parallels There are some great moments amidst the synths, especially with the vocal harmonies in songs like “So Long, London” and “I Can't Fix Him (No Really I Can)”. But some of the similarity also comes from the melodies and rhythms which are beginning to sound very familiar. What particularly sticks out to me about this album is the way a steady verse melody gives way to a choppy pre-chorus or chorus that comes in two-syllable bursts, the way This happens in “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys”. ,” “Fresh Out the Slammer,” “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart,” “The Prophecy” and “The Bolter.”
When Swift started using that device, it brought some fresh hip-hop percussion to the songwriting, which was rooted in country. But this is now standard practice for Swift and its many emulators. Swift has produced 11 albums and countless bonus tracks over her recording career, so it's hard for her to avoid echoes of her past. In particular, the songs towards the end of this album start out sounding like outtakes from “Folklore”, beautiful as they are. But no one is forcing them to put 31 songs in an album.
GANZ It's too much, John, and for the first time in a while, listeners and critics are having an honest conversation about it. Being a fan in the stan (or superfan) era has come to mean explicit support, with no room for criticism or questioning of any kind. The moment of the “tortured poets” is an interesting test – it has opened the door to debate and perhaps humanized Swift once again in the process. It's been interesting to think about this album in contrast to Beyoncé's supersized latest release, “Cowboy Carter,” which is the exact opposite in almost every way, even though she's also the curator of a passionate fan base. (She's also eight years older.) In such a difficult moment in the world, Swift's attention has grown exponentially. There may be comfort and security in this for both performer and listener, but it only strengthens that parasocial relationship.
zoladz To quote a phrase from Ben's point about fans and the streaming economy, this sounds like an album designed for his top 5 percent of listeners – the ride-or-die ones who will defend his every move and Will keep an eye on his every lyrical clue. Everyone else is overall either surprised or disappointed by it. But Swift is someone who thrives on feeling underappreciated and misunderstood, so perhaps this album's mixed reception will be the creative rocket fuel that launches her into her next era. Only time will tell whether “Tortured Poets” represents a turning point in the cultural narrative about Swift, or whether the mixed reception will be overshadowed by her next inevitable triumph. Appropriately enough, one of the two albums she left to re-record is “Reputation”, a challenging album she made at a time when her approval ratings had declined somewhat. Suffice it to say, I think we're ready for it again.
