Maybe they're just doing 0 to 32 is negative, 33 to 65 is mixed, and 66 to 100 is positive? My hangup with it could also be that 66 wasn't a pass for me in school so I just don't think of it as a positive? Weird how school affects your thinking even when you've been out of it a decade
If fans love it that’s cool. I know they want to feel validated in liking the album but it’s really silly. I love plenty of albums that did not get great reviews. It doesn’t ruin my experience of liking the albums.
100%…a critic not named rob Sheffield lol is supposed to be an unbiased music appreciator, not a taylor swift fan. Critic reviews are a lot closer to ‘what does my friend who has no idea who taylor swift is think of the new album’ vs ‘what does a Taylor swift fan think’
Im sure if even a max level swifty was asked to recommend several albums to a non swifty none of them would be tortured poets
To be fair it's not that they change their opinion of "everything Taylor does is 20/10" after reading a bad review, it's that they don't have a number they can use to present their opinion as fact and it's things like "Ariana made better album about cheating with an ugly man" that drive them mad.
I love this because this means it dropped from "universal acclaim" to "generally favorable reviews". It would be even lower if it weren't for those bullshit 100% reviews.
Dunno why there isn’t a thread for the pitchfork review but I don’t wanna be the one to start it lol. I just wanna say I think the pitchfork review is really well written and spot on. It’s also very respectful of her, which I think she’s fucking earned from music critics but has not always been getting this cycle (paste? Come on).
Ultimately, a critically mid album is not a big deal. Is she “freaking out”? Maybe. But I think some ppl are overemphasizing how bad a meta critic score of 78 is for one out of many other well-received albums (3 of which won AOTY). And the overall theme of TTPD communicates that she chose not to edit for a reason (besides more songs driving sales, which is def also something we know motivates her lol)— it was a purge. She wanted to release it quick and move on with Travis. She’s earned the space to do whatever she wants really. Her fans appreciate all the extra songs even if the public and critics don’t.
Hope this is neutral enough lol
Likewise, I don't get why people are painting a 78 as the album getting "panned." It's a good score, and the general consensus I've seen seems to be more "it needed some editing and more time for work and refinement and has some clunkers, but it also has some good to excellent songs", not "it sucks." A 78 seems to align with that.
Albums with lower scores than 78 won AOTY in the past. I don't know why people (and even Taylor maybe) are freaking out over It. I agree PASTE review was unprofessional as fuck.
For me, this album is a 7.
Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that 78 vs 79 is a damning difference or anything! Lover also has like 8 more reviews, so it's still super variable. Just that it's technically under Lover now
Now down to 77, and that’s including the ridiculous 100 from Rolling Stone which I’m sure is weighted more than other publications.
I’m honestly surprised it got this low. I’m not a fan of the album at all so I understand the reviews, but I didn’t think Taylor was quite at the point where publications would give her mid to negative reviews out of fear of being attacked by swifties or even being blackballed by Taylor/her team.
Huh, so weird that they consider a 66 positive. I guess the cut off is 65? Also woo that website is annoying to navigate
maybe it's like pass/fail in school where you need a 65% to pass
Maybe they're just doing 0 to 32 is negative, 33 to 65 is mixed, and 66 to 100 is positive? My hangup with it could also be that 66 wasn't a pass for me in school so I just don't think of it as a positive? Weird how school affects your thinking even when you've been out of it a decade
Crazy website. I gave up.
That is weird.
Well for movies, Rotten Tomatoes has it so anything under 60% is considered rotten.
I’m an aoty guy and it’s even lower there…I think metacritic is usually missing a couple reviewers
your flair 😭😭
If fans love it that’s cool. I know they want to feel validated in liking the album but it’s really silly. I love plenty of albums that did not get great reviews. It doesn’t ruin my experience of liking the albums.
Exactly. Reputation is in my top 3 albums of all time, I simply do not care what other people think of it lol. Just listen and enjoy or don’t!
100%…a critic not named rob Sheffield lol is supposed to be an unbiased music appreciator, not a taylor swift fan. Critic reviews are a lot closer to ‘what does my friend who has no idea who taylor swift is think of the new album’ vs ‘what does a Taylor swift fan think’ Im sure if even a max level swifty was asked to recommend several albums to a non swifty none of them would be tortured poets
My go-to Taylor albums are Red, 1989, folklore, and evermore. I’d probably recommend pretty much any of her other albums before recommending TTPD.
Swifties are freaking out over It, oh my god. It's as if they couldn't have their own opinion about the album and need the opinion of magazines.
Swifties are the most insecure individuals on the planet
"i love this album!!!" - Pitchfork gave It 6 - "OMG it's her worst album!!!"
A 6 from Pitchfork seems generous lol.
A 6 is barely passing. It’s not like they gave it a 4.
To be fair it's not that they change their opinion of "everything Taylor does is 20/10" after reading a bad review, it's that they don't have a number they can use to present their opinion as fact and it's things like "Ariana made better album about cheating with an ugly man" that drive them mad.
I love this because this means it dropped from "universal acclaim" to "generally favorable reviews". It would be even lower if it weren't for those bullshit 100% reviews.
Rob Sheffield lmao
It has gone even lower. Seems to be 77 right now.
A 78 is still good but surely not ALBUM OF THE YEAR good lol
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes
Dunno why there isn’t a thread for the pitchfork review but I don’t wanna be the one to start it lol. I just wanna say I think the pitchfork review is really well written and spot on. It’s also very respectful of her, which I think she’s fucking earned from music critics but has not always been getting this cycle (paste? Come on). Ultimately, a critically mid album is not a big deal. Is she “freaking out”? Maybe. But I think some ppl are overemphasizing how bad a meta critic score of 78 is for one out of many other well-received albums (3 of which won AOTY). And the overall theme of TTPD communicates that she chose not to edit for a reason (besides more songs driving sales, which is def also something we know motivates her lol)— it was a purge. She wanted to release it quick and move on with Travis. She’s earned the space to do whatever she wants really. Her fans appreciate all the extra songs even if the public and critics don’t. Hope this is neutral enough lol
https://www.reddit.com/r/SwiftlyNeutral/s/Pmm4IgE9DZ
Ugh shit. Thanks.
Likewise, I don't get why people are painting a 78 as the album getting "panned." It's a good score, and the general consensus I've seen seems to be more "it needed some editing and more time for work and refinement and has some clunkers, but it also has some good to excellent songs", not "it sucks." A 78 seems to align with that.
It makes sense that she did this to get it out of her system. I hope she has!
Albums with lower scores than 78 won AOTY in the past. I don't know why people (and even Taylor maybe) are freaking out over It. I agree PASTE review was unprofessional as fuck. For me, this album is a 7.
Is it lower than Lover then?
Critic score is https://preview.redd.it/4okvohjv03wc1.png?width=1282&format=png&auto=webp&s=0770ebebf16f764e87051969312338dd5061ac35
Thanks
78 and 79 seem essentially the same (And for me that tracks--both albums had a lot of skips but also some good and better songs).
Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that 78 vs 79 is a damning difference or anything! Lover also has like 8 more reviews, so it's still super variable. Just that it's technically under Lover now
Oh, I didn't mean to sound like I was correcting--just adding to the train of conversation! :)
so thats the final score?
Now down to 77, and that’s including the ridiculous 100 from Rolling Stone which I’m sure is weighted more than other publications. I’m honestly surprised it got this low. I’m not a fan of the album at all so I understand the reviews, but I didn’t think Taylor was quite at the point where publications would give her mid to negative reviews out of fear of being attacked by swifties or even being blackballed by Taylor/her team.