Taylor Swift

[DoctorAction]

This. A lot of TS fans talk themselves into liking her music. And talk themselves into buying 4 copies of everything. And talk themselves into going to see the movie of the tour they already paid $500 to see, which they also talked themselves into

Just checking. You have absolutely zero basis for this statement, right? You just made it up? Pure speculation?

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Just stop.

Fair enough, definitely took it a bit too far, my apologies. I've noticed a lot of posturing around her music by her fans but that doesn't mean they're all doing it, as you pointed out.

[KevShmev]

Spinning this as a bit of background. Had no particular expectations but like it so far. I think the minimal synthy sounds are slightly more 80s-sounding than Midnights? Which is good for me. Not heard that one since soon after it came out, though.

Actually, I don't know why I'm posting. I have v little context. But quite nice to my ears.

Don't let a few isolated comments fool ya. This new album is not like Midnights really at all. Even the labeling of it on wikipedia as synth pop seems way off, since there are no more than a handful of songs I would call synth pop.  Midnights was much more synth-driven, not to mention more rhythmic. 

Yep, liking it more with additional listens…and How Did It End/I Hate It Here were songs I definitely took note of in my first listen of the “bonus” stuff.
 

It feels like more fans are more focused on the first disc, and I get that, but I cannot wait till more and more fans really "get" the second one in a big way.  That run of songs at the end is unreal.  The Prophecy, Cassandra, Peter, The Bolter, Robin and The Manuscript are all melodic gems.  And her voice has never sounded better. 

Checking out I Hate It Here again, really good…and now I remember my first impression…especially the verse has a similar vibe to Paramore’s Misguided Ghosts. Kev, if you don’t know that one, check it out. Great song.

Will do. 

Not sure how many are there like me but I think Clara Bow is my favorite track from the album. It's so serene, calming and really catchy.

I like it a lot.  While I love The Manuscript a bit more as the true TTPD closer, Clara Bow does a great job in closing out the first half of the record. 

[HOF]

The official YouTube video for The Blue Nile’s “The Downtown Lights” is up by about 53,000 views since this album dropped. It was at about 638K views over 6 years before then, so about six months worth of views in the last 5 days.

https://youtu.be/tNgSwtRqLmg?si=NRhHAj2RQfnJSjVK

Good work, Taylor.

[Stadler]

Fair enough, definitely took it a bit too far, my apologies. I've noticed a lot of posturing around her music by her fans but that doesn't mean they're all doing it, as you pointed out.

And you want fan posturing?  Look in this very forum.  Go to see any forum/chat group regarding Fish from Marillion.  Bruce.  This is not unique to Taylor Swift, and if anything, at least she's got the goods to back it up in terms of broad-based appeal.

(I get that some people don't want to live lives as a celebrity of the magnitude of Taylor Swift, but I'll bet if you asked - off the record - how many of your FAVORITE artists - you know, the "prog" artists who supposedly have so much more "artistic credibility" than Taylor - would want millions of people to hear each song they put out they'd be responding with a resounding "HELL YEAH!!!", our home team band included.) 

[jingle.boy]

I just assume everyone who likes growlies had to talk themselves into liking them, so ....

[DoctorAction]

I like the sound in general on the new one. And I dig her voice, melodies and presence a lot.

No disrespect to her or her fans. I have lots of respect for her. But there's not enough meat that speaks to me for me to listen to much more of it. 2 hrs of "my boyfriend did this, I felt this" gets dull for me.

I feel the similarly about Gaga. Great talents, both, but I'm waiting for them to produce an intense 8-track banger of a record that's up there with the all-time greats. Like The Killers did with Pressure Machine, afaic. They both have it in them, I believe.

EDIT: I rate Caroline Polachek's last one very highly. And Beyonce's recent release has a texture and complexity than gives me much more to get my teeth into. (I have v little history with any of these artists, btw. So this is no reference to any celeb drama, but they're all "mainstream" artists I've at least tried out recently so I kind of compare them in my head.)

[MirrorMask]

I can understand the "too much of the same" criticism.

I'm often listening to the album through the Bluetooth speaker that I carry around the house while I'm doing other stuff, so at the time it's hard to remember clearly all the songs 'cause I'm not even at the computer paying attention to the tracklist, however I guess that from the two discs, Florida!!! is my favorite of the "main" album, and Peter the favorite of the "anthology" part.

Other great songs here and there: the title track, But Daddy I love Him (despite the title), Who's Afraid of Little Old Me, Clara Bow, The Black Dog, I Hate it Here, and probably many other songs but I still have to associate the memory, the melody and the actual title all together.

[KevShmev]

To gently push back on the "too much of the same" criticism, I will ask: how many times does Swift have to radically shift gears before it's enough?  Red, which was released when she was still considered a country artist and had very little country, was considered a departure.  Her going full blown pop on 1989 was a massive shift.  Reputation introducing urban styles into her music was quite a stunner in real time.  And we all know what a massive departure Folklore was when that dropped.   Does one have to reinvent the wheel on every record to avoid the "too much of the same" criticism?  This is her 11th album.  Did Dream Theater, our host band, get accused of too much of the same when releasing A Dramatic Turn of Events, their 11th album, which some thought was quite literally in the style of one of their classic albums from the past?  Just asking.

Questions aside, it's cool to see that some here are enjoying this.  As I said at the outset, this is a grower, and with 31 songs total, it can feel like a hurdle for those who aren't big fans (since I think everyone gives more chances to new albums from a favorite as opposed to those of whom you are a casual fan or not one at all). 

With the tour starting back up in a few weeks, I have no idea how she's going to tackle the set list with this new album out.  TTPD will almost have to get a placement as its own era in the set list, but where?  And what gets cut?  Should be interesting.

[MirrorMask]

Side note for all of us who appreciated the "and though the time will come when dream and day unite", "her images and words are running deep" and the other callbacks to the DT album titles: technically, at the end of Clara Bow she mentions the title of her debut album 

It's a nugget 11 albums in the making!!!

[DoctorAction]

To gently push back on the "too much of the same" criticism, I will ask: how many times does Swift have to radically shift gears before it's enough?  Red, which was released when she was still considered a country artist and had very little country, was considered a departure.  Her going full blown pop on 1989 was a massive shift.

I get that she's shifted a lot. She doesn't have to change styles. She seems to be doing just fine as she is.  My comment is absolutely not a call for her to do so. Nor do Maiden, for example. Purely saying her stuff in general doesn't speak strongly enough to me to love it, but I have interest and respect and, selfishly, hope she does something more intense that will delight me at some point. 🙂

EDIT: And yes, I think DT have frequently been called out for being a bit samey for a decade or so, I would estimate.

[Stadler]

I like the sound in general on the new one. And I dig her voice, melodies and presence a lot.

No disrespect to her or her fans. I have lots of respect for her. But there's not enough meat that speaks to me for me to listen to much more of it. 2 hrs of "my boyfriend did this, I felt this" gets dull for me.

I feel the similarly about Gaga. Great talents, both, but I'm waiting for them to produce an intense 8-track banger of a record that's up there with the all-time greats. Like The Killers did with Pressure Machine, afaic. They both have it in them, I believe.

EDIT: I rate Caroline Polachek's last one very highly. And Beyonce's recent release has a texture and complexity than gives me much more to get my teeth into. (I have v little history with any of these artists, btw. So this is no reference to any celeb drama, but they're all "mainstream" artists I've at least tried out recently so I kind of compare them in my head.)

But this is the problem with statements like yours.  Not that the statement is wrong, but it's so subjective.  For my money, there is nothing in the Killers catalogue that even hints at "the all-time greats", but 1989 may be top five greatest pop albums ever.  EVER.  Wildest Dreams is, to me, the perfect song. PERFECT.  So I'm not sure what people are looking for here.

Maybe she's just not for you?

[Stadler]

To gently push back on the "too much of the same" criticism, I will ask: how many times does Swift have to radically shift gears before it's enough?  Red, which was released when she was still considered a country artist and had very little country, was considered a departure.  Her going full blown pop on 1989 was a massive shift.  Reputation introducing urban styles into her music was quite a stunner in real time.  And we all know what a massive departure Folklore was when that dropped.   Does one have to reinvent the wheel on every record to avoid the "too much of the same" criticism?  This is her 11th album.  Did Dream Theater, our host band, get accused of too much of the same when releasing A Dramatic Turn of Events, their 11th album, which some thought was quite literally in the style of one of their classic albums from the past?  Just asking.

Questions aside, it's cool to see that some here are enjoying this.  As I said at the outset, this is a grower, and with 31 songs total, it can feel like a hurdle for those who aren't big fans (since I think everyone gives more chances to new albums from a favorite as opposed to those of whom you are a casual fan or not one at all). 

With the tour starting back up in a few weeks, I have no idea how she's going to tackle the set list with this new album out.  TTPD will almost have to get a placement as its own era in the set list, but where?  And what gets cut?  Should be interesting.

I agree with this 10000000000000%.  I think that the topics we're talking about are very very difficult to judge in the time-frames we're talking about.   And while I wouldn't accuse anyone here of this, specifically, I think it's unavoidable to see someone like Taylor Swift, who is polarizing on so many levels, and not have that creep in somehow.   I love her, I love her music, but for example, the combination of Jim Nantz announcing and her in the stands made me turn off NFL football (because the Chiefs were on EVERY. FUCKING. WEEK.) for the first time in my entire life. 

[DoctorAction]

But this is the problem with statements like yours.  Not that the statement is wrong, but it's so subjective.  For my money, there is nothing in the Killers catalogue that even hints at "the all-time greats", but 1989 may be top five greatest pop albums ever.  EVER.  Wildest Dreams is, to me, the perfect song. PERFECT.  So I'm not sure what people are looking for here.

Maybe she's just not for you?

Sure. I consciously try and sprinkle a fuck-ton of "for me"s and "imo"s and "afaic" in my posts to over emphasise the subjectivity, man.  . Appreciate that I didn't on that one, though. I am absolutely not trying to state any objective truth here.


And Pressure Machine isn't an all time great album for me, actually, but I really love it. They were a band, like Taylor where I liked a few bits very much but not most of it. That album basically fixed all the problems I had with them and delivered something I personally loved.

Not dumping on your gal, people. I think she's cool.
.

[KevShmev]

I think it's more than fair to say that we all give a lot more rope to our favorites than someone of whom we aren't a fan.

Take a song like Thank You Aimee.  If someone had gone out of their way to ruin the reputation of someone in DT with a doctored phone call and they wrote a "diss" track about said person 8-9 years later, would we all be like, "eh, they should be over it by now." Hell! No! We'd all be like, "hell yeah, they deserved it!"  So, I don't see it being a problem in the case of this song and Swift.

Also, there are layers to that song; it's not just an FU song.  There's also a bit of "you tried to destroy me and look at me now!" to it (a bit of comical hubris), and there is also the shift to "thank you" in the final chorus, which feels like an acknowledgement that Reputation, an album of which she is very proud, would never have happened the way it did without the two unmentionables doing what they did.

Is she overexposed right now? Sure.  I get that some are tired of hearing about her, but is she supposed to stop releasing new music because some are tired of her?  She is obliterating records left and right, so it's clear that many are not tired of her.  She became the first artist to get a billion streams in a single week in Spotify, which she achieved with still close to two full days left of that week. 

[soupytwist]

I'd like to see her (and Lana) move on from Jack now.

[hefdaddy42]

As someone that doesn't love her, you guys that DO love her don't need to defend her.  Her track record speaks for itself.

I respect her for what she's done, but her stuff doesn't speak to me almost at all.  That's not her fault.  But if I vocalize (well, type) reasons why I think she doesn't appeal to me, those aren't attacks on her person and don't require anyone trying to show me why I'm wrong.  I'm just saying.

Having said that, all of the reasons that she doesn't appeal to me have already been covered, so I'm not going to bring them up again.  I will still listen every time a new album comes out, in the hopes that this time, I like it a lot, but if that never happens, no skin off my nose.  She doesn't need my approval as the cherry on her career sundae lol 

Just my two cents

[KevShmev]

Good post, hef! 

I'd like to see her (and Lana) move on from Jack now.

I know that is becoming more popular of an opinion with some on the 'net, but I am perfectly fine with him continuing to produce a lot of her music; I think he does a great job overall.  Sure, there are times where I wish they opted for a real live drummer over programmed drums, but her albums ultimately sound like she wants them to, so it's not like his personality or producing skills are taking them over.  I also like that he has a rock background, as well as a love for 80s pop; those aesthetics often are prominent on her newer albums.  Aaron Dessner being from The National also has a strong rock background, thus her two main producers nowadays have rock backgrounds, which I like.  No one will ever accuse Antonoff of being Neil Peart or Mike Portnoy , but his background as a drummer comes across well in her songs more often than not as well, even when the drums are programmed. There is two fills in Is It Over Now? (1989 Vault track) that I air drum every single time, and I am sure that was a Jack thing.

All that said, I don't see it happening any time soon because I think he is still on Big Machine's label, but I'd love to see her do another album where Nathan Chapman is the producer.  He did a great job on her early albums.

[hefdaddy42]

Good post, hef! 

I do what I can.  Also, good to see you again!

[Stadler]

Sure. I consciously try and sprinkle a fuck-ton of "for me"s and "imo"s and "afaic" in my posts to over emphasise the subjectivity, man.  . Appreciate that I didn't on that one, though. I am absolutely not trying to state any objective truth here.


And Pressure Machine isn't an all time great album for me, actually, but I really love it. They were a band, like Taylor where I liked a few bits very much but not most of it. That album basically fixed all the problems I had with them and delivered something I personally loved.

Not dumping on your gal, people. I think she's cool.
.

Nah, and I'm not dumping on you. I know enough from your posts to know you get it.  I do.  I think I was using your post - and the specific sentiment - as a jumping off point.  I think at some point though these things do sort of get to the "objective" stage and we're not there yet with Taylor.  I think it's hard to say The Beatles aren't the greatest band of all time, and require someone to still say "IMO".  I think it's hard to say Dark Side Of The Moon isn't a great album, and require someone to still say "IMO". 

[Mosh]

Been lurking in this thread as someone who generally enjoys Swift's work but really disliked the new album, but I wasn't really interested in coming in here and dumping on it or baiting other members as others seem to want to do in threads for artists I like. That said, this post really got me thinking:

To gently push back on the "too much of the same" criticism, I will ask: how many times does Swift have to radically shift gears before it's enough?  Red, which was released when she was still considered a country artist and had very little country, was considered a departure.  Her going full blown pop on 1989 was a massive shift.  Reputation introducing urban styles into her music was quite a stunner in real time.  And we all know what a massive departure Folklore was when that dropped.   Does one have to reinvent the wheel on every record to avoid the "too much of the same" criticism?  This is her 11th album.  Did Dream Theater, our host band, get accused of too much of the same when releasing A Dramatic Turn of Events, their 11th album, which some thought was quite literally in the style of one of their classic albums from the past?  Just asking.

Personally my enjoyment of Dream Theater and Taylor Swift albums does increase when they're trying different things. I enjoyed A Dramatic Turn of Events quite a bit, but their last couple albums have felt too much of the same for me. I liked how the run from Awake to at least Systematic Chaos was a different flavor with each album while still having a signature sound. I think Swift has worked in a similar way, every album since Fearless (treating Folklore/Evermore as one project) has had its own sonic identity and flavor. This new album feels a little mushy in that way to me.

I dunno. My favorite band is Iron Maiden and I would actually be pretty bummed if they radically shifted styles rather than what they currently do (which is essentially make the same album each time). So obviously I don't expect every artist to do that. But I guess I have higher expectations for artists like Dream Theater that have accustomed me to expecting some amount of switching gears with each album. I wouldn't say DT or Taylor Swift have radically changed styles from album to album, but just enough to create a unique identity for that album. The albums that don't do that (View From the Top, Distance Over Time, Tortured Poets) tend to not be my favorites.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

I like the sound in general on the new one. And I dig her voice, melodies and presence a lot.

No disrespect to her or her fans. I have lots of respect for her. But there's not enough meat that speaks to me for me to listen to much more of it. 2 hrs of "my boyfriend did this, I felt this" gets dull for me.

I feel the similarly about Gaga. Great talents, both, but I'm waiting for them to produce an intense 8-track banger of a record that's up there with the all-time greats. Like The Killers did with Pressure Machine, afaic. They both have it in them, I believe.

EDIT: I rate Caroline Polachek's last one very highly. And Beyonce's recent release has a texture and complexity than gives me much more to get my teeth into. (I have v little history with any of these artists, btw. So this is no reference to any celeb drama, but they're all "mainstream" artists I've at least tried out recently so I kind of compare them in my head.)

I agree with your post but wanted to call attention to your edit. I am in complete agreement that Caroline Polachek's last album was a fucking BANGER. I had it at #2 overall in my 2023 music rankings. She should have her own thread here, talk about talent! I was fortunate to see her live in Denver last year and the show was amazing. As someone who attended both the Eras tour and the Caroline Tour, I found it blew the Eras tour out of the water even though obv the Eras tour was several dozen times larger scale of an event

Some other pop girlies I rate very, very highly and would strongly recommend to TS fans:
- Caroline Polachek
- Charli XCX
- Faye Webster
- Lana Del Rey
- Kacey Musgraves

[hefdaddy42]

Some other pop girlies I rate very, very highly and would strongly recommend to TS fans:
- Caroline Polachek
- Charli XCX
- Faye Webster
- Lana Del Rey
- Kacey Musgraves

I have enjoyed all of the recent releases from these artists much more than the offerings from Taylor Swift.  And I thought Beyonce's new release was also superior in many ways.  Which is not to slag TS, but if anyone who enjoys Swift hasn't heard any of these ladies, I would suggest them to you.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Yeah, I didn't include Beyonce but I should have, her new one is great as well! Don't mean to take over the TS thread with other music but the level of saturation with her is so high these days that it's always good to expand horizons a bit and check out some other artists in the same vein! And since it's a prog forum it seems likely that threads like these are where you'll find the folks that are likely to like these other gals anyway.

Monopolies are bad, especially in music!

[hefdaddy42]

Yeah, I didn't include Beyonce but I should have, her new one is great as well! Don't mean to take over the TS thread with other music but the level of saturation with her is so high these days that it's always good to expand horizons a bit and check out some other artists in the same vein! And since it's a prog forum it seems likely that threads like these are where you'll find the folks that are likely to like these other gals anyway.

Monopolies are bad, especially in music!

In fairness, though, it IS a Taylor Swift thread.  So let's allow the big fans to get back to their discussion of the new album.

[DoctorAction]

Nah, and I'm not dumping on you. I know enough from your posts to know you get it.

All good. Cheers, Stads. I could have phrased it better, tbh. (I'm a crappy writer. It takes me so much effort to try and describe things that I run out of energy and end up putting things too bluntly.)

I am in complete agreement that Caroline Polachek's last album was a fucking BANGER. I had it at #2 overall in my 2023 music rankings. She should have her own thread here, talk about talent! I was fortunate to see her live in Denver last year and the show was amazing.

So much yes. It just grows and grows, that one. Listened to the extended version today and all the extra tracks hit the spot for me too. Will start a thread on her shortly, now you mentioned it.

I have enjoyed all of the recent releases from these artists much more than the offerings from Taylor Swift.  And I thought Beyonce's new release was also superior in many ways.  Which is not to slag TS, but if anyone who enjoys Swift hasn't heard any of these ladies, I would suggest them to you.

I've enjoyed some Lana. Good to get more recommendations and seconded by the Hef. Will check em out. Ta.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

In fairness, though, it IS a Taylor Swift thread.  So let's allow the big fans to get back to their discussion of the new album.

[KevShmev]

There was a thread here a while back on Lana.  I'm a fan.  Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is one of my favorite albums of the 20s so far.  And of course Norman F'ing Rockwell is fantastic.  I am starting to dig some of her earlier albums as well.

I do what I can.  Also, good to see you again!

Thanks! I couldn't resist popping in to talk some Taylor. 

Been lurking in this thread as someone who generally enjoys Swift's work but really disliked the new album, but I wasn't really interested in coming in here and dumping on it or baiting other members as others seem to want to do in threads for artists I like. That said, this post really got me thinking:

Personally my enjoyment of Dream Theater and Taylor Swift albums does increase when they're trying different things. I enjoyed A Dramatic Turn of Events quite a bit, but their last couple albums have felt too much of the same for me. I liked how the run from Awake to at least Systematic Chaos was a different flavor with each album while still having a signature sound. I think Swift has worked in a similar way, every album since Fearless (treating Folklore/Evermore as one project) has had its own sonic identity and flavor. This new album feels a little mushy in that way to me.

I dunno. My favorite band is Iron Maiden and I would actually be pretty bummed if they radically shifted styles rather than what they currently do (which is essentially make the same album each time). So obviously I don't expect every artist to do that. But I guess I have higher expectations for artists like Dream Theater that have accustomed me to expecting some amount of switching gears with each album. I wouldn't say DT or Taylor Swift have radically changed styles from album to album, but just enough to create a unique identity for that album. The albums that don't do that (View From the Top, Distance Over Time, Tortured Poets) tend to not be my favorites.

 

Change can be a funny thing.  We love it when our favorites do it and it works (see: Kid A by Radiohead), but we don't like it as much when they do it and it doesn't (see: the last dredg record).

In the case of TTPD, I was one of those fans who loved Midnights, but also wanted to hear more of that Folklore/Evermore vibe, so for me the second disc of this new record is a gold mine (loving the first one as well).  The first disc is more experimental, while the second is more familiar.  You could almost say that The Tortured Poets Department is her Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence.

[Skeever]

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (Taylor's Version)

1. The Glass Prison - We all saw the glowy, cheerful Travis Kellce supporter over the course of last year's NFL season, but this song explores the darker, more personal side of being behind the glass of the luxury suite
2. Blind Faith - This one explores Taylor's "blind faith" in her father's advice that she should stay out of politics, along with the courage it took for her to muster up her eventual endorsement of Phil Bredeson
3. Misunderstood - The "Shake it Out" of the album about how Taylor - herself - has often been misunderstood about her private jet usage
4. The Great Debate - A dance, Reputation-style track circling the drain on one of Taylor's more recent favorite topics: who should own the rights to the music of her first five albums
5. Disappear - A moving ballad, a'la "All Too Well" about what it was like when Taylor's initial award speech was crashed by Kanye West, driving her to "disappear" herself into the Bahamas for a year

6.Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence - the major epic of the album, it uses the Era Tour style medleys as inspiration to dive deep into the perils of Taylor's relationship with Matt Healy, where Healy himself is portrayed as the troubled youth of the Portnoy written sections - which he also provides vocals on. The album ends on an optimistic note, however ("She dresses in Red every day / With Mamma Kelce and Brother Jay")

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

LOL incredible

[MirrorMask]

That's fantastic 

Actually I think she has in her to make "six degrees of love troubles" where, in the Cardigan / August / Betty vein, she describes various ranges of love issues with a unifying theme.

[Stadler]

I agree with your post but wanted to call attention to your edit. I am in complete agreement that Caroline Polachek's last album was a fucking BANGER. I had it at #2 overall in my 2023 music rankings. She should have her own thread here, talk about talent! I was fortunate to see her live in Denver last year and the show was amazing. As someone who attended both the Eras tour and the Caroline Tour, I found it blew the Eras tour out of the water even though obv the Eras tour was several dozen times larger scale of an event

Some other pop girlies I rate very, very highly and would strongly recommend to TS fans:
- Caroline Polachek
- Charli XCX
- Faye Webster
- Lana Del Rey
- Kacey Musgraves

Oh. My.  Gods.   

Kacey Musgraves is the WORST.  It's a running joke in our family/house how much I despise her singing (I compound it by purposefully butchering her name in a different way each time; "Karly Musgraves", "Kacey Mosgrove", etc., etc.  Shut up, it's funny to us. )   She's making an entire career out of singing flat.   I saw her open for Harry Styles at MSG and it was ABYSMAL.   The only thing I like that she's done is that duet with Zach Bryan, "I Remember Everything". 

Don't like Lana Del Rey any better (her whole schtick seems very fake and calculated to me), though I think I like what I've heard of Charli XCX.  Have never heard the other two.

[lonestar]

Every Taylor Swift song....


https://www.facebook.com/reel/952759922923008

[Stadler]

Change can be a funny thing.  We love it when our favorites do it and it works (see: Kid A by Radiohead), but we don't like it as much when they do it and it doesn't (see: the last dredg record).

In the case of TTPD, I was one of those fans who loved Midnights, but also wanted to hear more of that Folklore/Evermore vibe, so for me the second disc of this new record is a gold mine (loving the first one as well).  The first disc is more experimental, while the second is more familiar.  You could almost say that The Tortured Poets Department is her Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence.

This is a recurring theme with artists and unfortunately, I think it has less to do with the actual work than how much we like them.   Chinese Democracy is another excellent example.  Sabbath went through a phase where they did something different and were lambasted for it.  Rush.  Genesis.  The Beatles (for everyone that says "Revolver" was revolutionary, there's someone that wishes they stuck with the "classics"). 

[KevShmev]

This is a recurring theme with artists and unfortunately, I think it has less to do with the actual work than how much we like them.   Chinese Democracy is another excellent example.  Sabbath went through a phase where they did something different and were lambasted for it.  Rush.  Genesis.  The Beatles (for everyone that says "Revolver" was revolutionary, there's someone that wishes they stuck with the "classics").

I remember playing Revolver many years ago for my parents, who only knew maybe 3-4 songs from it before that (they were big fans, but of the hits mostly, and had never really dug deep into the albums except for Sgt. Pepper's until I got them and started playing the albums for them), and my mom especially thought much of Revolver was weird and not good.  And they both thought Strawberry Fields Forever was terrible, so you just never know how fans will react when you do a left turn.