This sounds so gendered it makes me mad and I have to log off for a while. I get mad about “genuine” language often. People just assign motive out of nowhere.
Sure, but I don't think "Genuine" is one of the intended feelings of the song. I think its mostly a fun bubblegum pop song that isn't necessarily supposed to and doesn't need to have deeper meaning attached to it, but as you pointed out, the song is selling a g-rated approximation for love. Maybe the lack of genuinity really is just Taylor phoning it in at this stage in her career. But to me it seems more intentionally calculated given the nature of the song. It supposed to be less "this is how I really feel" and more "this is how I'm gonna say I feel because I'm trying to project better vibes"
I don’t know if the hotter take right now is liking or disliking the song, but I think it’s fun and catchy. I am disappointed because I was expecting more of... like, a TS7 mission statement? That’s what the upbeat sound is for I guess, but lyrically it just doesn’t feel as focused as her past couple leads. But as a standalone song I like it (except the awful bridge) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I really don’t like this song and am incredibly disappointed by it. If this is a fair tease of what she’s going for, this album will really not be for me.
I love this and I love Taylor. Don’t take it too seriously just be happy we have her in our lives and Brendon kills it as well.
I know she goes for earwormy novelty bridges on her lead singles, but this one is wayyyy over the line for me. “Hey kids, spelling is fun!” is the worst lyric of the decade given her abilities, and the way Urie vocalizes “you can’t spell awesome without me” is the worst delivery I’ve ever heard.
There is a specific subset of Taylor songs that I personally dislike and this is the most “that kind” of song she’s ever done so it really rubs me the wrong way. That said, it fits with her new aesthetic so it’s a case of “I don’t know what I expected”, I’m sure the album will be dope again. I ended up really liking Reputation.
I'm sorry if it came across that way. My issue was in more of the execution of the song. I'm not doubting her sincerity... it's the execution that (in my opinion!) makes the emotional resonance of the song feel stilted. Nothing to do with her being a female artist or anything of that nature.
Kids' movie soundtrack vibes... yeah I don't like it all, though I know it's going to be stuck in my head once it gets blasted everywhere. That said, I'm enjoying the hyperboles that her lead singles usually bring. As usual, probably not going to be indicative of the direction she's heading now, so I'm not too worried.
So I see after three albums with the same rollout we’re still going to have the same conversation where people aren’t immediately sold on the first single because of a weird talking line in the bridge and then they’ll act surprised when the rest of the album is good. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Taylor Swift is a business woman as much as she is an artist. She took a backseat for Rep and said fuck the press, fuck the radio. Clearly she’s over that now. This is going to permeate cultural consciousness just like “Shake It Off” did. And good for her. I don’t LOVE this on first listen, but I didn’t LOVE SIO or LWYMMD at first either and now I play them all the time and find them to be a part of her goofy ass mythos. Long story short, she always wins and always comes out on top. If you’re still fooled into dismissing her albums by a lead radio single, you haven’t been paying attention for literally the better part of a decade.
The first verse did not stand out at all but then as soon as the chorus kicked in I fell in love. What a track! Not that familiar with Panic but the vocals here really suited the song. Pleased for them both - great song.
If all the theories about this being a spiritual successor to Speak Now, I hope we get one song that’s as effortlessly perfect as “Sparks Fly.” Brought to you by me listening to this song right now.
Sounds like a TSwift first single. I'm sure it'll grow on me. Shake it Off was an immediate banger, though.
First impression is that it’s not very good at all. I do not like it one bit. I’m here for the album though.
Song is a jam and already stuck in my head. Super fun, love Brendon on it a lot too. Definitely feels like Taylor doing a Panic! sounding song in a good way.
I was onboard with this until the bridge. After that...not so much. It's fine. It'll get stuck in my head a lot like any other TS lead single. But it's the first one that doesn't feel like a step forward for her in some way. Really does strike me more as a soundtrack song, kind of along the lines of "Sweeter Than Fiction." It also doesn't help that some of the lyrics are reminiscent of "Mine," which is just a much better-written song on every level. I think that's the sticking point, for me. Taylor is one of my favorite lyricists ever, and songs like this just don't do her justice at all. But that's also par for the course with most of her lead singles.