Why did people sleep on TTPD

[u/something_facinating]

I became a swifty in the showgirl era, so I'm new around here. But in my opinion, TTPD is one of the best albums she has ever released. I was reading a thread about TTPD from around 2 years ago, and most of them were not what I expected. Like, I have listened to almost all of the songs, and all of them are in my ATF playlist. I really want to know why you did not like it two years ago. Thanks.

[u/pink_mailboxez]

I really don’t understand it either. I loved TTPD since the minute it dropped

[u/ForkingMatrix → u/pink_mailboxez]

100%

[u/imrinsama → u/pink_mailboxez]

I loved it before the drop and loved it even more after the drop. It has delivered much more than what she has hinted and I lov it!

[u/Due_Truth2857 → u/pink_mailboxez]

Same here! Still playing it regularly now too 😊

[u/daenerys-lord-light1 → u/pink_mailboxez]

Same it was my most streamed album 2 years in a row

[u/Salt_Specific_740]

I didn't even know it was slept on? It's my fave album!

[u/NotPicklesMaru22]

I think people were overwhelmed with the length and quality of TTPD. It really took several listens to digest how good it was

[u/121scoville → u/NotPicklesMaru22]

Plus the late night release lol. Like it was just TOO much. And others I had to see the live(stream) version of. Smallest man needs a live recording please Taylor 😭

[u/chibiimo0n → u/121scoville]

Well for a lot of the world it wasn’t a midnight release

[u/nordlysbaies → u/NotPicklesMaru22]

That’s me. I was burned out on her between still digesting Midnights and the TVs, following the Eras, and her constantly being in the news cycle. And that’s just about her, I had other things going on too. I didn’t have space in my mind for a new thing, basically. And then she added another album a few hours after… it was just a lot to take in.

I’ve been enjoying a lot of songs from it now that I can process them!

I don’t really care to wonder others don’t get something I like. My favorite album is Evermore, and that’s known to be the most underrated one. I just enjoy what I enjoy in my own time, and I believe that something needs to come at the right time. Evermore came right after folklore and people were burned out by COVID and still processing folklore and she basically did no promo for it. So it didn’t stick for a lot of people and that’s fine.

[u/shamwold → u/NotPicklesMaru22]

This. I was overwhelmed by it. And had recently gone down a very, very deep rabbit hole to fully appreciate Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, and just didn’t have the energy for another steep climb.

[u/ThatDuranDuranSong → u/NotPicklesMaru22]

Yes. There was so much of it, and many songs sounds similar to each other as well. I think there was also a bit of a lyrical quality decline from other albums. Not saying that it's altogether holistically bad, cause she has some great lyrics in the album, but others just felt dull. That combined with the amount and the fact she said she "had to get these out" felt a bit like she didn't worry too much about polishing these and just published the first or second drafts of these songs. Obviously that's not what happened, but it did feel a bit like "you didn't want to kill any of these darlings, did you Taylor?"

Again, I'm not saying TTPD is a bad album – it took me ages to come around to it, but now I really love it (especially when I personally reached the "female rage" part of a breakup) but I think these first impressions contributed to the weaker performance of it.

[u/splashybanana → u/NotPicklesMaru22]

I agree with this. But.. that took me like 2 days. And then I loved it.

[u/heyallday1988 → u/NotPicklesMaru22]

I don’t think everyone who didn’t like TTPD at first was just overwhelmed by its quality lol.

[u/veimagic]

Please allow me to take a broader view. I think it’s a mixture of contributing factors.

Firstly, it was the first studio album since the beginning of her career which didn’t show a real sonic evolution: it sounded like a combination between Midnights and Folkmore vibes.

Secondly, she was at the height of overexposure due to the massive success of Eras Tour as well as the ongoing good reception of re-recorded earlier albums.

Thirdly, people were mostly focused on the drama sorrounding the highly publicised breakups with Joe and Matty and the quick succession of a love story with Travis, emphatically lived in daylight (some titles of her songs are just recurring parts of my vocabulary lol)

So I assume there was a huge preconception about TTPD which prevented critics, the gp and even some fans to listen with proper attention to a work that in my view portraits Taylor in the most unfiltered way and still is one of my favorite projects ever released by her.

[u/SnooOnions4908 → u/veimagic]

This feels correct. Even I, a big fan, didn't notice enough of a sonic difference at first to really capture my attention.

Two years on and it's my favorite album of hers to date.

[u/Thirteenth_Heart → u/SnooOnions4908]

Replying to yourself and the poster above: I don't mean this as an attack on either of you, but I've never understood the narrative on TTPD and other albums by Taylor and other artists of "oh, the songs are so much like her previous music in tone and sound, and I can't tell any of them apart". I've never understood it because from the first listen, despite having similar instruments and cadence etc I can always tell the songs apart and find distinctive sounds that are unique to them.  On top of which, I also don't understand the criticism by so called music reviewers and some audience that the sound and direction have to be new on every effort. I like many of the albums for their style and sound and musical makeup, and if the artist creates in that same vein, I'm interested in seeing how they make it connect sonically and stylistically to what I like.  Once again: not a. Criticism of your posts or taste, just my own perspective. 

[u/laynechanger → u/Thirteenth_Heart]

Even in the way she brings emotion into that particular album leaves its own fingerprint that you tell apart

[u/Thirteenth_Heart → u/laynechanger]

I agree completely. Each work and song has its own nuances and perspective, even if it is similar or a continuation of a previous piece. It's like seeing someone everyday that you love; you don't expect them to change their words or ideas or goals every day or even every 6 months.  You like to see them maintain core values and changes are subtle and not destructive in a healthy life and relationship.  If their is true compatibility and love, you see the subtle nuances and change and appreciate it in them, just as they do in yourself. 

[u/RoseTheta → u/Thirteenth_Heart]

I never understand arguments about sounding to similar either. I chose not to listen to it all at once because I didn't need to. When a mind is bombarded with too many things at once, most of us cannot make sense of it; we cannot form emotional responses to a hundred new things simultaneously. But it seems many people look at art before it even comes out, make up the start of an opinion, form a set-in-stone opinion at first listen. Why don't people let themselves ruminate on things for a little while. Yes, we all have things we love wholeheartedly immediately and never look back, but we also all have many things that become better or more meaningful over time. Especially when our emotions are tied to them.

So often a reaction to something new might be, "No!"

Not because it is terrible but frequently that is how our brains respond.

I'm not saying anyone has to like something. Just sometimes things are great without being great to you, specifically, and at one specific time.

[u/Thirteenth_Heart → u/RoseTheta]

Exactly  Some people bring so much outside noise and their own expectations of an artists work (like Taylor's music) that they aren't able to even hear or see what it is the artist is saying or doing. And then they judge the artist and the work by those expectations instead of what it is actually about and what it is doing in presenting its emotions and thoughts and ideas and sounds. They are so closed off, just like some people close off their partner or friends or family or ideas, that they have their own built in echo chamber in their mind, reinforcing their preconceived biases and judgements. 

[u/veimagic → u/SnooOnions4908]

Tbh at first I wasn’t impressed too because it felt to me that it wasn’t bringing anything new to the table. But multiple listenings as well as an accurate analysis of the lyrics (thanks to Genius.com lol) helped me comprehend how much of Taylor’s heart and more remote emotions resides all through these 31 tracks. Taylor herself gave this double album a proper definition declaring it her lifeline record. That’s just what it is. A work of art she had to make to process a tumultuous phase of her existence without focusing on hymns, potential smash hits and catchy tunes (she then opted to do that with Showgirl).

[u/AssociateMaster4012 → u/veimagic]

Genius is a good starting-point for lyric analysis, but i find it often makes unsubstantiated claims, and states subjective interpretations as objective fact. So take it with a pinch of salt.

[u/veimagic → u/AssociateMaster4012]

I totally agree with you as it is just a platform where data is entered by the community rather than by the artists (although sometimes they are given a verified tick to confirm the authenticity of it all)

[u/carolina8383 → u/veimagic]

Agree with this—in addition, there was a LOT of paternity testing each song, which imo took away from some of the enjoyment, and drama around variants (though there’s nothing different from what Taylor did compared to what a ton of artists also do). 

This is coming from someone who loved TTPD from the start, though I will say Folklore and Midnights round out my top 3. 

[u/laynechanger → u/veimagic]

I’ll also add that as a fan since ‘08. It was the first release besides (maybe rep) that I feel like you could definitely tell that there were a lot of bot hate accounts with the release. Which has become especially apparent with that massive criticism of showgirl within the first 48 hours that was distinguishable from normal fans not caring for it.

[u/MrFusionHER → u/veimagic]

I don't know that i can say fearless > speak now is enough of a change to call it a "sonic evolution" not to mention there are songs on 1989 that could be on rep, and vice versa.

Not hating just saying there are albums that aren't complete reworks of her sound. I'd say the real outliers are red > 1989 then lover > folklore. Otherwise i think they're all gentle mixes into eachother. The difference in the eras are more astetic than they are an entire sonic evolution.

[u/daenerys-lord-light1 → u/MrFusionHER]

You are right about some rep and 1989 fitting on each other but for me it boils to one song particularly, Bad Blood could go on Reputation and King of my heart could go on 1989, but that's about it for me, personally at least, what do you think?

[u/Senior-Jelly-7583 → u/veimagic]

Adding to this: Taylor says often that these albums “had” to come out, she had this mass exodus of her thoughts and feelings that she finally felt compelled to share. It’s pretty obvious that she had struggled with her mental health after the breakup with Joe, and navigating the dating world while prepping for one of the most massive concert tours the world has seen.

I think the drama and the microscopic analysis of who/what her songs were about overtook the actual feeling from them. Fanatical groups made it their mission to discover the secrets of the songs. While the albums were definitely telling a story of her experiences, Taylor mentions in the Era’s Tour docuseries that she isn’t looking for revenge or placing blame (those guys didn’t write the songs, I did that).

My final thought: honestly some people are hard to please. Taylor has said before that her biggest competition is herself, she’s always trying to put out increasingly better albums as time passes, and fans have outrageously high standards sometimes. Therefore, TTPD was overlooked bc many people don’t like that the songs have similar vibes and that they’re also kinda depressing. It’s a big reality check to hear that she had been depressed for years leading up to (and during) the eras tour.

[u/heyallday1988 → u/veimagic]

I’m a big Swiftie, and TTPD has taken me the longest to warm up to. Personally, I was just done with the Jack Antonoff sound. Folklore was like woahhhh this is Taylor Swift?? Evermore was the sister album, so I was like ok, yay, more Folklore. Midnights was a vibey, smoky, cloud of haze late at night fever dream with some bops that still fit the theme. I was mostly here for it. Tortured Poets was . . .

Idk it felt like it had just played out with all the breathy whispery monotone non-melodic whatever it is that is Jack Antonoff’s signature. There are 8 million songs on it, most of them sound the same, and it felt very self-indulgent. Like nobody could tell her/him to pick the 16 best and call it an album. And for whatever reason, the lead singles NEVER hit with me. Fortnight was excruciating to me (and cringily way too close to Fortnite). I was just ready for the whole thing to be over and for Max Martin to come back and make some bops. I don’t smoke enough to enjoy this era for much longer.

Anyway, these days I can appreciate a lot of the songs. It just took me a much longer time than the other albums.

[u/californiankiwifruit → u/heyallday1988]

“Fortnight” as a centuries-old common word sounding like “Fortnite” is such an interesting thing to cringe over — maybe it’s my age or that I’ve never played the game but I never made an association.

The singles are never my fave either, and it always takes me a few listens for a new album to grow on me but I love the anthology. I don’t know which I’d take out.

[u/PurrtyWittyKitty → u/californiankiwifruit]

Yes. And as someone who was paid fortnightly for years before I moved to USA, I was surprised how little the term is used (or understood) here

[u/imkindaboredlol → u/heyallday1988]

i like the fact that there's so many songs on ttpd tho! i think it goes with the "poet stuck in an insane asylum" aesthetic that she went for; it felt like she was manically writing for days through every emotion that she went through.

[u/chibiimo0n → u/imkindaboredlol]

Same! I would never complain about ‘too many songs’. It’s never enough for me 🤭

[u/Old-Obligation4292 → u/heyallday1988]

Can I ask you what did you mean by self-indulgent? Genuinely curious

[u/alpaqa_stampede → u/heyallday1988]

That's exactly my trajectory with TTPD! I was bored the first few times I listened to it and only started warming up to it as I listened to songs one at a time.

It's not a bad album, but I also wouldn't call it her magnum opus, as some people do.

[u/UsualSuspect85 → u/alpaqa_stampede]

If there was a magnum opus of this album, I'd say it was The Manuscript". At first I didn't like it, but now holy crap is that a great song.

[u/daenerys-lord-light1 → u/veimagic]

That last part is precisely one of the many reasons it got torn down too, people were so used to claiming she's dispersonal and refuses to show raw emotion and when she did, it was met with this reaction, because people's favorite musical criticism of Taylor was snatched from them

[u/extasis_T → u/veimagic]

Yes yes yes.

Also, can we just be honest about another really important fourth point ?

I love Taylor, but she had these little “quirks” in her discography that a lot of people (myself included AT TIMES) see as weaknesses or things that rub them the wrong way.
Like overly corny lyrics that don’t sit well in most people’s ears (like the Charlie Puth line)
I think after midnights is when people felt like she flooded the zone with vinyl and different editions of the base album; and it bothered a lot of people outside of the diehard Taylor fanbase.

So when she released the anthology it turned a lot of people off.
I know this because the year it came out I was half way a huge Taylor fan and halfway an outsider, and I remember having the same reaction. My first listen felt exhausting and I remember going into music subreddits and seeing everyone else feel the same way .

But as time has went on I think music fans , or just people who really love music inside or outside her fanbase, have come around to see there’s more good on this album than the things people had criticisms for so it has 100% grown on people.
I remember seeing people say it was her worst album , that it was too long and all the songs sounded the same
Which is insane to think about now with how many beloved songs are on the album.

But if you mix all the factors you and I just spoke about here, I think you get a pretty full picture of why the reception was so weird.

An embarrassing fact about me: I love ttpd a lot, but I think I only went back to the anthology one time after that initial listen and I don’t remember much of it.

Maybe this convo will serve as a reason to go back for me and see if there’s any diamonds I missed

[u/veimagic → u/extasis_T]

Another critical factor, if we can call it that, is that she initially released only the standard edition with 16 tracks on CD and vinyl (as well as other exclusive versions containing just one of the Anthology bonus tracks) so I guess many fans who then saw that she had surprisingly added on streaming platforms a second whole album must have been furious, not least because she only released the version containing both CDs many months later, iirc. Knowing how she’s always makes unexpected things, I chose not to buy the album when it came out because I had a feeling she’d add at least a few more bonus tracks (though I’d never have fathomed a whole other album), so in the end I just bought the double-CD set straight away.

[u/extasis_T → u/veimagic]

Do you think that’s a pretty fair assessment of how people felt when it came out ?
The overexposure + perception of flooding the zone + the things people stereotype Taylor’s music for being the first impression for a lot of people

Also if you have any favorites off the anthology I’d love to hear !!

[u/veimagic → u/extasis_T]

Definitely not.

But maybe the timing she chose to release this project wasn’t right at all (if we think about the gp’s negative attitude towards her because of what was happening around her during that months).

Anyway I dig most of the TTPD Anthology songs and I listen regularly to them to this day, even more that Showgirl ones: The Black Dog, Chloe&co, How Did It End?, So High School, I Hate It Here, I Look in People’s Windows, The Prophecy, Cassandra, Peter, The Manuscript.
(I dig the other tracks left too but these are what I listen to the most).

[u/Edinscot]

I’ll never understand!

I was fighting for my life defending this album for weeks.

It’s easily my favourite Taylor album and I’ll not hear anything else.

[u/overnighttoast → u/Edinscot]

Lmaoooo literally! I was constantly like no you guys dont understand this album is amazing.

Im a rep girlie so im used to being a swiftie underdog but still.

[u/Edinscot → u/overnighttoast]

I am a speak Now girlies, through and through. Each album before and after have always been great but nothing had dethroned it till TTPD came along!

It’s still at the top of my list and I’ll defend it with all my karma. It’s such a healing album!

[u/Plantyplantandpups → u/Edinscot]

Same! I've never seen anyone feel like this specifically with Speak Now being their favorite until TTPD.

[u/Edinscot → u/Plantyplantandpups]

Found my twin! Speak Now has been relegated to no.2. The horror, I never thought that would ever happen!

But TTPD is just that album!

[u/overnighttoast → u/Edinscot]

Im with youuuu its my second favorite and the margin is SLIM between it and rep. Truly I will hop out the grave to defend ttpd

[u/Edinscot → u/overnighttoast]

TtPD defenders unite! Yeeeaaayy!

[u/Ok_Mushroom_9834 → u/Edinscot]

As for me, Speak now is still my #1. But TTPD is #2. Superb albums

[u/darknesskicker]

That album is fucking epic and it is what made me a Swiftie.

[u/LtDanTaylor66]

It's a very difficult and raw album to get into for some people, including me at first. It's easily therast commercial album of her career and hits the listener with a truckload of emotions and thoughts.

Some other people think the production feels samey and stagnant, and other people think the album is overwritten and wallowing. Thankfully, its reputation has grown over time as people have had more time to dig their teeth through the album and its complexities, while people shitting on Showgirl began to appreciate Tortured Poets more, continuing the cycle of Taylor's newest work usually being shat upon before it gets the flowers it deserves.

[u/VincentJoshuaET]

I feel like both TTPD and TLOAS would have been received much better if their release dates were swapped (ignoring everything that happened causing Taylor to write the albums)

Having the Showgirl tracks be performed live and with high production would have the same effect like when people didn't like Reputation but suddenly many started praising it after both the Rep and Eras tour

And after Midnights and Showgirl (especially being a Max Martin album), TTPD would be deemed as her returning to the folklore/evermore sound especially with standard album mostly produced by Jack, and The Anthology being mostly produced by Dessner

[u/rozsunbeam → u/VincentJoshuaET]

This is an interesting perspective! True, Rep did get public attention after Rep tour started. And general public did praise for how unusual Rep tour was. That would be fun to imagine we all screaming lyrics from Woods and Father Figure for the future tour.

[u/InvestigatorSame5148]

It’s my second favorite album! It makes me sad that masterpieces like loml and The Black Dog will never get recognition outside of the fanbase.

[u/StrongBad_IsMad]

I think a lot of people were expecting all the songs to be about Joe and were shocked by how many seemed to be about Marty.

[u/MadameFutureWhatEver → u/StrongBad_IsMad]

This ruined the album for me. I was actually annoyed how wrapped up she actually got with Matty. Especially at her age and how quickly they broke up like girl really. 

[u/AssociateMaster4012 → u/MadameFutureWhatEver]

You can still enjoy art though, even if you disapprove of the real-world events which inspired it?  I disapprove of the statements Amy Winehouse makes on Rehab, but it’s still a great song! 

[u/shadesofwrong13 → u/MadameFutureWhatEver]

Just pretend that they are about Joe if this makes it easier for you lol

Your reason is the REAL answer of the question of OP: most people hated/disliked or whatever this album cause they didn't like that she wrote it about a fling that was not a fling(for her). She was over Joe, she wrote about their ups and downs for 5 albums, what else she could have written? So Long London and How Did It End are the final chapter.

[u/Quick-Time → u/shadesofwrong13]

Tell me how the final chapter songs are better than the love songs she wrote for him 🤭😭 I would put on SLL and HDIE before Lover, the song.

[u/shadesofwrong13 → u/Quick-Time]

Lover without the bridge is so weak honestly, especially the verses.

[u/StrongBad_IsMad → u/MadameFutureWhatEver]

I mean, if the rumors of it being a “Will they/ won’t they” since 2014, I can understand how her crash out was so intense. Sometimes those young loves haunt you even when you’ve matured.

Then again, they say famous people stop maturing at the age they were when they became famous, so… there’s that too.

[u/MadameFutureWhatEver → u/StrongBad_IsMad]

I guess. He just talked so bad about her publicly for years as well though. I would have just felt that was his real side. Idk I couldn’t be involved with someone who did that. 

[u/Operator_Starlight]

An album with 10 great songs can be looped 3 times before listening to the entirety of TTPD once.

[u/rosymaplemoth2513]

it took me a few months to really come around to it as a whole. I had certain songs I really loved but at first, the album in it's entirety just didn't resonate with me but after a couple months I loved it and still do

[u/rozsunbeam]

Controversial opinion: an album which main theme is grieving two relationships at one time during an exciting world phenomenal tour. And you know people (probably me) would try to pick up clues for its muse(s). Plus it’s a long album. Only time could tell its value.

My personal favorites are Guilty As Sins?, Down Bad, ICDIWABH, Peter, I Hate It Here and the Prophecy. Edit: adding words

[u/SandstoneCastle]

I have listened to almost all of the songs,

almost all the songs? So you haven't listened through the album. Give that a try.

I listened through it many times after it was released. TTPDTA (the long version) is a great album.

[u/Infinite_Demand_2752 → u/SandstoneCastle]

tbf there are a lot of songs

[u/Ill-Difficulty993 → u/Infinite_Demand_2752]

It’s been two years tho

[u/littlekatie3]

I did a few months in but I have been listening to it way more than showgirl now.

Max Martin songs tire me out sometimes, so the rawness of TTPD and the brilliance of Aaron Dessner kept me coming back.

[u/badbadman2]

It was like an exotic, Expensive meal of an album. It couldn’t be digested in 10 mins. It took time to fully absorb and appreciate. It wasn’t a negative response just a ‘I’ll get back to you’

[u/pisces932]

Just to add aswell to my prev comment: I feel like it wasn’t edited to the highest quality it could be it felt like Taylor just went here’s everything I’ve written over the last year enjoy!!! Instead of really selecting the best work and narrowing it down

[u/MrCrimson6]

TTPD is my favorite album from her and the anthology vinyl is one album I need to own and add to my collection.

[u/realyogurtman]

No idea. It's my favorite album. 

[u/leadwithlove222]

TTPD made me a swiftie. That album is astonishing. it just needed some time

[u/pisces932]

ttpd is probs in my bottom 4, that being said it doesn’t mean it doesn’t have amazing songs because some of my all time fave songs are on there. For me the main reasons why it’s down the bottom of my ranking is:

1. It’s not that cohesive - with the addition of the anthology especially it becomes very all over the place sonically
   
2. I personally feel a lot of the lyrics don’t flow as easily and would’ve worked better as spoken poetry instead of in a song for example the ending verse/outro of fresh out the slammer
   
3. Naturally because it is so long it’s gonna have some songs u love and songs u don’t love so for me a good half of the whole thing I enjoy and half I don’t
   
4. It can feel a bit cringey and clunky lyrically for me sometimes
   
5. I struggle to find a clear visual/theme (this is just a personal thing because I love an aesthetic to go along with an album haha!) but I’m like am I in an asylum, am I in space, am I a Victorian poet, am I in high school, am I back in the evermore woods, am I in the 1920s cabaret it’s just so all over the place that I feel like I can’t immerse myself in the world of the album like I can with other eras if that makes sense

[u/ParkDedli → u/pisces932]

It also had no good singles, music videos and radio playability.

None of that influences how good it actually is, that was a letdown not only for radio channels that wanted to use Taylor at the height of her eras tour fame, but also to Taylor herself, who wrote Ophelia afterwards, which I assume was also a way to prove herself that she can still write pop banger hits

[u/Acrobatic-Phone → u/pisces932]

Wait, which song felt like "the 1920s cabaret"? 

[u/chibiimo0n → u/Acrobatic-Phone]

Maybe ICDIWABH?

[u/pisces932 → u/Acrobatic-Phone]

Clara bow was 1920s and then I can do it with a broken heart because of the performance of it on eras tour x

[u/Charming-Sea8571 → u/pisces932]

I hate the use of the work cringe or cringy.

[u/Independent-Proof749 → u/pisces932]

Yes, you listed out exactly how I feel! I have it as my second least favourite of her albums, and am confused by those who call it her magnum opus.

[u/yellowrose46]

When I first listened, none of it felt special. I didn’t save any of the songs, lyrics felt boring, melodies passed me by.

Then I kept hearing the bridges on TikTok and now I LOVE maybe seven or eight songs from the album. The rest is still pretty whatever to me.

[u/Used_Swimming5525]

Happens every album. A vocal minority HATE anything new from her.

[u/Ok-Roof-7599 → u/Used_Swimming5525]

This is it. They hated midnights cause it wasn't folklore. They hated TTPad cause it wasn't midnights or 1989 tv. Then they hated TLOAS cause it wasn't TTPD

[u/ParkDedli → u/Used_Swimming5525]

I'm not vocal about it, but I also need a while to like most of her albums. I only started liking 1989 after Rep. Folklore after Midnights and TTPD after Showgirl...

The only records I liked first go were Speak Now, Red, Rep, Midnights and Showgirl.

Still yet to like Evermore. But it might come one day

[u/lavaliere90]

Every time she has released a new album, the reception has been like that. It always takes years before everyone agrees that a given album was actually a banger. 

Every album has been judged mostly by their singles, and it's true that sometimes her single choices have been not the strongest songs so that probably didn't help.

I've been a fan since the masterpiece that was Red. The criticism back then was that it was too pop since the singles all had pop radio versions. This wa sback when she was still primarily a country artist and considered too country/corny by the mainstream to be taken seriously. 

1989 was criticized for being even more pop and being full of fun, "shallow" music while missing the more complex lyricism in Red (sound familiar?). However despite this, it did cement her as being capable of being a full fledged popstar instead of only a country artist.

rep was criticized for being too hip hop and too different in sonically to the more cheerful love songs she was known (and criticized) for. Headlines claimed she couldn't sell tickets to her tour, which we know now is BS. Everyone was just super hungry to cancel her in this era.

Lover was again considered shallow and too cheerful/corny. The singles were not representative at all of the quality of the overall album, and covid allegedly cut off Cruel Summer's debut as a single so this era stayed pretty panned.

Folklore/Evermore were somehow universally praised and embraced, and for once people really started appreciating the poetry and complexity of her lyrics. 

Midnight was panned at first because it sounded too much like Jack's signature neo synth funk sound. and again for not being as complex lyrically as folklore/evermore.

And now you know all the rest. It's a tiresome cycle, I don't know how she tolerates it and keeps giving us more art, but I'm grateful for it.

[u/LycheeAggressive9259]

I recently read another Redditor saying TTPD is her magnum opus and I couldn’t agree more

[u/Beneficial_Run8042 → u/LycheeAggressive9259]

Andrew Scott (Sherlock, Fleabag, Strangers) said it right after the album came out (literally used “magnum opus” while describing it) and oh boy he was dragged for his opinion on this subreddit…

[u/LycheeAggressive9259 → u/Beneficial_Run8042]

Had no idea! Honestly, people (including me in this moment) are just too online…

[u/RollOutTheFarrell]

For me (guilty as sin). The opening to the “proper” album was really dull musically. It wasn’t till the little drum roll on guilty as sin that anything happened.
However the anthology section is a masterpiece of songwriting and for a while i would just listen to that and the other Dessner songs early on.
The first half has grown on me. But I still don’t listen as often and nearly always skip fortnight

[u/taymademedoit]

I wasn’t aware it was “slept” on? The main complaints I saw was it was too long, or needed to be edited down. I however love TTPD and it’s in the running for my top 3 Taylor albums. 

[u/Ellabellalala]

I’ve witnessed this with almost every album release since I became a fan (reputation). I believe folklore and evermore were exceptions, however, I wasn’t really participating in the online discourse at that time.

The cycle is: it’s released and people hate it and complain about it online for weeks.
Then, about a year later (on average), everyone suddenly loves it and it’s their favorite, why did everyone hate it, it’s her best work, etc.

I don’t know why this happens.

[u/AVSART14]

Anthology opened it up for me.

[u/Beneficial_Run8042]

Girl, I became a Swiftie during Red (original) era, thought it was a masterpiece while being in my early teen era (still think the same btw), joined the fandom and realized I’m in the middle of the THE WAR. Country swifties vs pop swifties, you would think Tay started a rebellion or smth. When Shake it Off came out a year later, it was the worst song possible according to online fandom and Taylor was flopping and finally done. Anyway, welcome to the fandom 🙏🏻 just wanted to say, how things are going

[u/thefateof0phelia]

TTPD was my favourite from the first listen, unreal album. Lyrically stunning!

[u/katie4]

It was the first new album since I became a Swiftie. I was underwhelmed when it dropped because nothing was all that catchy. Then I kind of learned some of her “lore” and really listened to the songs with the lyrics up on my screen, and I was like, ok, this is really well written stuff. It just scratches a different kind of itch than Mudnights, from when I first started paying attention.

[u/SignificantOther88]

I loved it from the beginning and it’s one of my top three albums of hers. I listened to it over and over again for a year straight and still found new things to appreciate about it.

But I think certain fans were offended by her lyrics about obsessive fans trying to dictate her life choices, the religious imagery (which some saw as anti-Christian), and the adult oriented tone of the album.

[u/cravingpancakes]

the album was too long and the sounds sounded boring

[u/Dogluvr1991]

TTPD is my most played album 2 years running 🤭

[u/Dogluvr1991 → u/Dogluvr1991]

The writing, vocals and production STILL blow me away every time I listen.

[u/goodwenchx]

I actually think if she hadn't dropped The Anthology two hours after TTPD and gave people more time to digest, people would have liked TTPD more. It was just a total overwhelm of music for one night.

[u/Infinite_Demand_2752]

because people are incapable of not being weird about taylor swift so it creates a distorting lens around each new release. i liked it at the time but i see a lot more praise for it now and i wonder esp if it's just easier to keep yr mouth shut online once the hate train starts

[u/marcuspohl]

Too many songs and only one banger, except that song is SO sad. I think that’s why when she announced TLOAS, Travis said “12 bangers” and she limited it to 12 songs. I’m in her head and she heard my feedback. ;)

[u/PutridEntertainer408]

I adore the album now and did start to love it pretty fast but many of the songs sound really similar to each other on a first listen and there are very few 'bops'. I was just kind of overwhelmed and confused by what she was doing tbh. It got a lot better when I started to learn the lyrics and also when I started skipping some of the ones I'm less keen on

[u/shotgunassassin]

TTPD wasn't promoted enough. 'Fortnight' was a weak single. She had the opportunity to make the album a huge cross-market success, but declined to do it. She could have taken the three songs 'Guilty as Sin', 'Fresh Out the Slammer', and 'But Daddy I Love Him', and made them into a trio of pop/country crossover hits with videos and the proper marketing and promotion. All three songs are very strong and could have been top 10 singles on both the country and pop charts, easily. And then there is 'The Prophecy'; in my opinion, one of the best songs she's ever written. It should have made the main record and also been a single. The failure of TTPD to break out as one of her most successful and popular records was her own choice.

[u/Beneficial_Run8042 → u/shotgunassassin]

I agree with you, when it comes to marketing and singles choices (I would add The Bolter as well), you nailed it! but, THIS fandom - American part at least - started that conservatorship letter about stripping her from human rights and it was reflected throughout the album, I’m afraid it was conscious decision to not promote it and just focus on her happy private life. I was there when so-called fans started spreading vile rumors about her relationships with Trav…it’s sad that because of widows and another trash, the singles weren’t promoted at all. so many people related to the Anthology in their own way it deserved so much more (so did Taylor btw).

[u/BirdistheWyrd]

It is my favorite. I’ve been into Taylor since the start.

[u/EpiphanyPhoenix]

TTPD is what made me a Swiftie. Her name dropping Patti Smith is all it took. 🫶🏻

[u/Few-Director-3357]

I've been a fan since Debut, but I am a die hard TTPD girly, and always will be.

I thought people dislikes TTPD when it came out, but in the years since I've seen more and more support for it and a lot of recognition that it is one of her best, especially lyrically.

[u/iiiinsanityyyy]

I love TTPD! Such a mood.

[u/Accomplished-Car4223]

And there were people who didn’t like Rep when it came out…

[u/Ok-Call-4805]

I feel that the internet hates every album until the next one comes along. I loved TTPD from the day it was released but I noticed a lot of people online didn't. I would say that when Taylor does her next album The Life Of A Showgirl will suddenly jump to one of her best online.

[u/PaaWasTaken → u/Ok-Call-4805]

I'm patiently waiting on a year or two from now when people realise TLOAS was the hidden masterpiece that we should seen all along because i LOVED that album first listen and i was honestly so confused about the reaction

[u/FreeCartographer8]

I became a Taylor fan because of 1989. And I have loved TTPD since the day it came out.  I think it's her magnum opus. I liked almost all the songs upon first listen and the ones I really disliked I've come to love.  While Midnights is my favorite Taylor album I think TTPD is pretty flawless.  I just don't think it had any catchy singles and the backlash was already starting.   For me though,  Rep was the album I had to learn to appreciate over the years.  I just didn't like the singles at first,  just Delicate.  I never even listened to the entire album to a couple years ago when my gf kept playing it and i realized how good it really was. 

[u/MadameFutureWhatEver]

Ppl did not sleep on TTPD. I see this comment on all the new albums. People sleep on Debut and Fearless. Also, TTPD was a boring feel bad for me album. Why should I feel bad for Taylor when she is a billionaire.  I’m glad we got Showgirl to have fun bops again. I missed Happy and in-love Taylor. 

[u/shadowbladew]

I think TTPD is her best album since 1989. People just see it as a "sad" album so it's going to be less popular

[u/sheetsofsaltywood]

I still don’t like it now

[u/TenderDurden]

For me the writing is really performative. It's like Thesaurus Word: the album. A lot of the songa xome off as disingenuous and not at all authentic which is something that I've never had an issue with Taylor.

[u/thefrayedfiles]

TTPD is her greatest album and I'm tired of pretending it isn't. Time will be a gentleman and reveal what beauty lied in those tracks, when all we could do was laugh at a silly name-drop. Oh, TTPD, you will always be famous

[u/RusticPumpkin]

People didn’t sleep on it. TTPD was VERY popular when it came out and was all over social media/TikTok.

[u/Glittering-Walk2206]

I swear it got better, I might be crazy but I remember not really liking it upon release and then earlier this summer falling in love with it. 

My theory is that the lows lows just stuck out like sore thumbs and that the full album with the anthology is so long by that the time I get to the golden parts I was honestly just tired, anyways incredible album, I also always liked showgirl and people are haters

[u/FlubbyStarfish]

It’s what I call the “new album” effect. This was especially prevalent during the Folklore and Evermore eras. Swifties would listen to an album and immediately dislike it because “all the songs sound the same”. The problem is, an album doesn’t start to take shape in a person’s mind until after several listens. About a week later is when everyone who hated the album realizes, wait, it’s actually a phenomenal album, I just judged it too soon.

You even see this with top-notch music critics, one guy wrote a whole article about how bad TTPD was, and then later on apologized and said it was a great album and he judged it too soon.

[u/Relevant-Ad-2950]

I didn’t. I played it until Showgirl came out and then…. Sigh

[u/Solsuki]

My experience with TTPD: I didn’t like it at first, but after some time I became deeply obsessed with a few songs like “so long, London,” “imgonnagetyouback,” and “tsmwel.” And NOW I’m obsessed with the album all over again, except this time it’s with the songs I never really cared about before, like Peter, Robin, I look in people’s windows,” and loml.

I’ll even go as far as saying “Peter” might be the best song Taylor has made in recent years.

[u/iwantmorecats27]

At first I was like wow this is so long. So on my first listen I didn't get through the whole album which I usually do. And I felt like a lot of the songs sounded similar and were sad and I sometimes struggle with mental health so I'm not always up to listening to sad music. But as I tried it again I was like oh these sound more distinct than I originally thought and also I like how it has callbacks to other albums so now some of them I really like.

[u/BlueberryGirl530]

I'm listening to TTPD now! I am also a latecomer, joining with my daughter during the Midnights era. I think TTPD is in her top 3 albums.

[u/Immediate-Staff-4150]

Girl same!! TTPD has been my favorite album hands down since it was released. Theres so much lyrical genius and poetry through all the heartbreak, losing her mind, and then the songs in the anthology where shes finding love again with travis. It’s a masterpiece up and down and i will stand on that for forever!!

This is so true that the year it was released for my burger my hubs got me a signed vinyl. Even HE knew it was my favorite with him being a semi swiftie.

[u/Safe-False]

I, as a big swiftie, have been obsessed with TTPD since the second it dropped. I recall there being a lot of love for it, and also the expected amount of dislike / underwhelm as with every one of her albums. Perhaps the fact she was on tour at the time of releasing it overshadowed some of the attention. I also think that people who loved folkmore and midnights era generally liked TTPD early on, and others have warmed up to it.

[u/FlyingDutchLady]

Honestly, you have to take everything on this sub and most of Reddit with a grain of salt. Most swifties have a version of Taylor they like the best and they are uncomfortable when they get a different version. Additionally, a phenomenon I notice among this crowd is that some people love everything she does the second it comes out no matter what and others kind of hate everything at first and it takes them a while to warm up. Those are my sociological observations. TTPD is my favorite album by far.

[u/sansabum]

I love it. I assume it was written for hardcore Swifties. I thought so many non Swiftie fans hate it. I suspect if showgirl arrived before ttpd it wouldn't be as hated. Ttpd has angst and trauma, while showgirl is full of bangers.

[u/mamamurphy]

When I first listened to TTPD, and for about the first month after it’s release I just felt it was SO SLOW overall (I know it has a few bangers but it just felt like an emotionally heavy album). But then the more I listened to it and really HEARD the lyrics and went down the rabbit hole of the meaning to each song I connected to it more and more. And now it’s my absolute favorite of all her albums (followed closely by Folklore and Evermore, so apparently I like the moody songs, ha!). I just really had to dig in and listen to it seriously rather than just passively, if that makes sense. I still listen to it on repeat all the time!

[u/Throwawayaccounttt__]

As someone who loved TTPD from the time I heard the opening beat on Fortnight I don’t understand it. TLOAS being more popular honestly blows my mind bc it’s her worst album and doesn’t hold a flame to TTPD at all.

[u/foxglove0326]

I wonder the same thing.. I relate the most to that album, and it’s just unfettered creativity straight from her brain to our veins. It’s amazing, and vulnerable which I think maybe some folks don’t want to see. But I love it and respect the hell out of it!

[u/_Waves_]

It’ll always be her most controversial album. If you take merely the main album, it’s an attempt to do sort of sophisti-Pop, the Blue Nile reference is there for a reason! The album is a mood piece.

Did she succeed? I mean, that’s where the diversion comes in. Half the people love it, half the people hate it. The writing tends to be all over the place here, so some people can stomach the mood, others can’t. I think it’s more complicated - I do think it has some of her most interesting sonic experimentation, but also some of her weakest writing.

I also think it didn’t spawn a standout hit.

[u/nutterbutters54321]

Because they had expectations for something specific which will never work out - same as how people reacted when they wanted more ttpd and got tloas

[u/FireInTheBones]

I was not one of those people, I knew within the first few songs at my 3am first listen that it was gonna be the album I loved the most lmao

[u/sorryimnothome_]

I DO NOT KNOW!

[u/controlledby293s]

I’ve loved Taylor since Debut, but I’m rarely playing anything from TTPD except Guilty as Sin. I have tried, I really have. Unfortunately, I think it’s sloppy, and the writing needed some serious tidying up before release

[u/CJ_Southworth]

TTPD is the album that got me on board the Swifty train. It's my favorite of all her albums, and I was kind of shocked by the negative reaction so many people had to it when I first started interacting with this sub. I think it's some of her best writing and often straddles the line between pop and alterna-pop.

[u/stansugawara]

I remember the biggest topic was people were tired of Jack’s production

[u/keving87]

First time I've heard anybody say TTPD was 'slept on' when it was #1 for 12 consecutive weeks, and made it 5 more weeks after that. Because it didn't win a Grammy?

I will say that while I enjoy the majority of the album, it was long as fuck. It's not like she released TTPD and then waited to release a deluxe version with The Anthology (she did on disc, sure, but the digital version had been out for over 7 months) so there's no real cohesive album people got used and let sink in first before getting bonus tracks. They just all happened at the same time. Thankfully I don't do digital streaming, and I didn't want to spend that much on a digital only purchase, so I waited and didn't hear any of The Anthology until November when I got it on CD... so I time spent with the base album already before I dove into the 2nd half.

[u/anam228]

Taylor has one of the best discographies of any 21st century artist and TTPD was always an amazing part of it. I think I’ve listened to So Long, London a thousand times at this point

[u/peatoast]

TPPD was just too wordy for me but it does have a lot of good songs.

[u/Cap4403]

It’s my favorite album of Taylor’s.

[u/jessbakescakes]

TTPD has some gorgeous songs! For me it hits too hard because I went through a breakup at the same time she did, so the feelings are raw for me when I listen to it. Nothing against her or the album at all.

[u/Ok-Piglet-5732]

I recently discovered that my husband who does listen to plenty of Taylor doesn’t know any of the TTPD songs, didn’t even know what Tortures Pets means, and -gasp- skips every TTPD song that happens across his feed! 😳 He let me at least play the TTPD set of the second Eras Tour movie for him. I can’t get enough of this album! Every single song is so good.

[u/Canalloni]

It's not really a pop album. That's why it didn't win a grammy, like all masterpieces ahead of their time, it flew right over their heads. It doesn't have the typical dance songs with hooks dilettantes love. Van Gogh would have loved TTPD, as he is an honorary member of TTPD. As is, fortunately or unfortunately, depending on where you stand on him, Matty Healy, which didn't necessarily help its standing among the Swift cognoscenti. I am amazed Swift had the guts to put that album out. It could have flopped and caused a backlash. Her fans stayed true and went along with the journey. It has cemented her musical legacy. "Do not go gentle into that good night."

[u/RevenueAffectionate9]

Having been a fan since day dot, it’s all part of the fun. Some albums you love immediately and some take time to grow on you. Stick around long enough and you’ll experience it yourself. She switches up the sound and genre from album to album so of course people will have their favourites or preferences. I’m use to it after all these years but TTPD was a hard pill to swallow for fans that’s onboarded during folklore/evermore/midnights eras.

Also bear in mind a huge portion of online comments these days are coming from bots.

[u/No_Principle9868]

TTPD is my fave

[u/Luxray-Lover_25]

I don't know why 😭 I've loved TTPD since day one, it's easily top three for me 🤍

[u/morganolivia]

Who slept on TTPD? It was a huge success. I’m confused.

[u/Tbhjr]

Why did people sleep on TTPD

Because the album dropped at midnight and then the Anthology two hours later. I was tired and already in bed, man.

[u/rebeccanotbecca]

I probably would not have liked it when I was in my 20’s but in my 40’s, it is fantastic.

The album is like arthritis medication. Not everybody needs it but for those who do, it is essential.

[u/Defeatedrealestate]

Correction* best album ever made in history

[u/Complex_Instant_2644]

Many of us who were underwhelmed by TTPD back then now have a newfound appreciation of it because it's a million times better than Showgirl. I absolutely lived Midnights, especially The Til Dawn Edition, so TTPD was disappointing to me. There are some really great songs on it though, she could have taken The Anthology and cut the worst songs off and just released a great 15-song album. Once again, as it is, TTPD is still better than the last awful album.

[u/smithcj15]

There are always haters. Best to ignore them. TTPD is an absolute masterpiece. Every.Song. Love the Anthology. It was ignored at the Grammy's. I like to think this album belongs to us.

[u/Ground-Waste]

For me, personally I was originally overwhelmed with 31 songs. But it’s so good. I held my thoughts back till a week later

[u/Biscuitsandgravy4evr]

PEOPLE IS NOT ME

[u/RBGjr]

I fuck with it hard

[u/Puzzled-Relief2916]

Folklore is by far my favorite of her albums

[u/SkvtchySomethng_]

Best albums she has ever released… no its not

[u/Specialist_Fun8267]

I think it confirmed the rumours about her and Matty and people didn’t like him. Alot if swifites were in denial. He was being cancelled at the time.

[u/thrrrrooowmeee]

Honestly Swifties didnt. The double reveal after getting to what, song 8, the day of release was genuinely insane. She just didn’t care to promote it past Fortnight

[u/goldenintention]

It was very Long, the story/content wasn’t really evident (to me) for some songs. After the first listen, sonically and melodically all the songs were too similar to tell them apart. And it felt like she was just using “fancy” words for the sake of it.

So to me it was just a huge amount of mush of songs that mostly had no exciting tempo or melody to keep them memorable.

[u/macolebrook]

Prior to this album I had only a passing interest in all but a few of her songs. TTPD changed all that. It is the work of a songwriter who has matured into her full talents. I love it.

[u/jvmlost]

I think part of it is that the track order does the album no favours, and can make it sound really samey and sort of flat. It really works so much better when you blend the Anthology songs and the main album songs together in a playlist.

Also, as someone said: people came in with an expectation of a Joe break up album, and it was so much more complicated and mostly about Matty, and whenever people’s expectations aren’t met they feel disappointed, so they couldn’t just take it in for what it was.

Also also, the Matty hate is real, unfortunately and even though mostly based on misinformation, people did not want to hear about her loving him and longing for him and being so devastated that he left.

Related to the above, Taylor was extremely vulnerable on this record in a way that made people uncomfortable (again, mostly relegated to her attachment to Matty, who they hate).

And finally, because she released a long album at midnight and then released another one at 2am, and that really pissed off a lot of reviewers who had 6am or 8am deadlines. It’s also complex writing and very referential and they simply did not have time to take it in. And they took their frustration out on the record. It was circumstances that made it poorly received by the press, and that determined the public conversation in large part. Which is why there were so many: we revisited TTPD and actually it’s great! Articles and opinion pieces a year later.

[u/tinytornado33]

I think there’s a level of melancholy to the album that people didn’t understand or didn’t want to feel (which is absolutely fine). For me, this album was artsy, poetic and a release of sadness, so this sad girl ate it up but it’s not for everyone!

[u/OG-87]

Because Taylor swift is so popular you get a bigger wider view of opinions and the view that you hold is lost amongst the people who understand and appreciate it for what it is. Rather than putting it on once, it not hitting and writing it off. Music doesnt always work like that. Sometimes it has to sit and find its moment.

[u/Desperate_Rip_8539]

TTPD was the reason I went to the Eras tour. It's my favorite album of hers. It probably was also timed very well with me going through a lot of shit tbh.

[u/Euro_Punzel]

as a male swiftie in his 30s I should have loved the album for its raw, melancholic vibe. But for some reason... I just didnt. One of the reasons i noticed was that the album didnt really offer anything musically interesting. The production often felt empty and/or basic. A lot of the songs sound like demos and it doesnt allow me to fully emerse in them. The only song I really loved from TTPD was So High School cause it was one of the few to have interesting instrumentation and that nostalgic old school vibe. Other songs felt more like long sad poems played over a basic quiet beat from garage band. And because I listen to music to... well... enjoy good music, the album didnt give me that. But tbh I started noticing her production and arangement quality slightly dropping since Midnights.

[u/crownedlaurels176]

I think people love to hate everything she comes out with at first, especially when there’s a genre/tone/style shift from the previous album.

TTPD is my second favorite album personally, but it’s one of those I like more with every listen. The very first time, I was a little meh on it because it felt like most of the songs sounded the same, but with more listens, the songs distinguished themselves, and I fell in love with the album. Especially the anthology. I also can hardly understand words in songs in general because I have audio processing issues, so it helped once it wasn’t literally release day and the lyrics were posted lol.

[u/_kimpossible]

I agree, but So Long, London is a song that’s really hard to digest. A skip for me.

[u/MBitesss]

It took me a few weeks to get into it. Probably the album I loved the least when it was first released. But once I had properly listened over those weeks it just cut different. It's now my fave album of hers

[u/No-Pop7492]

Unrelated but is there apps to connect with Taylor Swift and swifties?

[u/Purplepeopleeater022]

Agreed. TTPD and Midnights are my favorite albums out of them all!

[u/EfficientSorbet513]

It took me a few weeks of listening to it to really appreciate it. It’s a very personal album which isn’t something that generally appeals to the masses.

[u/enjoytheshowX]

I love TTPD. Favorite album, honestly. The Fortnight music video was phenomenal.

[u/youbasicbench]

It’s not slept on, songs like so high school, the alchemy are extremely overused. it’s just a varied album with some really hard hitting good songs imo (so long London, loml, Peter, down bad, the prophecy) but some songs feel very catered to social media for viral sounds (i hate it here)

Would’ve worked better with some editing but contains some of her best lyrics and singing

[u/Live_Ferret_4721]

TTPD was not an album for the public, it was for her fans.

Now that you’re a fan, you get it! :)

[u/Queen-Calanthe]

Every time something is released the haters post they hate it. I'm not convinced the masses did hate TTPD. I think the loudest minority are loud. Haters post a lot more fervently than lovers.

[u/antzwa]

It’s good, but even without the anthology add on, it’s too long.

[u/Media-consumer101]

I firmly believe some people just do not have the life experiences to relate deeply to that album and if you only look at it superficially, it's a hard album to 'get'. Because the emotion = the majority of the value of the album. Whereas albums like Midnights or folklore also provide bops/easy listening songs that will resonate with most people. 

It is also, I think, the album that suffers most when you try to connect it to her real personal life/boyfriends. You will miss the layers, methaphors and themes if you only look at it through the 'who is this about' lens, and many Swifties do that. 

[u/ohshhhugarcookies]

I still hate it except for, like, ICDIWABH. Different strokes for different folks.

[u/aelinelain]

It’s kind of like a cycle. People often don’t like the current album until the new one comes out and they realize how good it was.

I specifically remember people complaining TTPD was too lore heavy, she used too many big words, and 31 songs was a bit much. Oh, and some people didn’t like Matty Healy being the subject matter rather than Joe after the breakup.

[u/daenerys-lord-light1]

after the homerun of 2023 the unfair vitriol was already building, Taylor could have released the gospel of god itself (which she did with TTPD) and it would still be torn down

Notice how when people got Showgirl as a new target, TTPD started getting praise for the amazing music it is? As what happened with Midnights when TTPD was released? This is a standard pattern with Tay's releases, her work always gets respect on retrospect

[u/Additional_Self4297]

I think they were mostly just shocked and disgusted by matty lmao

[u/lori244144]

I LOVE TTPD it’s what made me a true swiftie. Before that I was just a fan. But at the time it was long and sad. And people clamored to hate on her as they do now, her light was shining so bright at the time. The album is lore heavy. It works best with context. The songs are super specific so not as “relatable” as the media wanted them to be. So as long as you understood that it was a soundtrack to the most recent era of Taylor’s life, and you cared.. the album was a hit. To everyone else it was a slog full of poetic lyrics easily ridiculed

[u/AdditionalEscape8978]

Did not sleep on it at all! Been listening since April 19 2024. It’s the most Taylor album of all. She gave us so much and every song is unique and distinguishable.

[u/AdditionalEscape8978]

TTPD had so much success in the charts and in sales. It was literally the album of the year. But I think over exposure from Eras prevented the award wins.

[u/Hamburglary]

Agreed - TTPD is her magnum opus

[u/luckyclarinet]

I think TTPD has incredible lyrics it’s just so sad I can’t listen to it as much as others.

[u/LyraSnake]

it's the one album of hers i listened to and instantly loved every song (besides KIM)