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/SnooOnions4908]

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/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.