Many people have strong opinions about Taylor Swift, but when it comes to one publication’s official evaluation of the singer-songwriter’s new album “The Tortured Poets Department,” the writer of the critical review will remain unnamed.
Paste Magazine shared its unfavorable assessment of Swift’s new album on Friday without a credited author, and an editor’s note on the publication’s site X account explained the reason.
“There is no credited author for this evaluation due to how, in 2019 when Paste reviewed ‘Lover,’ the writer received threats of violence from readers who disagreed with the work. We prioritize the safety of our team over attaching a name to an article,” the post explains.
The evaluation, titled Taylor Swift Strikes Out Looking on ‘The Tortured Poets Department,’ is a strongly critical analysis of the Grammy-winning artist’s double album (it begins with the statement, “Sylvia Plath did not stick her head in an oven for this!”), so it’s understandable why Paste was concerned about the potential anger from Swift fans worldwide.
Paste’s evaluation is currently the only “negative” assessment of “The Tortured Poets Department” on Metacritic, with a score of 36, while The New York Times review is a mixed 60 — the publication’s reviewer mentioned that the most impactful moments of this new album “would be even more powerful without excess, but instead the clutter lingers.”
These assessments differ from the highly positive reviews from Rolling Stone and Variety, while social media is already flooded with memes inspired by the breakup album theme of Swift’s 11th studio effort — as well as explanations decoding which songs are about whom and what.
The dedication of Swift’s fans led to an incredibly successful 2023 for the artist, during which she significantly boosted local economies due to demand for her Eras Tour, revolutionized the conventional Hollywood distribution model with her self-funded concert film, and increased NFL ratings by supporting boyfriend Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs.
Fans also believe “The Tortured Poets Department” will not be the only new music from Swift in 2024 — there is widespread speculation that her next “Taylor’s Version” release will be her 2017 album “Reputation.”
Get ready.
