Thanks ladies, glad I'm not the only one that goes on the rollercoaster. At the beginning I'm overwhelmed with the number of songs, feel like they all sound the same and can't connect to anything. I'm 4-5 listens in now and hooked on certain songs. Did not expect so much Matty but do believe Midnight's is the Joe break up album so maybe it's not a surprise?! Love her scathing lines even if they are at the fans!
It was definitely a rollercoaster. It reminds me (Natasha!) a bit of Evermore - I was so overwhelmed with that at first because I was still digesting folklore, and it took me a while to take it in but now it's one of my favourites. I definitely feel a lot more connected to this than Midnights. And we all have differing opinions on the breakup but having been in a relationship that was slightly similar to the Joe one, I feel like it sometimes takes years of doubts and sadness to get to the end point. So I really believe she's been writing about that breakup since Folklore/Evermore (and definitely some of the problems on Lover too). In my experience with those sorts of relationships it takes SO LONG to even admit to yourself it's over, so by the time it ends there's not much more to think or say. That's why it makes total sense to me that she doesn't delve into it again here. Love the scathing lines too! Current fave is 'You said normal girls were boring / But you were gone by the morning'
So glad I found this Substack! This album started out for me like ehhh the first listen, then second listen I liked it more and third I liked it a lot more. Some songs I realllly like a lot such as The Prophecy, Who’s Afraid, Fresh out the Slammer for the vibes, The Alchemy and The Manuscript. I also really like Down Bad. Anyway, I am going to Eras in Amsterdam and really hoping she doesn’t cut the surprise songs for TTPD but does cut some of the other sections a bit - agree that the vibes of The Archer match some of the vibes of these sounds so a swap would work there. Will be interesting!!
We're so glad you're here - thank you for reading! It's Natasha here and I just wanted to say thank you for joining me in my The Prophecy fanclub!! I am obsessed with this song in a big, big way and have been boring the other Swiftian Theory members with my love for it. It's so vulnerable it made me gasp. I love the lyrics and the sound and rhythm of it. And the way she's unafraid to show her desperation. Also love Fresh out the slammer and the manuscript. The melody/music on the latter doesn't excite me as much as some of the others, but I love it as a closing song that cuts to the heart of these themes and ties everything together.
I LOVE 'The Prophecy'. She just bares it all and doesn't shy away from showing vulnerability; similar to The Manuscript whichs pov kind of feels meta but in a good reflective way.
Yes I’ve thought The Archer has a very similar sound! I also really like The Prophecy, The Alchemy and The Manuscript and I haven’t heard them mentioned much by others.
I too was overwhelmed at the sheer volume of work so now, after a quick listen to the whole, I’m approaching it as 2 albums. I’m just focusing on the songs in the initial release. And I’m in love!
This is my favorite Taylor album and for me it is a no-skip (though the Bolter is probably the weakest of the bunch in my opinion). I find her vulnerability and her rage to be so compelling. “Blood’s thick but nothing like a payroll” had me GASP. The last line and her voice breaking in the Black Dog gutted me.
Hot take but I think But Daddy I Love Him is about Travis: the Sarahs and Hannahs (lol) and the wine moms and Christian holier than thous weren’t bothered when she was dating Matty, (only the terminally online people on Twitter were). But that crowd did become pissed when she got together with killatrav. Also would not believe Scott Swift would ever come around on racist, troll, genuinely unpleasant Matty.
In conclusion I love this album and I love when Taylor feels safe enough to release authentic art
Bloods thick was SUCH A GOOD LINE yes! Also her voice in general on this- I think her vocals are only getting better (she will never be a big belter but her lower range is really giving here)
Definitely agree on the vocals. I love how you can hear more detail in them - like the breathlessness in So Long, London, or the way her voice slightly breaks in it and The Black Dog. And the final 'please' in The Prophecy
Oh wow - love that you are calling this as your favourite Taylor album already! It has very few skips for me, unlike Midnights, and I also adore The Black Dog. Always open to a hot take! That is one of the best songs on the album for me (BDILH). I've been seeing people saying it's an updated Love Story and I love that take too. Thanks so much for reading! We have a longer review dropping soon. Natasha x
I agree with your hot take; at least towards the end. And definitely because I can’t see her dad EVER deciding he loved Matty (especially given the short time that relationship was around the second time), but he obviously loves Travis. The bit where he was filming Travis for the Karma lyric change settled that for me.
So, I dunno. I’ll stand and wave the Travis! banner with you lol.
I'm so glad to find others talking about this - I think I'm on listen four or five now and I'm definitely beginning to find my favourites tracks. I think I'm still with Kate that the first three felt a bit wearying at first, and Satu on that I found the extreme length initially overwhelming. Musically I love the way that So Long, London peels like the most mournful church bells, and I also love Florida, Who's Afraid of Little Old Me? and I Can Do It With a Broken Heart. It didn't hit me the way Folklore did - that immediate, electric connection - but lots of the tracks have grown on me. I kinda think an editor would go through and cut it down to 20 and it would be stronger overall, but I get that that's not really the point...
Also today I've finally been reading the reviews and headlines and it's so interesting to me to see the praise and criticisms - especially some of the ones that are almost certainly the exact 'sanctimonious soliloquy' shenanigans that TS is pushing back against. It's amazing how irate some people seem to be over tiny little phrases or word choices, also how many mainstream outlets seem to have gone with headlines that are designed to get outrage clicks.
The mainstream reviews always surprise me. Some reviewers picked out some of the songs that are skips for me as the best on the album, and thought my favourites were terrible. I also think a lot of criticism focuses on people's desire for her to tread new ground, do new things, work with new people. I want this too. But I really feel for this album se was in a raw place and wanted to work with close friends she had a shorthand with and wouldn't need to over-explain her position to. Agree that So Long, London is painfully beautiful. Thank you so much for reading - and we have a longer review coming soon once the dust has settled!
I have SO many theories about what songs are Matty Healy in past albums as they're all ones I, as someone with an unrequited love, would listen to and relate to. Definitely Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince.
I also think she's being kind to Joe, and it shows her love and respect for him that she's not written the album about him, rather than what people are saying it's because she doesn't care. She knows her fans will go after whoever the album is about and knows Matty will handle that pressure better than Joe can.
I, too, just love angry Taylor. I'm really enjoying listening to mad woman and then the smallest man that ever lived in a row, also the song with all the names followed by Maroon. Just love a Taylor back to back song combo (if you ever want a guest post on this!!! Please!!!!)
Ooh that's such an interesting read on Miss Americana! It definitely feels like she's being kind to Joe (at the same time as being angry). She's nodded to his depression so I wonder if being cruel to him might've felt like punching down in light of that. I don't necessarily think it's that she feels matty will handle the pressure more, I think she's just mad as hell! The abruptness of the ending was clearly devastating to her and I think that gave her permission to write some of the best burns in taylor history. And noted, thank you! XX
About the song Cassandra: it reminds me so much of the book we read in high school called "Kassandra" by Christa Wolf. Both show the more vulnerable side of the mythological figure Cassandra and her ill-fate while also grieving the distrust experienced but moving forward and accepting her fate. If the book wasn't so unknown, I would have guessed that Taylor took inspiration from it, the similarities are just that good.
Thanks ladies, glad I'm not the only one that goes on the rollercoaster. At the beginning I'm overwhelmed with the number of songs, feel like they all sound the same and can't connect to anything. I'm 4-5 listens in now and hooked on certain songs. Did not expect so much Matty but do believe Midnight's is the Joe break up album so maybe it's not a surprise?! Love her scathing lines even if they are at the fans!
It was definitely a rollercoaster. It reminds me (Natasha!) a bit of Evermore - I was so overwhelmed with that at first because I was still digesting folklore, and it took me a while to take it in but now it's one of my favourites. I definitely feel a lot more connected to this than Midnights. And we all have differing opinions on the breakup but having been in a relationship that was slightly similar to the Joe one, I feel like it sometimes takes years of doubts and sadness to get to the end point. So I really believe she's been writing about that breakup since Folklore/Evermore (and definitely some of the problems on Lover too). In my experience with those sorts of relationships it takes SO LONG to even admit to yourself it's over, so by the time it ends there's not much more to think or say. That's why it makes total sense to me that she doesn't delve into it again here. Love the scathing lines too! Current fave is 'You said normal girls were boring / But you were gone by the morning'
So glad I found this Substack! This album started out for me like ehhh the first listen, then second listen I liked it more and third I liked it a lot more. Some songs I realllly like a lot such as The Prophecy, Who’s Afraid, Fresh out the Slammer for the vibes, The Alchemy and The Manuscript. I also really like Down Bad. Anyway, I am going to Eras in Amsterdam and really hoping she doesn’t cut the surprise songs for TTPD but does cut some of the other sections a bit - agree that the vibes of The Archer match some of the vibes of these sounds so a swap would work there. Will be interesting!!
We're so glad you're here - thank you for reading! It's Natasha here and I just wanted to say thank you for joining me in my The Prophecy fanclub!! I am obsessed with this song in a big, big way and have been boring the other Swiftian Theory members with my love for it. It's so vulnerable it made me gasp. I love the lyrics and the sound and rhythm of it. And the way she's unafraid to show her desperation. Also love Fresh out the slammer and the manuscript. The melody/music on the latter doesn't excite me as much as some of the others, but I love it as a closing song that cuts to the heart of these themes and ties everything together.
I LOVE 'The Prophecy'. She just bares it all and doesn't shy away from showing vulnerability; similar to The Manuscript whichs pov kind of feels meta but in a good reflective way.
Yes yes to all!!!!
Yes I’ve thought The Archer has a very similar sound! I also really like The Prophecy, The Alchemy and The Manuscript and I haven’t heard them mentioned much by others.
I too was overwhelmed at the sheer volume of work so now, after a quick listen to the whole, I’m approaching it as 2 albums. I’m just focusing on the songs in the initial release. And I’m in love!
I (natasha) really wish she'd split it into two albums! But I think like you I'm starting to do that myself. And totally in love too!
This is my favorite Taylor album and for me it is a no-skip (though the Bolter is probably the weakest of the bunch in my opinion). I find her vulnerability and her rage to be so compelling. “Blood’s thick but nothing like a payroll” had me GASP. The last line and her voice breaking in the Black Dog gutted me.
Hot take but I think But Daddy I Love Him is about Travis: the Sarahs and Hannahs (lol) and the wine moms and Christian holier than thous weren’t bothered when she was dating Matty, (only the terminally online people on Twitter were). But that crowd did become pissed when she got together with killatrav. Also would not believe Scott Swift would ever come around on racist, troll, genuinely unpleasant Matty.
In conclusion I love this album and I love when Taylor feels safe enough to release authentic art
Bloods thick was SUCH A GOOD LINE yes! Also her voice in general on this- I think her vocals are only getting better (she will never be a big belter but her lower range is really giving here)
Definitely agree on the vocals. I love how you can hear more detail in them - like the breathlessness in So Long, London, or the way her voice slightly breaks in it and The Black Dog. And the final 'please' in The Prophecy
Oh wow - love that you are calling this as your favourite Taylor album already! It has very few skips for me, unlike Midnights, and I also adore The Black Dog. Always open to a hot take! That is one of the best songs on the album for me (BDILH). I've been seeing people saying it's an updated Love Story and I love that take too. Thanks so much for reading! We have a longer review dropping soon. Natasha x
I agree with your hot take; at least towards the end. And definitely because I can’t see her dad EVER deciding he loved Matty (especially given the short time that relationship was around the second time), but he obviously loves Travis. The bit where he was filming Travis for the Karma lyric change settled that for me.
So, I dunno. I’ll stand and wave the Travis! banner with you lol.
I'm so glad to find others talking about this - I think I'm on listen four or five now and I'm definitely beginning to find my favourites tracks. I think I'm still with Kate that the first three felt a bit wearying at first, and Satu on that I found the extreme length initially overwhelming. Musically I love the way that So Long, London peels like the most mournful church bells, and I also love Florida, Who's Afraid of Little Old Me? and I Can Do It With a Broken Heart. It didn't hit me the way Folklore did - that immediate, electric connection - but lots of the tracks have grown on me. I kinda think an editor would go through and cut it down to 20 and it would be stronger overall, but I get that that's not really the point...
Also today I've finally been reading the reviews and headlines and it's so interesting to me to see the praise and criticisms - especially some of the ones that are almost certainly the exact 'sanctimonious soliloquy' shenanigans that TS is pushing back against. It's amazing how irate some people seem to be over tiny little phrases or word choices, also how many mainstream outlets seem to have gone with headlines that are designed to get outrage clicks.
The mainstream reviews always surprise me. Some reviewers picked out some of the songs that are skips for me as the best on the album, and thought my favourites were terrible. I also think a lot of criticism focuses on people's desire for her to tread new ground, do new things, work with new people. I want this too. But I really feel for this album se was in a raw place and wanted to work with close friends she had a shorthand with and wouldn't need to over-explain her position to. Agree that So Long, London is painfully beautiful. Thank you so much for reading - and we have a longer review coming soon once the dust has settled!
I have SO many theories about what songs are Matty Healy in past albums as they're all ones I, as someone with an unrequited love, would listen to and relate to. Definitely Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince.
I also think she's being kind to Joe, and it shows her love and respect for him that she's not written the album about him, rather than what people are saying it's because she doesn't care. She knows her fans will go after whoever the album is about and knows Matty will handle that pressure better than Joe can.
I, too, just love angry Taylor. I'm really enjoying listening to mad woman and then the smallest man that ever lived in a row, also the song with all the names followed by Maroon. Just love a Taylor back to back song combo (if you ever want a guest post on this!!! Please!!!!)
Ooh that's such an interesting read on Miss Americana! It definitely feels like she's being kind to Joe (at the same time as being angry). She's nodded to his depression so I wonder if being cruel to him might've felt like punching down in light of that. I don't necessarily think it's that she feels matty will handle the pressure more, I think she's just mad as hell! The abruptness of the ending was clearly devastating to her and I think that gave her permission to write some of the best burns in taylor history. And noted, thank you! XX
The Maroon connection she makes here is so delicious!
About the song Cassandra: it reminds me so much of the book we read in high school called "Kassandra" by Christa Wolf. Both show the more vulnerable side of the mythological figure Cassandra and her ill-fate while also grieving the distrust experienced but moving forward and accepting her fate. If the book wasn't so unknown, I would have guessed that Taylor took inspiration from it, the similarities are just that good.
So interesting....and you never know!