if I had a nickel for every time aaron dessner rescued a taylor swift release via a double album surprise drop done in the early morning hours, I’d have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice !!!
The knee jerk takeaway honestly was wow, what a WILD thing to double, more like triple down on. Like most people just have a manic post-major-breakup episode and then wake up one day like well… whatever THAT was, it’s over thank god. But not her! This…. This is what you wanna say? You can’t really take this back so are you sure?? I mean that’s the insane woman I married alright. I love her but christ alive!
really not a fan of the album. yes of course I need to let it sit and give some time to process. but my gut feeling as of right now is that just was not it. sonically and lyrically. even aesthetically. and subject matter. I just know in my heart she could have created something so much more… I don’t even know what???
maybe it’s because I spent some distance from the fandom as of late, or the overuse of synth or her borderline apathetic tone about the same entire disaster of the situation around this same time last year, and the sour taste resurfacing in my mouth. but gosh I just um. was not feeling it tonight. just being real with y’all.
by all means enjoy the night if you’re having a great time. I sincerely love that for you. but I’ll just be over here unenthused because it might take me a real long minute to come around to this one.
on a high note though, my baby Flo was glowing in that song. as she always does.
last thing: I know there were a handful of good moments that I enjoyed. but they came few and far between. (but one I did enjoy was the outro to The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived. I also quite liked So Long, London. but for now, my memory is saying I think that’s it for me.)
we were a fresh page on the desk filling in the blanks as we go // don’t read the last page // I don't even know what page you're on // this is me praying that this was the very first page, not where the storyline ends // the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now // my veins of pitch black ink // dear reader, burn all the files, desert all your past lives // you said it was a great love, one for the ages, but if the story's over, why am I still writing pages?
Taylor Swift and other poets in conversation with Roland Barthes's "The Death of the Author" (1967) and Michel Foucault's "What is an Author?" (1969)
I want to say thank you to @ttpds @youmeetyourself and @ohdorothea. This post would not exist were it not for your musings on the topic, our conversations, and your encouragement. Seriously, thank y'all.
Sources:
Unless otherwise noted, lyrics are from Genius and screenshots/scans/etc are from taylorpictures.net
Barthes, Roland. "The Death of the Author"
"delicate" music video
"Dear Reader" lyrics
Foucault, Michel. "What is an Author?"
"Style" music video
"mirrorball" lyrics
Barthes
Taylor Swift before singing "betty" on the Eras Tour in Glendale, AZ on March 17, 2023 (text from @cages-boxes-hunters-foxes)
Siken, Richard. "The Torn-up Road" in The Iowa Review
Promotional image for The Tortured Poets Department from Swift's social media
Savage, Mark "Midnights: What we know about Taylor Swift's songwriting" for BBC.com
Foucault
reputation prologue
Barthes
Promotional image for The Tortured Poets Department
Barthes
Halsey. "Gasoline" lyrics
"mirrorball" lyrics
Barthes
Florence & the Machine. "King" lyrics
"Dear Reader" lyrics
Foucault
"22" lyrics
Foucault
"Out of the Woods" music video
"...ready for it?" music video
"Anti-Hero" music video
"look what you made me do" music video
"if you're anything like me" from the reputation magazines
Foucault
Album covers for the Taylor's Versions of Fearless, Red, Speak Now, and 1989
Taylor Swift in Musicians on Musicians: Taylor Swift & Paul McCartney for Rolling Stone
"look what you made me do" music video
"the lakes" lyrics
Foucault
"look what you made me do" handwritten lyrics from the reputation magazines
"my tears ricochet" lyrics
Foucault
"my tears ricochet" lyrics
"look what you made me do" music video
Foucault
"hoax" lyrics
"why she disappeared" from the reputation magazines