Taylor Swift

[TAC]

Actually, the samples in Cyril's review didn't sound very poppy. I think Cyril even mentioned that it was different for her. I can enjoy a nice pop song. I was surprised to hear swear words in the lyrics, actually.

[KevShmev]

I guess I meant pop-driven in the sense that many of the rhythm tracks on the record are programmed drums.  It is definitely not that poppy of an album overall, more or less a mellow album awash in synths and programmed drums. 

Do you have a link to the review?

[TAC]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMHAhNc_6co

[Zook]

Actually, the samples in Cyril's review didn't sound very poppy. I think Cyril even mentioned that it was different for her. I can enjoy a nice pop song. I was surprised to hear swear words in the lyrics, actually.

Shes a big girl now, so she has to drop f bombs in every song. I'm not against swearing in music, but it sounds so forced when Taylor Swift and 99% of other pop singers do it.

[KevShmev]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMHAhNc_6co

Thanks.  I generally dislike reviews like that, as it is someone talking over the music 98% of the time and then letting a line or two play and then talking again, so it is literally impossible to get any feel for the music or the album, IMO.  Not a criticism of the maker of the video, so much of that style of reviewing which is so prevalent.  I think you'd be better off listening to a few of the songs on their own, all of which are on YouTube. 

[Zook]

If they play more than 3 seconds they get a copyright strike.

[TAC]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMHAhNc_6co

Thanks.  I generally dislike reviews like that, as it is someone talking over the music 98% of the time and then letting a line or two play and then talking again, so it is literally impossible to get any feel for the music or the album, IMO.  Not a criticism of the maker of the video, so much of that style of reviewing which is so prevalent.  I think you'd be better off listening to a few of the songs on their own, all of which are on YouTube.

I wonder if the review has such short samples because it may get shut down due to copyright.

I'm not listening to the album. Cyril's videos show up in my feed because I'm subscribed, and I thought I'd spend the 5 minutes to watch the video.

[KevShmev]

I wonder if the review has such short samples because it may get shut down due to copyright.

I'm not listening to the album. Cyril's videos show up in my feed because I'm subscribed, and I thought I'd spend the 5 minutes to watch the video.

I get it.  I don't think you'd like much of it anyway.  Hell, I wouldn't have thought I'd like her music as much as I do now, yet here we are. 

[TAC]

I'll let myself out now...

[KevShmev]

I'll let myself out now...

[nobloodyname]

I read something the other day about Midnights demanding to be listened to on good headphones/earbuds because the production tricks, synthbass and other aspects are easier to hear. And I have to say there's some truth to that. It's a very good sounding album.

[NoseofNicko]

Didn’t care for Midnights on first listen but now I really like it. Much better than Reputation and Lover imo (haven’t listened to her debut or Fearless yet).

[DoctorAction]

Watched the Graham Norton show with Taylor. She had a nice way about her, I thought.

[Podaar]

Actually, the samples in Cyril's review didn't sound very poppy. I think Cyril even mentioned that it was different for her. I can enjoy a nice pop song. I was surprised to hear swear words in the lyrics, actually.

Shes a big girl now, so she has to drop f bombs in every song. I'm not against swearing in music, but it sounds so forced when Taylor Swift and 99% of other pop singers do it.

I don't think it's forced. I have a daughter Taylor's age and she swears like a sailor with a twisted ankle. I think it's a bit generational.

[KevShmev]

I read something the other day about Midnights demanding to be listened to on good headphones/earbuds because the production tricks, synthbass and other aspects are easier to hear. And I have to say there's some truth to that. It's a very good sounding album.

Yep, the deep bass sounds pretty incredible on a good stereo system.

Didn’t care for Midnights on first listen but now I really like it. Much better than Reputation and Lover imo (haven’t listened to her debut or Fearless yet).

 

Watched the Graham Norton show with Taylor. She had a nice way about her, I thought.

Yep, she is a sweetheart in general.  It feels like it is almost impossible to be a big fan of her music and also not be a big fan of her the person. Her personality is such a huge part of her music and her sound.  I know I have said this before (probably numerous times ), but the connection she makes with fans is unlike anything I have ever seen out of another musician.  It's unexplainable, and if you are not one of the converted, it can be puzzling, but if you feel it, it's just something that is there.

[DoctorAction]

I like quite a lot of her music that I've heard. Very solid writer. Very catchy tunes. I'm impressed but not in that fan bracket.

In context with other pop bands I dig, I probably wouldn't go to see her live. I don't love her music like I do Chvrches, for example, who are also modern and female fronted. And she's not close to a-ha or Keane for me, who are also in my straight-up melodic pop bucket. All three of those bands truly move me, if you know what I mean.

But I'm impressed with her, for sure.

[Zook]

Taylor Swift has a larger body of work, but Chvrches doesn't have anything cringe inducing, and I enjoy their music way more.

[KevShmev]

I don't think I am familiar with Chvrches, although they might be another one of those bands where I am like, "Oh yeah, I know that song," about a few.

That said, Taylor's overtly pop songs generally tend to not be the material I listen to the most, with a few exceptions.  If she were strict pop, I doubt I'd be a big fan, but her variety is a big reason why her music is so appealing to me.

[HOF]

It’s funny because the first time I heard Chvurches (it was in a Barnes and Noble) I thought “hey, this is a pretty cool Taylor Swift song.” I don’t think I would ever confuse them now, but they definitely struck me as similar at the time.

[DoctorAction]

Well, they have an album that has a couple of quite heavy Swift-isms on it, actually. It was their one album before last, and it didn't quite work me as an album. (Not because they were Taylor-influenced, just because it felt a little forced and unnatural) They're from Glasgow but had just moved to the US and were looking for some bigger success, I think.

Screen Violence (their last one) and Every Open Eye are my favourites. Anyhoo, I'll stop derailing this thread now. 🙂

[KevShmev]

It's crazy how successful this album has been already.

She is the first artist to have the entire top 10 of the Billboard hot 100. That is nuts.  Granted, that was impossible to pull off in the pre-streaming era, but it's still a staggering achievement considering no one else had done it.

Also, looks like a big announcement is coming on GMA tomorrow.  I am guessing it will be the official tour announcement.

[XeRocks81]

https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/1587420273325838336?s=46&t=VkTYB95DfDi4a4dkAT3rQQ

I’m gonna try to hit to one of these shows, maybe philadelphia.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I've listened to her new album twice now. It's really interesting switching from my usual styles of music - Dream Theater and the like - to a modern pop artist. There are some really fundamental differences in songwriting - not good or bad, just different. For example, in Swift's newest album, everything is concentrated on the lead vocal, and when the lyrics are done, the songs just end. There is really no such thing as an outro.

Overall, I really enjoyed the new album. Anti-Hero and You're on Your Own, Kid are my favorites.

[KevShmev]

Saw those dates earlier.  No STL date, which is a bummer.

I had ruled out the idea of traveling, as I like the new album quite a bit, but it's not a "I have to travel to see this" album.  However, with the tour being an eras tour, rather than a Midnights one, the likelihood of a set list covering all her eras seems likely, meaning this could be pretty special, so I am now considering the Nashville or KC shows.

[Stadler]

I like quite a lot of her music that I've heard. Very solid writer. Very catchy tunes. I'm impressed but not in that fan bracket.

In context with other pop bands I dig, I probably wouldn't go to see her live. I don't love her music like I do Chvrches, for example, who are also modern and female fronted. And she's not close to a-ha or Keane for me, who are also in my straight-up melodic pop bucket. All three of those bands truly move me, if you know what I mean.

But I'm impressed with her, for sure.

Keane; I love their first two records, and then I sort of trailed off...  I just bought Cause and Effect.

[Anguyen92]

Wheeeee, people always like to hit LA last ehhh?  The shows where tickets are going to be even more expensive than if it's in the middle of the tour.  Two shows at SoFi Stadium.  I'm sure the prices for nosebleeds is going to be $200.00 min. and someone is going to paid for those seats and it will sell out.

Funny thing that she was supposed to be the one to officially open SoFi Stadium in Inglewood back when the building was good to go in 2020, playing two shows, the first two events to officially happen in the stadium, but the obvious happened.  Now it's going to be three years later from the original dates that she gets to play there.

[Stadler]

It's just amazing to me - in a positive way - that she's going to do two nights in a row, in a stadium, in Philly, Boston, New York and Chicago, bing bang boom. 

[lonestar]

So what's the over/under on aftermarket tix? I'll put them at 1000...



Also, just so fucking happy for Taylor, she's been the epitome of grace and class throughout her career. It's especially ironic for this to be happening in the middle of Kanye's meltdown, talk about karma coming full circle.

[KevShmev]

Tickets won't be cheap, that is for sure.

Notice that all of these dates are on the weekend, so her goal is obviously to hit one city a week, which does leave open the possibility of adding more shows in the same city if/when the ones announced already sell out quickly, which I am sure they will.

I like the idea of hitting the Nashville show since Phoebe Bridgers is the opener there, which likely means she'd come out and do Nothing New with Taylor.

[DoctorAction]

I like quite a lot of her music that I've heard. Very solid writer. Very catchy tunes. I'm impressed but not in that fan bracket.

In context with other pop bands I dig, I probably wouldn't go to see her live. I don't love her music like I do Chvrches, for example, who are also modern and female fronted. And she's not close to a-ha or Keane for me, who are also in my straight-up melodic pop bucket. All three of those bands truly move me, if you know what I mean.

But I'm impressed with her, for sure.

Keane; I love their first two records, and then I sort of trailed off...  I just bought Cause and Effect.

Nice. Love that album. (Very sad, mind.) Someone at work gave me a signed CD of it that had somehow come their way. Strangeland is also fantastic, imo.

[MirrorMask]

About Midnights, I guess I'll come up eventually with my own custom tracklist.

Lavender Haze and Bejeweled will be gone, they're too annoyingly lalala for my tastes. Probably Karma will go as well, sorry to whoever said they dig the song 

You're on your Own, Kid and Sweet Nothing have string and piano remixes - they will repace the originals.

From the bonus tracks, I'll definitively keep Would've Could've Should'Ve, Bigger than the Whole Sky and Dear Reader, probably The Great War as well.

At the moment I have a blank on Labyrinth, and the other bonus tracks I didn't mention (Paris is probably the most annoying one).

All the other songs I didn't mention on the standard edition of the album are good enough.

About Vigilante Shit, I think the mention of the title in the lyrics should have been more marked. Probably it would have worked even best if that line closed the song, it's anticlimatic to go back to a chorus we already heard more than once without any variation in the ryhtm beneath.

[KevShmev]

Paris and Glitch are the two that seem fairly meh to me so far. 

While some of the songs from the normal album are just okay, I do feel the 13-track running order works extremely well as a full listen.  The lesser songs spring more to life in that environment, and that doesn't surprise me since she, despite the pop star label, is very much an album artist, not a singles-focused one.

I do agree that the remix of Sweet Nothing with just the piano and strings is really nice.

[KevShmev]

Eight more dates have been added (all additional shows in cities that already had shows).



It's wild that she can do stadium shows three nights in a row in PA, NJ, MA and Los Angeles, and even wilder that all will likely sell out immediately.

As that 2nd weekend of April is still open, I am still hoping STL lands in that spot.

[XeRocks81]

on the reputation tour she did do Toronto so I’m hoping for canadian dates.  I didn’t think of Canada as being part of « international » dates but I guess it is, lol

[Skeever]

That is, indeed, insane. Three nights at the Linc in Philly? Followed by 3 at the Meadowlands? Wow.

I hope tickets stay relatively cheap, then, with demand low enough that her younger fans aren't having to pay hundreds to go.