I'm more shocked that she let Matty Healy get to her that much. I thought it was a fling and she was having fun.

it's gotten so deranged that someone tweeted that being a swiftie in 2024 is like a jewish person during 1938...

I think the problem with the internet is that everything exists in hyperbole. you can’t just say you dislike something, you have to say “this is garbage” or “this is the worst thing i’ve ever heard,” which will automatically make fans of that thing defensive because it feels like that person is attacking them and their interests. Like, in the Paste article, the author makes jokes about how her “poetry” is essentially unpolished and bad, meaning that anyone who relates to it might feel as though their intelligence and feelings are being insulted (and that might make them want to attack). Everyone definitely has a right to share their opinion and why they dislike something, but I think we get into tricky territory when we start making moral judgments. And the same applies in the reverse, with fans that make moral judgments about all “haters.” The internet would be a much nicer place to be if people could just say they like something or dislike something without it turning into a grand statement about whether something is “objectively” good or bad.

I'm a hardcore OG Swiftie, however, I'm not that big of a fan of this new album. I like it, but she definitely can do better than this. Also, I'm getting tired of those swifties who put Taylor on a pedestal and think a critique = attack. Ngl, sometimes it's so embarrassing to be a swiftie and it has nothing to do with Taylor.

Took the words right outta my mouth. "A lore-dump for die-hard fans to decipher." THIS!! I'm a fan of Taylor's music, but I'm not an "easter-eggs" fan. I don't want to hear coded messages about her ex bfs or Kim K. And i feel that TTPD is swallowed in easter eggs that i don't care about.

i feel like a lot of the big pop acts have been making lackluster albums because they arent hungry anymore and know that their fans will go above and beyond to defend it

What you said about how Taylor is better at writing fiction is so true. She's an amazing story teller, and I think that it really shines in fictional songs where she's not tethered to the confines of her popularity and celebrity status. Because it's not just that fiction can be more relatable for a not famous person, she just has so much more creative freedom when she doesn't HAVE to talk about romance, or the specific romance that she's dealing with. I think I just wasn't very interested in hearing vague songs about what Taylors going through romantically. She has every right to want to sing about it and put her thoughts into words, I just personally find her music is more poetic and meaningful when she steps out of what she goes through normally.

In general, I think releasing a 31 track new album is a huge mistake, especially if all the songs sort of blend together. 7-12 track albums work because they give people a bite size taste of the artist and the tracks themselves get more attention; I really think she shot herself in the foot with that

I'm a Taylor Swift fan and I definitely agree that nuanced reviews, whether positive or critical, should always be welcome.

I wish Taylor had dedicated herself to only rereleasing her TV albums for at least 4-5 years, especially because fans are already getting vault songs they’d never heard before. But when she’s releasing all her re-recordings with previously unreleased work AND new albums it’s forcing her to write completely new material when it’s clear she’s creatively drained. The fact that she even decided to surprise release TTPD as a double album shows she’s so high on the praise she’s been receiving the past few years that she lost perspective. No one was asking for a double album, they just wanted it to be good. Taylor lives for the charts and the awards now, but it’s at the cost of her own fans getting tired of her material.

I just hate that we can't just say that an album is "fine" or "mid". It has to be "GENIUS" or "SH*T" for reviews to work nowadays, and both her hardcore fans and haters are more focus on shouting what they think than really judge the music itself.

What I really feel discouraged by is that you can’t even create a video sharing your thoughts about something without kind of proving that you like something/someone by listing all the aspects you like about them. And I get it, the stans are insanely protective of their idols - when your admiration of a person/brand prevents convo about it that is more analytical or critical of that thing, than it’s no longer about admiration, it’s obsession. Thank you for sharing your thoughts because it’s healthy to do so!

As a swiftie, this album is not the best. I think there's a point in the album where I get lost. Yes, I did like the album but as a massive fan of other albums, this one is weaker. Also, while I like her music a lot, it is too long. Folklore is my favorite album and I will say that one is her absolute best album. It is not about her and yet, it feels hugely personal and raw. Shout out to evermore that is also fantastic. TTPD is an okay album but it's not the best. And Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus is ridiculously underrated.

Midnights winning AOTY was frustrating, but if this album wins next year then I'm no longer tuning into that portion of the grammys. There's no point if they're going to pick Taylor every time.

Taylor is definitely overexposed right now so that's feeding into it. I feel like this should have been released after the eras tour finished or after her next rerecording.

you put into words exactly how I felt about this situation. I like a lot of Taylor's music, but I want to be able to critique even my favorite artists without being crucified for it. there's no reason to worship these musicians the way we are.

I'm a Swiftie and I was really let down by this album. Her writing was really not good on this album and it's shocking. Some of the songs on the new album I really like, but I'd be fine if she never wrote music again. I couldn't tell the songs apart either. And I think there's something wrong with the fact that her songs sound like a 19 year old is writing them when she's in her 30s, whereas Folklore and Evermore were more mature.

i feel like she’s in drake mode rn (no wonder they’re good friends lol) views was mid, and instead of him doing better, he just made one of the worst albums of 2018 (scorpion), then just keeps getting consistent at making dogwater after he stopped using ghostwriters /hj. MIDnights is the views of her catalog, and ttpd is 100% the scorpion. it’s just the beginning.

Honestly, I love this album. But it is so frustrating to see other swifties freak out at people for having a different opinion. It’s okay to not have the same taste in music. Like no two people are gonna have the exact same taste. I don’t get why it’s so hard for people to get that. While I feel that some of the critiques against her have been a little unfair, I totally understand that everyone has a different opinion and that’s okay

Large segments of the Beyhive, Barbs, and Swifties as fandoms scare me lol. Any genuine critique, constructive thoughts/feedback, or any opinion you give that is not positive & involves breathing results in pitchforks. If you are a 'fan' making death threats you need serious help. Great video, Kayla!

I don't think this is a bad album at all, but I think there's a few reasons it was underwhelming. one reason was that it was just too many songs. it's hard to make an album cohesive when its two hours of music another is that it was probably pretty rushed. I mean I'm assuming most of this was composed and recorded during her tour, re-recordings, promotion for her movie, etc, not to mention her breakup. I'm not sure why she didn't take more time on it. I think she still has this fear that she will become irrelevant as she gets older, but I really don't think that will be true for her but maybe that is why she wanted to release it during the height of her fame. The main reason in my opinion, though, is that the songs aren't always very interesting musically. I don't think the songs themselves are bad, at least most of them I thought were good songs. but its all just a beat, some harmonies, and instrumentation that sounds kind of dull or in the background. I think if more interesting things were happening musically, the perception of the album would be a LOT different. the last is that Taylor is the most famous person in the world right now basically so. people expect a lot from her

The biggest problem of the album that everyone seems to be missing is that lyrically she was attempting to be ironic and tongue and cheek, so very different to folklore/evermore, but the sound was so serious and dull that the satire of the lyrics just didn't land at all. Massive let down.

I’m a swiftie but this album was so mid. She put so many strange lyrics that makes the songs sound more like poems put to a melody, which I get is the point of the album but she just doesn’t do it in a way the works well.

It was wild the first time I heard the term Stan. And I’m like. You guys know where that’s from, right? You don’t want to be like Stan.

TTPD for me is like 10% bad songs, 70% mid samey songs, and 20% really solid songs. for the first time since evermore, including re-records, i find myself going back and listening to songs off this album again. but holy shit the bad moments are downright cringe

Another thing that rubbed me wrong about TTPD is the line in Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me “Isn’t that what they all said, that I’ll sue you if you step on my lawn” Right after she sued a collage student for using publicity available info to track her private jet…? Like… Anyone else find that a little weird..? :’)

I’ve never liked a Taylor Swift album as much as I like this one. Everyone has different preferences and that’s okay. People need to take this less seriously.

i hate her fake victim complex on this album so bad

Thank you for your always nuanced take on the material!

I think a big problem around Taylor Swifts brand is the easter egg hunts. I am a fan, but I genuinely don't think there are as many clues into her personal life as fans believe there are. So all the discourse around "is this song about about Joe or Matty?" "How could she give some much of this album to Matty?" Isn't helpful to her and her fans not getting dogwalked by the wider media landscape who don't have all that "lore". Like, she rose to fame as a teenager who dropped scathing clues about her ex's, that is the marketing strategy she still uses and it really works, and she has always and will always write from a very personal place as do most artists. But for the love of fucking god NONE of these songs are fundamentally "about" anyone they're all about her. Even if you think it hints to one relationship or another, she was still in that relationship. She's the focal point. Like she's a 34 year old woman, she's not the same teenager writing her older albums and I genuinely think a lot of TTPD is about that

I don't like her new album or her music like it's not for me and that's okay. But I hate when people say "you don't get the metaphores" like i get them, i just don't like them. Also I think people need to stop putting her on a pedestal you can like her music and everything, there's nothing wrong with that but denaying valid critisism and making ir seem misogynistic it's not helping her case. We also have to take to account that she is a millionaire white cis woman, she does have problems (like anyone else) but oportunities, work, etc are not one of them. If she was a poc woman she wouldn't have half the awards she has, and i will die on that hill.

i listened to some of the songs. i'm not a swiftie, never have been but what really changed my mind about her and her music overall is her album 1989. i really liked the singles. and i agree, she's a great storyteller. i had to stop listening to TTPD because it was just too depressing for me and on that day I wasn't feeling great emotionally anyway. But it did open my heart to her pain and I have more compassion for her now. I think she needs a break from music, and from just being in the public eye in general after her tour is over. and honestly, after listening to the lyrics, she needs therapy if she's not already in therapy or she should at least look up the word codependency cause that's the message i got from her lyrics. she's a codependent and can't seem to be on her own for very long, always moving from one relationship to the next is unhealthy to me if you don't put a break/pause in between those relationships to really get to know yourself, your wants/needs, your unhealthy patterns, and learn to like yourself first. otherwise, you'll just fall for any guy that lands on your lap and most of the time, the guys aren't great. so i hope travis is a good one but i still stand by she needs therapy and a break.

Some of the criticisms are weird and absolutely are in bad faith, but I don’t think all criticism is bad. I’ve seen some people say this is the album that is the “most” Taylor Swift album, warts and all, so I can see why it would be polarizing for many. And while I’m an avid Swiftie and have been for years, I’ve seen some of the more sensible Swifties with a brain being attacked over their opinions on this album. In the comments of your other post, I mentioned that another KZfaqr, Swiftologist, and how he’s been repeatedly bullied by other Swifties for things like saying Midnights didn’t deserve Album of the Year at the Grammys, plus his more neutral stance on Taylor’s boyfriends. He’s not fawning over Travis, and her exes don’t become public enemy number one once the breakup happens. That’s not to say he hasn’t made jokes, but he isn’t harassing people or making death threats.

I’m a huge Swiftie and I agree with you Kayla. It makes me sad when artists whose work I love have such toxic fandoms. I know a lot of amazing Taylor fans who haven’t put her on a gigantic pedestal in the clouds, but of course we’re overshadowed by the ones who have made being a Swiftie their entire personality. There are some TS songs I don’t like, and while I think Folklore was genius, I never really liked Evermore as much. As fans, we should be able to have those opinions without other fans acting like we stole their three cats.

I think a large part of the critique for this album is general Taylor Swift fatigue. She's released 8 albums in the past 4 years, 9 if you count The Anthology as separate from the rest of TTPD. Genuinely, it's too much. It almost feels like she's just releasing music just to release it, not because of any artistic integrity. And when she releases these albums with so many songs and so little time between each major release, it doesn't give many the true staying power that songs from her first 6 albums did. A friend of mine once compared her releases to fast fashion, and I truly think that they were on the nose with that. Churned out, seemingly no effort, just in it for the money, forgettable releases that all feel nearly indistinguishable from each other. I love Taylor's work, but this has just become too much. I really hope she's seeing the negative feedback to this album and takes it to heart. If she didnt release anything for like 2-3 years and then came out with a new album, I think that'd be best.

There are tracks that I really love, but my overwhelming feeling while listening was that there was too much similarity between tracks, as mentioned in the video. I got bored. Which is not something I have said about other TS albums.

I'm not frustrated with the people who just didn't like the album (though I heard it grows on you with re-listening), but chronically online folks having a meltdown over the 1830 line or purposefully not understanding why So High School is the way it is make me wonder if reading comprehension is still a thing. That being said, completely agree that some swifties really need to chill out and stop embarrassing themselves.

In my opinion TTPD as an album has what multiple Taylor Swift songs have had in the past which is satire, tongue in cheek references, hyperbolic language, and an overall unserious tone. Take for instance, You Need To Calm Down or Hits Different. Lyrics like “I come back harder than a ‘90s trend” from Willow and “sit quiet by my side in the shade and not the kind that’s thrown” from Paris. Like, those lines are so unserious! And YNTCD and Hits Different are talking about serious things but in a lighthearted and at times, dramatic way. This has always been apart of Taylor’s songwriting, I just think that a lot of people don’t really love this style and are used to it in singles mostly. I personally love it and so I like the album. I think it’s kinda one of those things where some people get it and some people just don’t . Another thing that I’ve seen some people mention is that albums take time to digest, especially a double album with 31 songs. Some people are quick to declare that they don’t like an album from one listen and that’s okay. If you don’t care to give it more time than by all means don’t but you can’t really make a nuanced review of an album that hasn’t had time to marinate. It think it’s just important for people to understand the limits of their assessment of something.

I always look forward to hearing your take on topics, especially ones such as this that migth even be considered "hot button" but you always take such a great even stance, it is always so refreshing. You can see the inherent factors at work on either side of many different issues while clearly and succinctly explaining your point of view. Thank you for all your hard work on this channel. 100K GET READY

Midnights was Taylor’s version of Views and TTPD is her Scorpion/CLB. Taylor knew she could put little to no effort into her music and still make banks.

Like I get that Taylor works with a lot of the same people on album production because as a woman in the music industry, she would feel safe with them. (Remember Max Martin was Dr. Lukes mentor and I feel like that was a reason they didn’t jump on Red Taylor’s Version) but also like, I get it, “Getaway Car” slaps, but does Jack have to be on everything?! For everyone?! I wanna know what happened with Liz Rose - cause Taylor was at her best when she had an editor and Liz arguably curated the original”All Too Well”.

I love this album and absolutely knew that critics and most of the general public would hate it. You are correct that this album is badly written and produced, but that's why I find it so fascinating. I don't know if it was intentional on Taylor's part, but in my opinion, the production of TTPD accurately captures Taylor Swift's hatred, anger, and fatigue of being Taylor Swift. I don't want to project anything on to her, but when you sing about how much you want to k*ll yourself on three albums in a row and all your fans care about are which song is about which guy you dated, that has to be depressing. Really think about: would ANYONE want to be Taylor Swift right now? I'm sure Taylor wanted her career to be successful, but had no idea how damaging this level of fame is. I know that Taylor's a grown woman, but TTPD makes it clear that nobody knows what Taylor is going through, myself included. We have know idea what's going to happen to her once the Eras tour is over, but I hope to god that she is okay. Anyways, rant over, your insight is fantastic once again, and you're so right about Aaron Dessner 😭

THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO KAYLA!!! I’m a big swiftie and i love this album, but i agree entirely with everything you said. you have so many great points that a lot of people need to hear, and you’re so right about people taking critique as a diss on taylor herself, instead of just on the album. LIKE ITS JUST THE TASTE IN MUSIC PEOPLE! it’s not that deep lmao. i also think since i love taylor and loved the album at first, i couldn’t see the things that make it frustrating for people but now i do. i really hope people either far on the hating side or far on the loving side learn that, like anything else in life, people have different opinions and life experiences and perceive things differently. at the end of the day, she IS talented. she CAN write. she is a woman going through life and love and all her own experiences, and we put her on too high of a pedestal. i feel like, you can’t truly be a “real fan” unless you realize her flaws. or even just learn to be okay with the fact that other people will pay more attention or care more about other parts of her than you do. i don’t even know cause i’m just rambling but people need to mind their own business. it sucks that we live in such a fake world where you can’t ever really know certain peoples real intentions. so just make the best of it by sharing your opinions and not caring what people think because YOU CAN NEVER PLEASE EVERYONE! AND THAT IS HOW ITS SUPPOSED TO BE. just do you, and i’m really sorry for people who feel like their opinions aren’t valid (do people know what the word opinion means??), or are afraid to speak up. thanks if somebody actually read this and i hope you do something that makes you happy today.

i really like some tracks on tortured poets but too many of them sound the same 😭

As a die-hard swiftie, I do not think it is right, cool, or fun to be horrible to others whom don't agree with an opinion. I think it's rather disgusting. People are allowed to have their own opinions. I don't 100% agree with your opinion, on this album, but I do think your thoughts, feelings etc. are very much valid and should be respected. All my love❤

So, I play around with my online persona, I've been a teen girl online, an old man, a middle aged Dad, etc. I like doing this because it is just SUCH a great way to collect objective data; in other words, if I say the exact same sentences, just one is out of the mouth of a teenage girl, and the other an elderly man, how will the words be taken? Applying this to the conversations about Swifties, I would say two things: 1) Compared to other online groups, I have not found Swifties to be especially vicious (compared to let's say The Barbs, or the way any black person critiquing country music will be treated). There's just a LOT of Swift fans, so if you dislike something Taylor does, a lot of people will disagree, but I have not found them to be especially cruel. 2) Where I have felt a lot of cruelty is posting under a female persona in support of Taylor Swift in male spaces. That gets vicious. So I think their defensiveness of her, and seeing all critique as coming from a misogynistic place, has some validity. Out of all my online personas, 'teenage girl', which is Swift's demographic, gets hated for merely having opinions on most things more so than any group. If we want Swift fans to be less defensive, we have to attack that problem, instead of telling them to preemptively chill.

Great and thoughtful video as always Kayla It’s albums like these where I’m eternally grateful you got me into Chappell Roan

Off topic, but its such a cute easter egg of all of your videos catching the chiptune outro credits music and then figuring out the reference or connection back to the video subject. It`s a pretty small thing but it gives me exactly one crumb of dopamine every time, and I thank you for it!

You always have the most nuanced takes on here, it’s refreshing. I agree with everything you said on this album. There’s something incredibly Orwellian and culty about stan culture censoring criticism of big artists like Taylor. Also, would love to see an Arctic Monkeys video from you!

taylor swift is a “tortured poet” in the same way that beyoncé is a “struggling backup dancer” and gaga is a “starving artist”. except taylor isn’t a poet

I love this album, and TS, but neither are above criticism. I do genuinely think that there are songs that are too smart for a snap judgement first listen critique, but I also don't love every song on this album. I've definitely read and listened to a few reviews that don't think they are reviewing her persona and absolutely are. And I've read a Lot of fandom discourse that refuses to accept incredibly valid opinions and criticisms because parasocial attachments are empathy blinders (among other reasons.) I definitely agree about the stan culture poisoning the well, and broadly letting people criticize things. Bad faith criticism still chafes the hell out of me though.

Love your videos and always appreciate how well researched and thought out they are! 100% agree with all of this.

die hard swiftie here, folklore and evermore are my favorite albums of hers by far, and i find myself going back to those two constantly. I do really really like TTPD, but i agree that it all sounds somewhat similar, and each song doesn’t have much individuality compared to the next. I like the vibe of florida and i can fix him no really I can, those ones felt different. I know she’s very close with jack but i truly wish she’d branch out and get more producers on her music. i do however think this album gets better with repeated listening. My first multiple listens i thought it all sounded extremely alike, but later on learned to appreciate each. I felt the same for midnights when it came out, but now realize how different each track is.

The one thing we can all agree on and the one i hope she takes from all of this (cause she obviously cares A LOT for criticism) is that she desperately needs to get new collaborators for the next project, cause Jack, Aaron and her as a trio have reached a dead end (i would say since MIDnights but the well has definitely and unanimously considered been dried now)

I have literally never understood her or her appeal as a cultural figure. I just don't see how her art contributes anything unique or boundary-pushing to society. Maybe that's the point, but it's not for me.

Your top artists page 💞💞 I love. Hold me like a grudge was in my top five last year 😭

As a swifty, i feel like this era is just..... jojo siwa but its somehow excusable because shes mega famous, im swying this as a swiftie

You're so right about swifties shooting themselves in the foot with all the policing and lack of nuance. While trying to make one point (you just don't get it , or it's made for fans, or you just don't get poetry or music) they prove 10 other points to their haters in the same comment section

As a clueless guy, I usually go to your videos for unbiased insights into these things so thank you so much for what you do Kayla

You're very articulate! I always look forward to hearing what you have to say. I am a huge fan. Thank you!

At this point, diehard Swifties is at the same level of annoyingness as diehard Armys. You can't talk anything negative about them. You can't critique them. A slight critique makes them question your morality, humanity.

Hi, hinged Swiftie here. I really like the album for personal reasons and can totally understand why it doesn't resonate with everyone.

Also would love the AM and reacting to takes vids but ultimately whatever makes you happiest for your milestone 💛

1: great video as always! 2: GOD BLESS AARON DESSNER AND THE NATIONAL

I wouldn't really call myself a Swiftie, but I do enjoy her music and to me, both the hate and praise this album is getting are overblown. I think the album is fine. Not a masterpiece, but also not the worst thing she's ever created. I do think that the humor in this album is going over people's heads. A lot of the lyrics are meant to be tongue-in-cheek. I also think that there are a lot of bad, clunky lyrics on this album that are completely straightforward though. I think that both the swifties who say that critics are missing the point of the album and the critics who say that Swifties are using the humor as a shield to excuse bad writing are correct. I don't think that the title is meant to be taken seriously, given that she's pretty snide about her ex thinking of himself as a tortured poet in the title track. She says she laughed in his face for using a typewriter, and called them both "modern idiots". songs like "Down Bad", "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) and But Daddy I Love Him" are also clearly tongue-in-cheek . There are also a lot of good or even excellent lyrics in this album that are getting overlooked bc the bad ones stick out so much. Some of the bad ones are also being taken out of context though. I think the concept for the album is interesting, but half-baked. If she had cut out some of the overwrought, overwritten ballads, I think the humor would have come across a lot better. To me, it seems like Taylor didn't really know what she wanted this album to be, and it ended up being a bit muddled as a result. I think that putting out an original album during the Eras tour and re-recordings was a mistake. Her attention was divided and I doubt that she was able to devote enough time to the album. I think part of what made Folklore and Evermore so great was that she wrote them during a time when the only thing she could do was focus on creating music. Also she needs to stop working with Jack Antonoff. Lmao

I liked TTPD. Is it her best album? No. Neither was Midnights. But I very much enjoyed it. I don’t think it’s acceptable to run around yelling at anyone who dislikes it. I can absolutely understand why people aren’t vibing with it. Taste is subjective. What is bothering me though is the amount of self confessed Taylor Swift haters who listened to this album just to dunk on it and make content about how much it sucks, she sucks, and we suck as fans. People who say Taylor Swift is for 12 year old girls. I was 12 years old when I became a Taylor Swift fan, yes. But that was 16 years ago. It just feels like a lot of the criticism is in bad faith, which in turn riles up the fans. It’s a big mess and it’s taking the shine off the entire album for me. Which is a shame because, as I said, I do really like the album.

okay just starting the video but i appreciate how timely you are with your videos i usually miss gaps in pop culture moments and youre always there to fill me in lol (crazy that you edit that fast bro)

I so appreciate Kayla's perspective here and honestly, the fanatical Swifties TERRIFY me. I like her and have since her days of teardrops on her guitar. Yeah. THAT long. But ever since TTPD dropped, my feeds have been inundated by her. The comment sections make me feel sick, both the unnerving parasocial defense from some of the Swifties and the jealous, hateful comments by those who dislike her just because she's EVERYWHERE right now. And the fact that people giving critiques are too worried about their safety to actually show themselves or get messages from people telling them to be safe if they choose to post a video essay on ANYTHING related to her makes my jaw drop. No artist is free from critique. You make art and others (qualified or not) are going to voice opinions, feedback and even distain for it. As Kayla says, you sign up for it as an artist and you either let it consume you or you simply move forward and make more art, for better or worse. It is a weird time to enjoy her music and just ENJOY it without deconstructing her lore (real and fabricated). I agree with a lot of this video and it's weird that I have to say Kayla is brave for doing her role as a content creator and video essayist.

Hey, as a swiftie (I even have dedicated fan account on twitter), I absolutely agree. The thing is, I like that album. But I absolutely understand the criticism the album gets and I accept it. I for example didn't like Midnights all that much, which is certainly an unpopular opinion amongs swifties. I feel like the whiplash Swifties get just for being Swifties is not justified at times and borderlines bullying, but at the same time, Swifties can be incredibly cruel and ruthless themselves. It's sad, really, for us people who are here just to enjoy music.

Love me people dying here bc 'no, the 1830s line makes sense in context'... But it doesn't. It is a ridiculous line that ruins an ok song about wanting to be somewhere else, but you can't enjoy because she needed to say she wanted to be a southern belle (but awoke, no racism and girlboss!)...... It frustrates me BECAUSE I LIKED THAT SONG AND YET THAT ONE LINE IS NOT "SINGLED OUT TO ATTACK HER", THAT LINE IS STUPID (I'm really frustrated the make-belive song has the worst line amongst all the bad lines in the album). She tied what she sells us as her "personal life" to her everything so much of course every critique will sound like a personal attack. Her PR strategy is to tie her music to life scandals and whatnot. It's a miracle we have Folklore and Evermore.

Kayla you've come so far! Congrats girl you've worked so hard!!

Its honestly fascinating to me that so many people apparently hate this album. Personally, it’s one of my favorite things she’s ever done. People not vibing with the sound is something I can totally get, even though I would deeply disagree about the songs all “sounding the same.” But I honestly think that a lot of the backlash from fans is due to the fact that the album is calling them out directly for their parasocial entitlement rather than spoon-feeding them the “breakup tea” they were all expecting. It a lot like Reputation, in a way; people expected a big clapback album and got something that was 85% falling in love. People expected TTPD to be the sad girl autumn breakup album, and instead they got an album about harmful situationships and bitterness over the double edged sword of fame. Its really just a continuation of the feelings that inspired the album to begin with; people feel entitled to a specific story or performance, and are pissy that they didn’t get what they wanted in the way that they wanted it. I also think that, while its fair that it won’t appeal to people universally, to expect a woman who has always written autobiographically to suddenly condense herself to writing mostly third-person observational stories is a bit of an unachievable demand. When she writes her songs as a means of processing her own life and experiences, it makes sense that they’re going to embody the narrative of her “lore.” But I also don’t think you need to know that “lore” to enjoy or comprehend her work, even one as definitively tied to her public persona as this one. This album has so many songs commenting on themes beyond just her personal life, such as the mourning of youth, chronic nostalgia, societal expectations of women and the double standards they face for merely existing, the gaping maw of public audiences and how viciously we treat celebrities, and the cyclical nature of trauma and how it effects our behavior in the long run. You can remove the “Taylor Swift” from just about any song on the album and boil it down to its bare essentials incredibly easily. But unfortunately, I think that’s something most listeners are incapable of doing. For better or for worse, Taylor *has* essentially tied her own life and mythology into her work, and thus people will always be attempting to scavenge it for clues to piece together a definitive “narrative,” rather than taking the songs for what they actually are: stories and poems and sentiments about the world and emotions at large. If you listen to the way Taylor herself talks about her songs, especially the little IHeartRadio and Amazon Music blurbs she did for this album, you can see how she discusses them in third-person, how she sings from the perspective of a character (even if the character is just her reflection in a mirror; the reflection still is separate from the flesh and blood) and always tries to bring the focus onto the emotion, idea or experience-NOT the who and the what and the her of it all. But the obsession with celebrity consumes so many people, and for most listeners, Swiftie or not, all they wind up wanting to think about or consider is “what man is this song about?” I honestly just think that people are making this more deep than it actually is. She was feeling some things, she wrote about it, then released it. I love it, and I love the lyricism and the sound and the inherent thematic elements. Other people don’t, and that’s fine. And anybody shouting from the rooftops about the Matty Healy and Joe Alwyn of it all simply need to touch grass.

Love your videos Kayla 🥰

I’ve been listening to her music since her debut album. I don’t care about the easter eggs. I stopped listening to the part 1 of the album halfway through because I got bored with it and found the writing of the lyrics unusually clunky. Tried part 2 and had better luck but honestly deleted the entire double album within 24 hours. I’m fine skipping the whole thing and waiting for the next album while enjoying the previous ones that came before. TTPD is solely for her cult-like fandom. The whole Matty thing is too ridiculous anyway.

I would LOVE an AM retrospective. Incredible album. Thought it was funny that you used B-roll from Fantano's infamous review where he gave it a THREE.

I’m in the middle of GCSEs (which are uk exams) so I haven’t had time to really listen to the album front to back but there are a few songs on the album I really like so far!

Clara Bow should’ve been called It Girls. Thats my hot take. Go watch one of Clara’s movies she’s glorious *steps off pink soap box*

I honestly liked this album on my first listen more than Midnights. For Midnights, I was pretty disappointed when I first listened to it (though I soon got used to it and appreciated it more than I initially thought). TTPD, imo, is the better Midnights so I genuinely don't get why TTPD has a lower reception than Midnights.

10:28 the worst/funniest part is how many Swifties under that tweet went absolutely WILD and started throwing around accusations and…pretty much acted in a way that proved Paste right for their decision

Oh and thanks for the outro music; now I'm down a rabbit hole wondering whatever happened to Dido

I have been a die hard swiftie since 1989 era and I respect your opinion. I love and adore this album so so much and it just gets better with each listen for me. But, I do agree that it is concerning to have to hide reviewers names in fear of hate from Stans. I can also see the complaint with the album sounding similar and too much like midnights. I always liked Jack antonoffs production with Taylor, but I do think she needs to take a break from him. Anyway, love you and your channel and I can’t believe I haven’t been subscribe till right now… great video!!!! 🩵

I fully love this album but I don't get upset when I see other people saying they don't like it. How someone else feels about it literally has no impact on me at all. I might not necessarily always get their point of view but I'd never try to tell them they're wrong. I dislike one of Taylor's most popular albums she's ever made and people give me shit for it all the time and I just think it's stupid. Even people who are fans of her are allowed to have different opinions and like certain vibes off specific albums more than others.

“The internet is where all nuance goes to die” true dat!

I can't stop listening to this album. Can't say I love each song, but there are about 7-8 I listen to in a loop. I wonder if that's because I'm in a place in my relationship that is really hard on me. I have to be cautious though, as sometimes I feel overwhelmingly dejected by the mood of this album (which is not very diverse, as you pointed out). Also, English is my second language and the lyrics are fascinating to me. I like listening to swifties' breakdown of each line and wonder how them words even came to her mind

I know someone irl who is that kind of fan but with some K-pop star (i don't even know who it is haha) and they think about defending their fav just as you described it, as a hobby. I don't understand how hate bombing is a hobby or how someone can dehumanize other people just for "fun". I hope you don't get much hate spam, nice video! c:

Personally, I love the album. I'm a huge fan. I do feel like it is fair critique to say, for example, some songs sound the same, some DO, not all, for me at least. While I think that the rampant hate for Swifties and Taylor alike is annoying ,as a fan of her, I just want to listen to her and love it. HOWEVER, some of us are so annoying. Every time I say she's my favourite artist I have to follow up with "I'm not one of THOSE swifties." Taylor can be critiqued, and she should be. While I love her, I'm not blinded by it, and not obsessed with her either, those people are downright creepy. I just think she has a great personality and music to match. I do wish I could just like Taylor in peace, without being made fun of, but hey, there is so much more serious things going on in the world for me to get that affected by some teasing. I don't care whether someone dislikes Taylor, in fact, shes not for everybody and thats fair.

I feel like the"victim" thing comes from how lyrics are written in general. In music as a whole, most songs are either written about partying or about feeling sad or angry. Songs that are like "I'm doing so great, guys!" are usually incredibly cheesy, and a whole album of that would probably be horrible to listen to. Think ME! by Taylor Swift and Brendon Urie. It's not impossible to make happy songs that aren't tacky, it's just really difficult. No Choir by Florence and the Machine is my favorite example of a really beautiful song written about something positive. Like, yeah, Taylor is probably doing pretty well emotionally at this point, I'd imagine, with all the resources she has at her disposal. Still, in order to write songs, she has to pick through her moments of sadness and anger and use those as inspiration. It's so weird cause like, yes, she's a person who feels things, but she's also so incredibly privileged at this point. She has to be relatable to make music that people will like, but her lifestyle is just so far away from anything that regular people experience.

I've been a TS fan since I was about 8 years old (never much of stan though since I'm not about that). I like the album, there's a few songs I especially connect with, but I agree that it lacks editing and feels a bit same-y. To be honest, I haven't listened to it a ton since it came out because I've been in a depressive slump and it's a sad album that's been bringing me down. So that's where I'm at, lol! I've been trying to stay out of the discourse as much as possible because a lot of people on both sides are just doing too much. Thanks for the video!

I am a diehard Swiftie and I loved this new album, but it is highly concerning to me that majority of Swifties cannot handle a criticism. I am genuinely concerned by how cultish this all feels. I had a full debate about the "1830s minus the racism" with my Swiftie best friend - she knows how hard of a fan I've been since FOREVER (last year I was her top 0.0000005% on Spotify. To give context.) and she knows me, and yet she nearly took out her swords and daggers because I said "I understand why people criticise this line and it is very valid criticism". We are all capable of rational thought and this is one of the best parts of being a human, when it comes to the Swiftie fandom these days it's almost as if they want you to just shut off your brain to original critical thought unless it is to decode Easter eggs and enjoy whatever she puts out. I really hope this will change, because it's sad to see a fandom I've been a part of since 2008 turn into this cult-like movement when you can be crucified out any minute... Great video!

The US government is suing Ticketmaster so hopefully something is happening soon with the ticket dilemmas

Amazing video as always Kayla! I would love to see you roast our pop culture takes for your 100k special, love me a good roast! ❤😂

I would love to see you react to or rank audience submitted pop culture takes!

I like the album and love Taylor. Idc if someone else likes it or not because they don't have to. It doesn't stop me from enjoying it.

TTPD isn't an album, it's content. I'm very much an old person who listens to whole albums start to finish with no skips, and the only way I can tolerate it (pun fully intended) is if I play it on shuffle. I might even give my vinyl copy to my niece because it's useless to me. I remember seeing a criticism of Midnights that she had eroded the very idea of what an album is, and she's definitely followed through to the logical endpoint of that with TTPD. It's such a huge creative setback for her.

"triggered by for lack of a better word" ...outraged? angered? offended? upset? 😭

Thank you for making this video. I'm feeling absolutely Exhausted by the discourse online, and it makes me even happier that I deleted Twitter off my phone prior to the release. There are multiple valid critiques of this album, and there are bad faith criticisms, and the fans are absolutely unhinged and they ARE affecting her art/its criticism or lack thereof. The snake is eating its own tail. No one should be immune to constructive criticism, and I doubt she'll stay stagnant creatively.

I like some of her music, and I think she’s a great performer and businesswoman. However, she’s now a billionaire. There is NOTHING tortured about her.

I've been a hater of her from day one. She's not bad, but she's very mid, and it's very confusing that she's as popular as she is when more pop artists probably deserve like 10% of the level of attention Swift has. Her music is mid. Her lyrics are mid. They've always been mid, and will never be anything else. This isn't a bad thing, but I feel 100% lied to by the fans lol.

Hi kayla I'm big fan of your content and since you brought up the melanie fandom here I wanted to ask do you think you would ever speak about melanie martinez again or would you say she is off the board for the long term

I subscribed! AM video please!!! That album came out when I was 14 so as you can imagine I was IN THE TRENCHES