this album is not for everyone, and that's fine. But it's for me for sure haha
🤥
@@MB-ng9ciare you seriously calling people liars because they have a different opinion about subjective art? grow up
This album will not appeal to everyone, not even to some fans of Swift. Initially, after listening to Volume 1, I found that the tracks seemed indistinguishable and chaotic, and I was tired. But, revisiting the album with a clear mind made all the difference. The individual songs became more distinct, and I enjoyed it a lot more. This is a grower album that needs a good pair of headphones and some uninterrupted listening time to appreciate the soundscape and the creative choices made by Swift and her collaborators.
💯
This album took me 3 listens to love this album. And I love this album. But, I do think this album is for her, and probably her fans. I dont think this is a mainstream album, it’s going to be divisive. But, I love this album. I love the raw-ness, the vulnerability (it does take courage and faith to put yourself out there for the world), the story. I think fans will like this more than others. But, many will find this album to be wonderfully raw and truthful, and she needed to write it. These are really just a lot of poems set to music. I can’t see many young girls liking this album. But, I think it’s one of her best. But, I’m a fan and I get it.
It’s very different than anything she has made. It’s so vulnerable and raw. She didn’t have awards in mind, which song will make a #1 hit, or holding anything back. She said she NEEDED to write this album that it reminded her of why she needs to write songs. It was for her to heal we are just lucky to be able to listen to the masterpiece that it is.
I love this álbum
If you need "good headphones" and a strong cleansing of your palette, then is it really good music? Sure, good headphones can make you appreciate the details in the music, but hell, good music can sound good on tin can speakers. I admire what TS has managed to achieve, but this is a TRASH album, sorry.
Ooooh I cannot wait for Anthology review - I LOVE LOVE your reviews and I do love Anthology even more (and it’s even sadder 😢)
I like the lyric "a halfmoon is a fortnite" because I've never thought of it that way. 😅
AAVA! I was about to dismiss this new Taylor album but your video made me excited to listen to it. It's weird to witness the internet switching up on Taylor... AGAIN. Btw, you should check out Diamond Jubilee by Cindy Lee. It wasn't released on streaming platforms but you can listen on CZcams or purchase it, it is absolutely worth it! The songs have a very 60's girl group vibe but they're mixed with this crazy experimental guitar solos and a lo-fi feeling. Normally i'm not the biggest fan of double albums, but that one blew me away. (If you don't feel like listening to the whole 2 hours right away, just listen to the song "If you hear me crying" and you will be convinced, trust me)
Long time viewer of your channel. I looooved the video where you compare it to Princesse de Cleves. I’m French and an English major, we read that book in high school and I reread it recently several times thanks to you. French swifties still don’t want to read it, I’m absolutely awful at selling (sorry).
Your analysis are as a Swiftie THE BEST analysis of her albums. I think it’s my favorite one. I do think it needed polishing but it works so incredibly well. I can’t stop listening to it on a loop and I can’t wait for the concert on the 9th of May in Paris that is coming soon !
I love to hear it! It is not an easy book at first, but then it is so rewarding. Enjoy the concert !
I get what you mean about the "mother" thing, but at least every time I've seen/heard it, it's tongue-in-cheek. An affectionate nickname. Personally, it took me until about halfway through my first listen of the album to start liking it - I loved Florida immediately (and I was so relieved by it, because Taylor Swift features are really hit-or-miss IMO, and I love Florence so I'd have been really sad if it had been another Lana Del Rey or Dixie Chicks situation). After a few listens to all of them, I really like most of them.
I'm not surprised that this is such a hit or miss album for people because like she said, this was an album she had to write to process her own feelings, so it's not really for the audience at all, IMO. Most fans will like it, even if they can't relate to it, either because they value the insight into her life or because they like having so much lyrical content to chew on. Or both, of course. I'm very unsurprised that a lot of teenagers don't like it, because it all feels way more adult to me than anything else she's made. Not that other albums haven't been talking about adult situations, but most of them have been talking about them in a way that much younger people could still relate to.
AVAA. Really loved your analysis. You always have interesting thoughts. I kinda wanna write a whole paragraph about my thoughts but now I'm just so filled I gotta think about the album more... Maybe I'll come back
love the long comments and happy to have them
Your commentary on the disparity between her and Travis' mental capacity is touched upon in the second half. She says "you know how to play ball, ans I know Aristotle"
I saw someone compare this line to Avril Lavigne’s “he was a punk, she did ballet”, it’s more about their different interests, lives, and skills than mental capacity. She also says “I'll drink what you think and I'm high from smoking your jokes all damn night” so she enjoys hearing his thoughts and he’s funny as hell.
She's been dating all these pretentious artsy guys, but maybe she's learning to value emotional intelligence... knowing how to treat someone.
@@beththompson417 yes! and he seems to have it in spades as does she!
AVAA! it was probably the best music review video i ever watched. your way of speaking is fascinating, especially when you realise that you never edited that video. it was interesting, unbiased(!) and funny. really loved this, i’m excited to watch more of your work)
This album took me 3 listens to love this album. And I love this album. But, I do think this album is for her, and probably her fans. I dont think this is a mainstream album, it’s going to be divisive. But, I love this album. I love the raw-ness, the vulnerability (it does take courage and faith to put yourself out there for the world), the story. I think fans will like this more than others. But, many will find this album to be wonderfully raw and truthful, and she needed to write it. These are really just a lot of poems set to music. I can’t see many young girls liking this album. But, I think it’s one of her best. But, I’m a fan and I get it.
I personally believe this is her greatest album EVER. Her magnum opus. And who does that!? Who makes their greatest work 20 years into their career? No one. And I've been around since the beginning. I was an older teen when she first came out with Tim McGraw. 2008 we went to the country stampede in Manhattan Kansas. I actually lost interest when she went pop like 1989. Came back around for folklore and midnights and then got to evermore. Anyways, artistically this is her best 🌟. Also, the lore in this album is awesome and so fun to go through like a puzzle. Then the 1975, with arguably the other great millennial songwriter Matty Healy, influence makes it even better.
Quote from Taylor Swift:
“The fact that the fans have done this like, breaking of the records & going out to the stores & getting it. I’m 32, so we’re considered geriatric pop stars. They start putting us out to pasture at age 25.”
AAVA. I love the layers of your videos. I dont often watch 1 hour long ones. The cultural analysis is really very interesting. A lot of things ive pondered about myself. I think how we react to the phenomenon of Taylor Swift says a lot about how we view modern society and its inner workings
This is my favourite TS album. She’s really breaking down some walls here and I mean storytelling wise.
I was waiting for this! Can't wait to hear what you have to say or if I'm crazy for actually really liking this record 😅
I feel personally I'm in the place that you (and others) said "Midnights" was your favourite Taylor Swift record and I was like "it's alright but it's not better than 'evermore' or 'folklore' or even 'Lover'" lol. On first listen though, the original version of this new album was immediately number two behind "folklore" and then hearing the second half put it over the edge. "TTPD" is my favourite Taylor album and I fully accept being in the minority on that opinion lol
yess exacty. 100% with u
Getting better with each listen. It’s very good, just suffers from a little bloat from being a double album (as all double albums do)
@@RhubarbRehab it's funny 'cause I'm usually the person saying her albums are too long and she should cut lol
I love it. It's everything i wanted Midnights to be. The unhinged anger towards everything and everybody. The melodrama that is so characteristicn for when you're in your own head way too much. Perfection, no skips for me.
@kiroolioneaver8532 in the age of playlists and streaming i never unterstand this critique. My most hated song is someone else's favourite so why keep it in the vault when everyone can just pick what they want to listen to
I really appreciate thoughtful analysis even if it’s negative. All the debates over who the song is about and dramatic reactions feel predictable and shallow.
This album release cycle reminds me of the reception of 'reputation.' That album was panned by critics and alienating to even a lot of her own fans, but over time it came to garner a quasi- cult following (insofar as that's possible for one of our biggest pop stars), and now it's frequently cited as a favorite album for a huge swathe of her fans and non-fans.
TTPD is a behemoth. The production blends together, the track-lengths are long, the lyrics have moments of cringe-inducing confessionals and overly complicated "poetry," but taken as a whole, she does some of her very best writing on this album. I would compare this album most heavily to Evermore, which is her most obscure and challenging body of work until now. The metaphors are a little harder to digest, and the production blends together, BUT, it rewards listening deeply. I think this is an album that will reward those who give it time.
I'm not a stan. But this is a good album, and at times, even a great album. Despite the initial reception, I really do think this is an album that fans will be listening to and obsessing over 10 years from now, and even critics will come around (as they did with reputation).
To clarify, I think "But Daddy I Love Him" is a great example of what I mean by "cringe-inducing confessionals." It's embarrassing for a 34-year-old woman to admit to this level of petulance, and yes, cringey, but it's also part of what makes this album so special. She's not flinching away from sharing the uglier parts of her psychology. Sometimes a 34-year-old woman feels like a petulant teenager, and as a 31-year-old woman, I appreciate that she released this song now even though it sounds like it belongs on Speak Now.
AVAA. The poem "In Summation" by T. Swift really rounds up the album themes and gives a very nice perspective for it. I really recommend it to see her vision.
I'm surprised to see you now covering lesser-known artists like Taylor Swift on your channel.
Lesser-known artists like Taylor Swift??? Seriously???
They were being sarcastic
@@jasminbreakingbadwalkingde4614 Since I don't know this person, they failed to come across as sarcastic as far as I am concerned, a LOL would be a clue they were.
The album is brilliant and she is a genius.. end of story!
@Violet316 let me guess, you're "on the spectrum" and use it as an excuse for your poor communication skills
AVAA. I was looking forward to your reaction to this album. They are always so insightful!
YESSS LETS GOOOO i’ve been waiting for thissss
New subscriber here but I will give you an AAVA. You put into words exactly why I did not know how to feel about this album (and I have been a Swift fan for over a decade).
AVAA. THANK YOUUUU for being the only person I’ve seen outside of fan spaces talk about the inherent irony/juxtaposition in the phrase ‘tortured poet’s department’ I’m sick and tired of seeing people who don’t give her enough credit insult her intelligence by thinking she’s being serious. With the ‘one helluva drug line’ though, I don’t think she was referring Chappelle’s Show directly, but rather referring to how the phrase has been taken from that show and is now widely used as a lazy/empty joke- I think she’s leaning into the deadbeat/laconic vibe with the emptiness of that line.
I don’t have any really deep thoughts about Taylor Swift or this album, I’m just always excited to see you do a deep dive on an event record like this. AVAA! 👏👏👏
Not you calling LOML as 'iomi' lol 😭. Great video btw. I didn't like the album when i heard it for the first time but it grew on me in the second listen only but i kind of knew that this is not going to be well received by a lot of people, specially the standard album
Made me cry..reminded me of the times I thought I was in love and was treated badly and became broken hearted..thought those feelings were behind me but turns out they were just buried...in other words, I feel her pain.
Love listening to you and your opinions and takes on Taylor's works. Thank you for this, I truly appreciate you and your wisdom.
Closing track “Clara Bow” - whose namesake is an actress from the silent film era - is “a commentary on what I’ve seen in the industry that I’ve been in over time,” Swift revealed to Amazon Music.
“I used to sit in record labels trying to get a record deal when I was a little kid,” she said. “And they’d say, ‘You know, you remind us of…’ and then they’d name an artist, and then they’d kind of say something disparaging about her, ‘But you’re this, you’re so much better in this way or that way.’ “
“And that’s how we teach women to see themselves, as, like, ‘You could be the new replacement for this woman who’s done something great before you.’”
So, when deciding who to name-drop in the “The Lucky One”-esque tune (Stevie Nicks, Bow and Swift herself), the singer said she “picked women who have done great things in the past and have been these archetypes of greatness in the entertainment industry.”
Clara Bow, Swift noted, “was the first ‘it girl,’” while “Stevie Nicks is an icon and an incredible example for anyone who wants to write songs and make music.”
I haven't listened to the whole Tyler swift album but I felt some similarities to Mr. Morale with their ideas about the expectations put on artists and their dehumanizing effects. I think the main difference is that Kendrick focuses on the spiritual battle where Taylor gravitates towards relatability, translating these inherently alienating experiences into songs fans can see themselves in
damn, that is a great point. I should have picked that up. I'm totally going to say that on my next video and will give you credit.
I don't see how fans can identify with the alienating problems of a celebrity, solely from ignorance or naivety.
@@gerardovazquez6441I mean… okay she usually translates it through the lense of small town gossip, which is probably the closest thing regular people will get to understanding what it’s like to be a celebrity. You see it a lot in But Daddy I Love Him where most of the references to fans are in the guise of suburban stereotypes, like whine aunts and such. It’s in a similar wheelhouse to champagne problems in that regard. Basically everyone deals with judgement and scrutiny whether from neighbors or friends or family so there are avenues to portray that
@@ArgoBargo I can understand that young people identify with her breakup songs or that they accompany her in her project of victimization, but to think that a celebrity is a person identical to you is to force reality too much.
AVAA
OH you've got me thinking on that interpretation you had of "Florida!!!". I'm going to have to have a re read of those lyrics. I thought it was simply a metaphor of going somewhere/Florida temporarily to escape something but I'm wondering if you're right and it's one layer deeper that that's a metaphor for cocaine. By all accounts, Matty wrestles with substance abuse issues.
Always loveeee your reviews
Love from brazil 🇧🇷 ❤
Ttpd was an instant favorite of mine. Midnights had to grow on me, but something about ttpd immediately clicked with me.
avaa
She's in her no f***s given era. Being subtle, chaotic, nerdy, wild, unabashedly. Showing they've not sucked her dry, she's not wasted her youth, she's who she always has been, and a woman truly alive is dangerous and beautiful.
AVAA. I Loved your review. 60 year old new to Taylor Swift this past year. Loving this Journey due to the storytelling in her last albums. I cant believe how many talk so negative about her....I so appreciate her newer nusic. I cant wait to see if you do another video on the second album. 😊 (loved the Pig Fucker statement!!!)
AVAA - Thanks for this!
I provided your two posts to another person who did an analysis that needs to hear your comments.
AVAA! I always admire your reviews!
I'm not "Swiftie" per se, but I love her as a person and have liked some of her songs, and I was curious, so I listened to the entire album. Is it great? No. Is it good? Yes. Are there some great songs on it? Absolutely! That being said, she is a fantastic writer, and I can't get Fortnight out of my head. Also, if you haven't seen the CMT Crossroads she did with Def Leppard, check it out!
Loved the internet history section and the thoughtful analysis as always
I feel like "Florida" is actually a reference to the rebound relationship guy - intoxicating, extreme,
"The city reeks of driving myself crazy" ties in with all the references to imagined/nostalgic thoughts of what the relationship would be. "Your home is a town you're just a guest in" because she thought it would be this epic long term love but it was very temporary.
to me this is an album about grown up pain and she tells it so well.
AVAA. Fun fact about Down Bad Taylor describes it as an alien abduction. She spoke about it on iHeart radio and here is the rough translation: “The songs on The Tortured Poets Department deal with the idea of heartbreak or loss in a metaphor of something else. The metaphor in Down Bad is that I was comparing sort of the idea of being, you know, like love bombed where someone rocks your world and dazzles you and then just kind of abandons you as an alien abduction, where you were abducted by aliens but you wanted, like, this girl was abducted by aliens but she wanted to stay with them. And then when they drop her back off in her home town, she’s like, “Wait, no, where are you going, I liked it there! It was weird but it was cool. Come back!” And so the girl in the song felt like “I’ve just been exposed to a whole different galaxy and universe and didn’t know it was possible, how could you just put me back where I was before?”
This just reinforce the Doctor Who reference … show her the universe and then leave her alone in her old life
AVAA! OMG! The correlation between Doctor Who and Down Bad blew my mind! Particularly in the Case of Donna Noble (Doctor Who companion) during the David Tennant era. Her story is especially tragic because she experiences so much character growth and development in her time with the Doctor but has her memories wiped when he returns her to "where she came from." So he not only physically returns her to her hometown, but he steals all that growth and development from her. I cry every time I watch it. Now I have to wonder if Taylor is a Whovian. How awesome is that!? Absolutely LOVE your analysis and look forward to more videos. I'd contribute to your patreon, but I am poor LOL
AAVA! So much to unpack here. I am a 60+ yr old who has been a fan since debut. I have watched the entire evolution of her music, her brand, the media/public’s and fan’s reactions to what she does (instead of focusing on her music); and inevitably, all her muses (mostly male, but her friend’s or other experiences as well.). But first, I agree that the fans are spoiled. Secondly, this was the first time she really said FU to a lot of her fanbase for thinking they have a right to tell her who she could and couldn’t have in her life (not just relationships but friendships too) so I have seen a lot of fans get mad about it and won’t own their role. Third, she wrote what she wanted, what she felt, versus trying to write for commercial success and radio play (she has repeatedly said this was the album she just had to write). 4) there is a lot of vulnerability on this and she trusts Jack & Aaron to hold her hurt and feelings carefully when producing these… she trusts them to keep her secrets and just help her express her feelings. 5) agree that it is really just a cathartic album for her versus giving happy songs because fans want that which is probably another reason some fans struggle with liking it… a lot of down songs. So much more…. I could have a long discussion with you about her role in pop music, the evolution of her brand and of course the lyrics… for days and days… Great video as always… can’t wait to watch The Anthology (which I feel are the songs that didn’t make the main album, no major standouts but is ‘sounds’ beautiful - I get lost in the sound (the guitar work!).
Thank you Sir, I really appreciate your pov! While I really appreciate some stans like Emily & Bonnie from Chats & Reacts Utube channel. They are really great to listen to. You gave a very fair non-spoiled non - crazy opinion. You’re 100% totally right.
AVAA new subscriber, TTPD album Striped down to the raw bone her life and our modern society laid bare, finally we are listening to the real TS not what’s expected by all, about time. Loved it!
I think a lot of the times people ( specially fans and/or stans) forget that they don´t own the artist and that they put out their art for themselves as much as they do it for their public; you can like, vibe, identfy with it or not, and that is fine, but just because something might not be for you, it doesn´t mean that it´s bad or that the artist lost their touch. I´ve seen a few folks saying they are swifties but they dislike the album and that they want the more pop stuff... just like you don´t own Taylor, she doesn´t owe you anything.
Omg, as i was listening to this vid i was like: sooo many truths in just one video
AAVA! I loved this album. I never thought she would write something better than folklore but this is becoming my favourite album the more I listen to it the more I love it. I started listening to her in 2008, that's when Debut was released in Africa. When she turned pop that threw me off but I liked it enough to listen to it so 1989 and Reputation were not my favourite albums. Lover I enjoyed but folklore!!! I was hooked once more because I obssess over the lyrics and how they make me feel. I loved these songs where I need to sit down and try disect what story she is trying to tell, and not about her life but about the story teller. I feel like she did it again with this album but deeper. I think maybe people don't understand it? Its heavy, its loaded and definetly not something you can go through in one sitting for the first time. The album is about a manic episode that the writer goes through after a devastating break up so I love the chaos mixed with the brilliant lyrics. Florida was one of my favourites because it was a necessary pick me up lol. I also loved that there were no huge singles, very obvious that this was made to let it out. Also in general I feel like her singles tend to be very poppy and not her actual good work
Best review/commentary of the album I’ve seen thus far!
Finally! Some intelligent content. This album is mature, vulnerable, real and thought provoking. You could print the lyrics and put them in a book. Taylor did this album for HERSELF, she said she had to do it. Good for her!!!
Travis is a big boy., and I imagine he’s not threatened by her exes. He says he respects her work. His mother listened to the album and said it made her cry.
AVAA! Incredibly insightful as always
AVAA. Touché, Skye, touché. As always, people are relentlessly and petulantly imposing their OWN hate on an artist who just simply drops an album. I’m a Swiftie and I’m so tired of Swifties or non-Swifties so concentrating on the *tea* (ugh I hate that word) instead of focusing on the song itself. Joe this Matty that, GET A GRIP. People call others creep for looking into their personal lives, but entertaining themselves by putting celebrities’ personal lives under a freaking microscope.
I love your reviews
“Florida!!!” featuring Florence + the Machine is one of the rare songs on the album that doesn’t see Swift directly speaking of a former lover. Swift said the inspiration for this track actually came from “always watching ‘Dateline.'”
“People have these crimes that they commit; where do they immediately skip town and go to? They go to Florida,” the singer added. “They try to reinvent themselves, have a new identity, blend in. I think when you go through a heartbreak, there’s a part of you that thinks, ‘I want a new name. I want a new life. I don’t want anyone to know where I’ve been or know me at all.’ And so that was the jumping off point. Where would you go to reinvent yourself and blend in? Florida!”
AAVA
I can do it with a broken and Clara bow are my favorites on the standard edition for sure, i prefer the second half so looking forward to that. Also Taylor is 34, not that it matters but it felt like you said it so many times 😂
Appreciated your insights.
Very excited for the book recommendation!
AVAA, of course I know who Tommy Iommi is! They taught us about music history at my elementary school in Denmark (shout out to my english teacher)
This is her possibly best album but it’s for fans of Taylor or fans of good lyricism.
It’s raw and emotional
Thank you for ur balanced analysis. I think TTPD is a great album too and no, I don’t worship TS, I’m 56 and simply recognize something special when I see it 🤘
AVAA
You blew my mind with the anti-Romantic take! It pulls a few things together for me that I think I was intuiting about this album, but the thoughts hadn’t fully crystallized. Thank you!
Don’t know if you picked up on this particular lyrical parallel but, I think it’s an interesting one. In New Romantics (1989) there’s the lyric, “Please leave me stranded. It’s so romantic.” In Down Bad, she says:
“How dare you think it's romantic
Leaving me safe and stranded”
It’s one of a couple lyrical “revisions” I’ve picked up on so far. The other is that in Innocent (Speak Now) she wrote, “Who you are is not what you did”. In The Smallest Man, she writes, “But you are what you did.” The Taylor Swift Romantic/Anti-Romantic differentiation helped put those revisions/repudiations/whatever you want to call them, into context for me.
If you listen to this and go back to older albums you can hear the growth
This album is my favorite of hers. It’s amazing.
#AVAA once again you’ve done it, I thought my ignorance was profound when I didn’t listen to the album but your analysis is giving me second thoughts. Maybe
I dig the video. I've been listening to Taylor since 2010, and I'm not loving this album. I agree that there are two extremes, blind hate and blind praise regardless of what she does. I don't feel I belong in either one, though I have MOSTLY enjoyed all the music she has put out, some songs can definitely be duds.
However, I am part of the camp that feels we have reached a point of too much Antonoff (and perhaps Dessner to a lesser extent). Doesn't have to be permanently finished though. He's super talented and they have done great work together. You are right, together they have spoiled us, but I'm someone who feels new releases lose excitement and interest if you start doing the same thing too much, regardless of whether that thing is good or bad. I'm dying for more experimental songs from her like a few of them that we got on Ever/lore. Please give me a break from fresh strawberries and give me hot french fries 😂
My other major complaint is the volume of words/lyrics. I obviously think she is an awesome songwriter. But to me this sounds like her most wordy album to the point where at times she sounds less like she is singing a song for us, and is instead ranting. I can appreciate that due to the circumstances of her life, that she had a LOT she felt needed to get put on paper, but not all of it hits or necessarily helps the song. I'm happy if this is therapeutic for her but as a consumer, I still want a great song produced at the end of it. And there are some here for sure, but not most of them imo.
It's hard to blame her though. Her fanbase has convinced her that they want to read/hear every single thing that comes out of her so why not give them 30 verbose tracks with little to no restraint?
To be clear, I think there is a lot of great quality stuff on this album, but it's kind of mixed with too much that I don't think is great so it makes me not want to come back for further listens. But I'm open to that opinion changing over time and will be glad to say I was wrong.
Let's hope Fantano doesn't tear it apart too too much because I think I still like it more than him 😂
AVAA love the insight you bring to the discussion
When I was listening with my dad we came to similar conclusions. Basically I love that she’s really getting into the songwriting but sometimes the Melodies and ESPECIALLY antonoff’s production seem to get almost forgot about.
AVAA 😊 Great mug, perfect timing - donated so I could get mine and haven’t stopped using it since. 😉
I love that she stopped caring on this album - I really do. She wants everyone to shut the hell up and she couldn’t hold it in anymore. In May she’ll be back in those sequin boots with her perfect smile and power ranger stance and we can all yell “MORE!”
She clearly cares a lot though, that's what shocks me. She's so BRAVE to have released an album like this DESPITE caring so much about what everyone thinks and says about her. Honestly she's amazing.
OMG yes. I've been relating Down Bad to Doctor Who, specifically Rose and the Doctor since I first heard it, and I have seen nobody else connecting the two!
15 minutes in and i can tell i agree with this man on everything he has to say in this video.... well done, love from Iran
I loved the historian aspect of this video so much, revolutionary, keep oberving internet spaces in this manner. People calling others NPCs is the actual worst and i will never get it. I also explicitely thought while listening to this album that the mixing is one aspect thats actually great and i woulnt change anythjign about it. Although i do agree with one aspect of that criticism there. I get that taylor swift didnt make capitilism. But i still do think that it's valid criticism to her music that she seems to be very unaware about her place in the capitilist system, and that this lack of selfawareness can be annoying. Yes she has helped a lot of people and i absolutely agree with her gender being a huge part of why she is seen by the world the way she is, but I its hard for me to say that she is "just some women making music and helping people" because i think many of her lyrics normalize certain behavior that is just bad, like the line about telling your friend your going to end yourself when the other leaves for example. And also we cant forget about things like her carbon footprint or the way she uses white pseudo feminism in a way where she cant be critisized. AVAA
EDIT: but you are undeniably right. I should fight the oil companies. I should fight for environmental regulations, do i dont know.
your videos are very humbling every time, I will try to grow as a person.
Do you really think she is unaware of her place within capitalism? A fan died in Brazil for not allowing her to enter with her water bottle, do you want a bigger example of savage capitalism? Which pop artist better expresses the American Dream lifestyle than Taylor Swift?
@@gerardovazquez6441 wait im sorry i dont understand your point here /gen. Do you think she knows but just doesnt care or what
Hey, you have to read the lyrics of The Man carefully, which is nothing more than an unrestricted defense of the privileges of her class. She is not only a capitalist, but she is consciously proud of being one, the only thing she would want is for millionaire women to have the same licenses as alpha males, well, she has achieved it, she has the same impunity as Elon Musk. She is The man. This is neither bad nor good, there will be people who will love what she did with her power and there will be people who will hate her forever, but let's not pretend that she is not at the helm of the matter.
AVAA, I always love hearing opinions especially when the opinions of the art differ so heavily with my own interpretation.
I’m not sure about Tommy Iommi but I can confirm that Geezer Butler did go to the Eras Tour. He posted about it on Insta.
I really enjoyed listening to this, please can you review The prophecy?
People cannot critique the album without getting personal. Even a lot of the journalists. She is a great songwriter and there is a level of self awareness in this album that comes with maturity and age. I love it. Is it a classic - don’t think so. It is a great album though
I think the reason why a lot of the Swifties go overboard is that they are not only defending Taylor and her music, they are defending their right to like her and her music and the lines get blurred. A lot of the commentary out there on liking her music or her as an artist suggests that you are dumb, cannot appreciate good music and can only be in your teens or be a woman to be a fan.
Great video and you make very good points! Just an observation: being born the 13th December of 1989, Taylor Swift is 34 turning 35 at the end of the year. Doesn’t change the fact that how dare she being America’s sweetheart, however, I was correcting you “no she’s not 37, she’s 34!”. Apologies, I really had to.
PS LOVE THE MUG! And also, TTPD went straight to my top 3 of Taylor’s albums. Hope to hear your take on the 2nd part of the album!
AVAA, Aaron dessner is a fantastic producer choice here, but this album would be a million times better if his close friend sufjan stevens would have produced this album. I know that he doesn’t do that, but sufjan’s production would fit perfectly into the album’s general concept
I got the feels of Sufjan Stevens with songs like The Prophecy and So Long, London
I dont know how people can dislike this album, i can only assume they havent really listen to it.
Its a masterpiece, and i get marvelous how she can do that.
I didn’t love it at first but it’s definitely growing on me. Songwriting wise I definitely agree
People have preferences, doesnt mean it isnt well crafted
@@theelectricant98 of course, its just my opinion but i get it.
AVAA -- I believe people are struggling with this album because its the most nihilist and angry album. It was "supposed" to be Reputation but then Rep is half Rep half Lover really; a lot of that album is how love fixed her, how finding love and being a romantic is still an aspiration that can save her. Here we only have The Alchemy at the end, perhaps a kind of epilogue that tries to do the same, but the rest of the album is TRULY angry and hopeless. Even when she sings about love it's almost ironic (The title track, saying how they're not patti smith etc they're just idiots) and often sandwiched between two sharper takedowns of romance (Fortnight and My boy...). There is no resolution here, there's little hope; she loves love but often to the detriment of her sanity. I think it's one of her most honest and vulnerable albums to date. She also may not be an anti-hero but she's the most unlikable here (though I love that). She's fantasising about cheating, she says f u to the fans, she's actually angry in lil old me... Absolutely adored the album but it took me a while tbh, it's her hardest and densest project perhaps because of how confessional it is, unlike projects like folklore and evermore (which I also love)
AVAA. This album definitely requires multiple listens. Agree that not every song is on the same great level, but I get chills when I hear a great line. I had goosebumps for much of this. Not sure if it’s her best album ever, but it’s definitely up there for me.
I'm a big Taylor Swift fan and I think that this album is definitely not one of her better albums but it still has several nice songs on it including the title track and in spite of its tragic lyrics the sound of the album is extremely mellow and relaxing but this is definitely a very different type of Taylor Swift album I kind of like it so it took me a long time to get used to it I hope other people give the album a chance this is my bedtime album still looking forward to hearing the other 15 songs
The Alchemy gives me this reincarnation, fated lovers finding each other again vibe. When you hear it again and (even better) loud, the dreamy feel comes across more. She had just had a boyfriend who rumor says liked heroin a little too much, and this time she is his heroine. So I think that's where that came from, even though I didn't search out that little snippet of info.
TTPD is my favorite collection of prose set to music. Ever.
Edit: AVAA are you my spirit animal?
AVAA. I love this album-agree that Fortnight and Florida are the lesser tracks. Taylor saying he wasted her youth is from the female perspective of having a biological clock and wanting the relationship to progress and she apparently felt he strung her along.
I mean yeah. Even the regular old lower class income wise gal knows not to be in a relationship that long but to expect marriage at some point. 6 years and then being dumped is not smart. And yet this woman is supposed to be so intelligent and is absolutely loaded! No wonder she has such haunting music coming out these days.
I would listen to you all day.
Hi! 26:00 why would you get tired of “the formula” if it works. Serious question. I’m more into what she gets to fit into that “formula” that otherwise would be a poem or a confession