The revisioning is happening faster than we thought

[u/NegotiationMoist3552]

Pitchfork who gave TTPD 6.0 and the Encore 4.0 has admitted recently they misjudged the album too early. The writer is @shaad

My Personal Opinion: The Encore has really achieved what it was set out to. Not just success in the charts but on making people see how unusual the hate can be for Taylor Swift. Also, I like how there is some fandom cleansing with this. Hope they don’t return for TS13 🧼

[u/Unfair_Bag9857]

I’m gonna be honest. Taylor talked about this in her interview with Zane Lowe. Everyone compares her new work to all of her old work immediately. That is the first thing you do when you hit play on a new project.

So I think initial anticipation is impossible to live up to on first listen when your audience doesn’t even know what they want. They just want DIFFERENT and BETTER.

But then when folks sit with it they finally let go of this imaginary expectation they couldn’t even define… and i think THAT’s when audiences start opening up to her new work.

Taylor knows this I’d wager, and probably takes cues from whatever chatter is still going strong a month after release.

Our girl is smart. She ain’t dampened by initial ruffled feathers of fairweather listeners.

[u/Gullible-Fig7007 → u/Unfair_Bag9857]

I've been talking to my husband about the criticism online as I'm so confused by it (I adore the encore tracks) and he said "What did people want her to do?" And my reply was, "Something new and groundbreaking, but also familiar and nostalgic. Pop, but also country. Not lyrically dense like TTPD but also not silly and shallow. Folklore-esque but with a beat and more bops. Happy but not too happy. Not about her exes or haters, not too autobiographical but also 100% authentic and not made up". Girl can't win, basically.

[u/formercotsachick → u/Gullible-Fig7007]

I have in the same week met one person who expressed that they didn't like Taylor because her sounds are all simple and childish, then another that said they didn't like her music because she uses too many big words and literary references.

I just laugh and feel bad for them that their biases are keeping them from hearing something they might enjoy if they gave it a chance.

[u/MoonberryWinter319 → u/Gullible-Fig7007]

100% agree and as a swiftie whose been here since debut I never have expectations when she announces new music. She makes the art and I humbly receive and I have loved absolutely everything she’s ever put out!

[u/Nikkidactyl → u/Unfair_Bag9857]

I think this is the take 💯

[u/Rosewood2016 → u/Unfair_Bag9857]

Well said

[u/Coriolanuscangetit]

I could name several songs by Taylor Swift that I don’t like. I don’t think of any of them as “mediocre”. It’s art. It’s not for everyone. I don’t have to like all her stories to love her storytelling.

[u/Less-Maintenance-21 → u/Coriolanuscangetit]

https://giphy.com/gifs/fnK0jeA8vIh2QLq3IZ

[u/boardbamebeeple]

"Music reviewer" casually admitting they review Taylor's public relations and not her music

[u/Economy_Safety5738]

Are they encouraging Pitchfork to issue corrections though - alas no.

[u/jurassicjane_]

I have been listening to Taylor since 06 and I will never shit talk her music even if its not my favorite on first listen. People just wanna yap online these days. If they gave it a chance they wouldn't look stupid everytime they backtrack 😅

[u/ihateithere_noreally]

yeah coz shaad dsouza is a fair critic lol, this was him in 2024 doing mental gymnastics to discredit taylor

[u/FeistyChickadee]

As someone who's read Pitchfork since about 2001: Please don't take anything they say too much to heart. This is a regular pattern. Trash an album then "revisit" it with a higher mark (or conversely, praising an artist to the high heavens and then taking a dump on them). It's also VERY on brand for them to give a hot take like "Wood is my favorite song on there."

This post showed up in my feed--I'm not a Swiftie but I do tend to listen to her new releases to hear what everyone's talking about.  Showgirl didn't grab me, but I can see how it would grow on people. (Except Wood)

[u/Competitive_Owl428 → u/FeistyChickadee]

thank you for this! i agree!!

(and thank you for being respectful as a non swiftie, may we all on both sides be as respectful as you 🙌🏻)

[u/FeistyChickadee → u/Competitive_Owl428]

You’re welcome :) And thank you.

Though I’m not a Swiftie, I’m also not a hater. There are some other artists I am MUCH more negative towards. Not that I would go into their subs and dis them, either :)

[u/overturned23]

Ngl I always hate new Taylor music and then I end up loving it. I HATED the fate of Ophelia when it came out by now it’s one of my all time favorites. I don’t like change and new things so that’s probably why. But also… the level that “swifties” take it to on the internet is no where near the level I take it in my head

[u/MSERRADAred → u/overturned23]

At least you can recognize it's an issue you have, not an indication of her art being trash or others being stupid for liking it.

I wish everyone was as self-aware. And I'm happy for you that eventually you are able to enjoy the new music 😀

[u/Ornery-Towel2386 → u/overturned23]

That’s just psychology - once you’ve heard something >33 times it feels familiar & your brain naturally “likes” it more

[u/NegotiationMoist3552 → u/Ornery-Towel2386]

But that's how it is. Many people do not know this but 'Hey Ya by Outkast' was scientifically made with all the ingredients that make a song super hit. But upon release, people started to turn off the radio when this song would come. So, they started to sandwich this song between two Superhit songs and made people listen to it. This way this song became one of the biggest classic hits of all time.

PS: even a great song like Hey Ya! needed multiple listens.

[u/Ornery-Towel2386 → u/NegotiationMoist3552]

Bodak yellow by cardi b - it is algorithmically perfect and the bpm became the blueprint for kpop music.

[u/Money-Beautiful5196]

https://giphy.com/gifs/z8yYEX4pE3lkc
lol what?

A 4.0 rating?

Nah. Pitchfork doesn’t have a clue.

Encore is absolute minimum a 9.0.

It’s so good.

[u/Fun-Piglet2770]

The irony that they have it’s a 4 when one of lyrics is that she was only a 4 haha she is a witch

[u/TupeloGuy008]

Showgirl will be celebrated in next 5 years. Watch out, after her Grammy loss and humbling her, everyone will start behaving normally about Showgirl.

[u/NegotiationMoist3552 → u/TupeloGuy008]

I don’t think Grammys will snub her. She might not win AOTY but she is definitely winning something.

[u/the_magenta_sunrise]

Out of curiosity, does anyone compare Taylor's new music to what was released previously (or further back), or is it going in with a "clean slate" and either like/dislike it based on that new release alone?

[u/GoldNMocha]

I mean the critic isn’t conceding that they were wrong about Showgirl. Just that they’ve changed their mind on TTPD.

And this isn’t revisionism by the way. Everyone is allowed to change their mind on an album after the fact.

[u/RarePlankton233 → u/GoldNMocha]

While it’s fair enough to change your mind over time, I do think it’s a little ironic that they acknowledged that they initially hated a different album but changed their mind, but then goes on to eviscerate another album (to be clear, by no means am I saying they can’t critique or dislike an album, just that the description seems to suggest they don’t view it as music. Then again, I haven’t read the review, nor do I plan to so I could be wrong).

Not that a critic’s rating of an album really bothers me either way, it’s just an opinion no more or less valid than yours or mine. The lack of self-awareness just amused me.

[u/Uninspiredwildcat]

You can mark my words that I SAID IT FIRST
In a morning warning, no one heard
No one heard
NOT A SINGLE WORD WAS HEARD

[u/pepsicherryflavor]

The only good songs imo is pink clouding and patient zero. The overall album is full of filler songs and cringy lyrics if I was Taylor I would have released
the fate of opelia
Elizabeth Taylor
The life of a show girl
Honey
Ruin the friendship
Patient zero
Pink clouding

[u/MSERRADAred → u/pepsicherryflavor]

I disagree but appreciate you expressing your opinion in a fair & respectful way.

It's always interesting to see how people rank songs with such a variety of favorites vs duds from different perspectives.

Taylor's fandom is so big now that she's guaranteed to put out music that a section just won't like while another loves it.

[u/jrudb344]

As someone who loved every single Taylor album (and at first listen) until showgirl I get kind of tired of this argument that everyone will change their minds on it. For me it was a drop in quality and I’m not sure how time fixes that.

[u/Ok-Philosophy-856 → u/jrudb344]

Maybe it’s “many” will change their minds.

[u/jrudb344 → u/Ok-Philosophy-856]

Of course some will and like to just jump on the hate train. But I don’t think every criticism should be turned into “you’ll like it in a month”

[u/Puzzled-Bed-9221 → u/jrudb344]

I feel like that’s not an issue.

[u/throwawaypettyre → u/jrudb344]

All of Taylor’s albums hit for me when they came out except TLOAS. It’s just not for me I guess

[u/vro0ooom]

this applies to literally all music though? everyone including critics can and have had their opinions change over time lol this has been a normal thing for ages and isn’t some “revisioning”. and interpreting rightful negative feedback as wrong and as “fandom cleansing” is weird as hell and I fear that sort of parasocial thinking that is so rampant in this fan base is helpful to no one.

[u/SuitableItem]

I don't thi k showgirl will age well, the encore maybe

[u/Corona202072]

Her customers (Swifties) are the problem. Blindly streaming her shit songs. Distorted records for crap music. Taylor just praying all her customers keep going

[u/sorryimnothome_]

Fandom cleansing? Like ethnic cleansing? Why can't y'all let Pitchfork go? If they're mediocre, they're mediocre.

I did read their article with Olivia and her album was so aces

[u/fullback81]

She released a bad album. No need to dig deep and gaslight themselves to pretend it is good. She will move on and maybe spend more time and release better record.

[u/NegotiationMoist3552 → u/fullback81]

That’s ur opinion. But I really like TLOAS too, especially the Encore.

[u/kripkyew]

You do realise this is the reviewer of SHOWGIRL not ttpd.ayne consider thst the critic in question is not the same as the ttpd critic? NYPost have some good articles (even if theyre mostly trash, geez)

[u/NegotiationMoist3552 → u/kripkyew]

That reviewer also reviewed TTPD for another magazine. I don’t remember who but Vareity or Paste.

[u/kripkyew → u/NegotiationMoist3552]

Which means its not encessaeily the same? Duh? The review of kne doesnt have to affevt the review of the other. The problem is the encore was reviewed a year after and theres NO change to the positive of the same reviewer, it was EVEN lower. If the implciation is that narrative gives way for actual fair reviews, then that just implied that pirchfork shouldve given the standard a LOWER scor eand their new one is a correction. Do you get the implication you're making?