Pop sensation Taylor Swift has quite a few strengths, but one of the most important assets that she boasts is her widespread and religious fanbase. With an almost cultlike dedication to Swift, her fans, also popularly known as Swifties, have defended her staunchly, time and again, on social media and other platforms. In fact, they play a crucial role in setting trends and pulling Swift to the top amid criticism and the toughest of competition. But every coin has two sides, and Taylor’s fanbase is no exception to the saying.
Swift reached every nook and corner of the world with the release of her much-anticipated album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department‘. Though the recently released album has already gained much acclaim from many, some are also criticizing it — but not without a disclaimer given the tendency of Swifties to fight back any criticism that comes their icon’s way.
“We Care More About The Safety Of Our Staff”: Paste Magazine Pens An Editor’s Note With Anonymous Critique Of Taylor Swift’s Album
Amidst the fervent praise from Taylor Swift’s devoted fanbase for her recently released album ‘The Tortured Poets Department‘, there emerged a discordant note from Paste Magazine. The magazine published a rather scathing review for her latest album. Written anonymously, the review rated the album a modest 3.6 out of 10.
However, the magazine also clarified the reason behind choosing to publish the review anonymously due to threats of violence against the writer in the past. In an X post of the review, the magazine noted in the caption that a previous critique of Swift’s ‘Lover‘ album in 2019 had drawn some heavy threats for the writer, which has made it necessary for the magazine to preserve the identity of the writer this time.
“Editor’s Note: There is no byline on this review because, in 2019, when Paste reviewed ‘Lover,’ the writer was sent threats of violence from readers who disagreed with the work. We care more about the safety of our staff than a name attached to an article,” the post’s caption read.
Editor’s Note: There is no byline on this review due to how, in 2019 when Paste reviewed ‘Lover,’ the writer was sent threats of violence from readers who disagreed with the work. We care more about the safety of our staff than a name attached to an article.
— Paste Magazine (@PasteMagazine) April 19, 2024
The publication’s decision to protect the identity of the writer to guard them from potential backlash drew mixed responses. While some observers commended Paste Magazine for prioritizing the safety of its writers, others questioned the validity of the review. Some even went a step ahead and labeled the article as an attempt to trigger gossip under the garb of critique.
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What Does The Paste Magazine’s Anonymous Review Say About ‘The Tortured Poets Department’?
Taylor Swift’s penchant for weaving literary references into her music has managed to impress many over her long and laudable career. The singer has managed to create some highly acclaimed pieces of music with references to iconic figures such as Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson. Her latest album is no exception.
She has done it again in ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ with imageries of Macbeth, The Secret Garden, The Great Gatsby, and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Her songs also have references to to Patti Smith, Dylan Thomas, Emily Dickinson, and Greek mythology among others.
Paste Magazine, however, has remained unimpressed. It has slammed Swift’s work in the album while also suggesting that the critic “can’t help but infantilise the very people who buy into her music and drive her successes upwards in the first place. ”The critic bashed Swift’s lyricism as the “worst…to date,” denying that she has any talent worth her title of “songwriter of the century.”
The critic also opined that the album lacks innovation, suggesting that Swift may have grown complacent in her artistry. However, the critic did concede that the album wasn’t entirely devoid of merit.
Meanwhile, the surprise double-track album is a hit in terms of commercial success, as Billboard reported that it has so far achieved an impressive 1.4 million pure sales on its first day of release in the US alone. ‘The Tortured Poets Department‘ has thus become the top-selling album of 2024 so far.
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