can’t tell you how many albums I didn’t even like on first listen became all-timers for me. hell, my favorite album of all time (see avatar) barely even registered as music on first brush lol.
where the hell do people find leaks these days. I miss kingdom leaks. if anyone would be kinda enough for a DM I'd love to listen tonight before my vinyl arrives
I like this way more than anything she has done in the past 10 years with the exception of folklore, which is without a doubt my favorite of her records. Even the songs with cringey lyrics have some redeemable aspect (EX: Vigilante shit has atrocious lyrics but I kind of really like the beat and synth thing she has going on throughout it).
I gotta be honest and the people that listen to an album one time and say “this is the greatest album ever made, erase all other music ever made because it won’t top this!!!” are more annoying than the people that are disappointed after first listen. Some users on this site think every album they’ve ever heard is the greatest ever.
Damn, I don't think I liked a single track on this, hahahaha. Woof. Feels like a bunch of b-sides from the 1989/Reputation/Lover sessions I'll for sure give this more listens, to get a more developed impression, but yeah, this thing hasn't clicked so far
If I could get the link for it, please, so I can talk to my daughters about it, thatd be great. Im sure theyve listened already :)
I totally get something not meeting expectations, but I do think at a certain point your expectations can be so over-inflated for major, beloved artists like this that unless you hear the greatest album ever, you’re going to be a little let down. That’s what I realized about myself, anyway. There’s almost some recalibrating time that needs to happen to get your brain/ears aligned with something resembling reality. Oh, there are absolutely exceptions. I’ve written about mindblowing first listens on many occasions. Listening to Bon Iver, Bon Iver for the first time during a massive rainstorm is one that always comes to mind. 1989 was definitely another, for exactly the reason you’re saying. On the other side of the coin, I thought Reputation was dogshit the first time I heard it and let that impression color my opinion of that album for a long time. I’ve since come to love it! LOL Honestly, being open to this happening is I think one of the best things you can do as a music fan. Giving yourself the leeway to be really wrong about stuff, and to change your mind not just a little bit, but a full 180 degrees. They annoy me in different ways. The “omg this is the greatest thing ever” reactions are hyperbolic and crowd out some more interesting discussions to be had for awhile, but they come from a point of honest enthusiasm and passion for the music, which i can’t fault too much. And disappointment is natural and unavoidable sometimes, I just wish there was less of a compulsion to have a take right away. Usually if I’m disappointed in a new album, I sit out the conversations for awhile so I can listen a few more times and get my thoughts in order. Otherwise, I usually end up recanting my initial bummer take.
I’m actually quite happy to have felt more measured about my 1975 first listen, because liking something more over time is a great feeling. Mira interesting what does it too. Like for me; my respect level went up around 40% for certain songs after listening to the 1975 break down their process for this album on a podcast. I thought the guitar parts were a bit by-the-numbers and lazy, but hearing them speak about intentionality and understanding all the other experimentation around them opened my mind to the wider sound of certain songs.
My favorite albums for the most part are never the ones that grab me initially and I think they are awesome, they are usually the ones where I say, "Hmm, this is interesting, and I don't fully understand it, but something keeps pulling me back to it." MWY's Untitled is the prime example of this for me, and now it's one of my favorite albums of all time.
can't break me. I'm still going to wait till midnight and stay up till 1am like I did last week for The 1975.
I really never thought I’d see people upset that people are enjoying and excited about new music my god man
Enjoying this for the most part after a few listens (love Maroon), but there are a couple clunkers (Vigilante Shit and Karma), and some tough lyrics in spots (how did that sexy baby line get through, haha). But I guess that’s part of the fun of her in pop mode.
I initially said something like this slaps so far, I didn’t comment on my second listen because it wasn’t as good as the first, now on my third listen I’m getting a more clear idea and I like it a lot, I think it’s pretty normal for listeners of artists with the hype level of Taylor or the 1975 to overreact initially, whether it’s positive from hearing new music from a fav artist for the first time in a while and being grateful, or negative because it didn’t come close to the hype for other people
Should add, I would take the clunkers on this over those on Reputation and Lover all day. They’re not as glaring as those.