Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department is dismissed as 'flat and cringe

Release time：2024-05-21 16:52:55 Source：Culture Cross news portal

The reviews are in, and they're mostly positive. 

But while critics have generally praised Taylor Swift's sprawling new album and fans have gleefully set about cracking each of its numerous lyrical Easter eggs, one outlet has offered a stinging appraisal of The Tortured Poets Department. 

The album is already on course to be the fastest-selling long-player of 2024, having shifted an incredible 183,826 units in the United Kingdom alone and outselling every other artist in the top 40 since its release on April 19. 

The figure dwarfs that of Beyoncé, whose recent country-infused album Cowboy Carter was previously the UK's fastest-selling of the year with average sales of 40,000 copies. 

It also puts Taylor, 34, on course for her 12th UK number one album when the chart  is officially announced on April 26, matching pop pioneer Madonna's record for the most number-one LP's released by a female artist. 

While critics have generally praised Taylor Swift 's sprawling new album, one outlet has offered a stinging appraisal of The Tortured Poets Department

The album is already on course to be the fastest-selling long-player of 2024, having shifted an incredible 183,826 units in the United Kingdom alone since its release on April 19

However respected alternative music outlet NME have pushed against the grain of positive reviews to offer a withering assessment of her latest album, a sprawling 31 track opus apparently inspired by her brief romance with The 1975 singer Matty Healy. 

Offering the album three out of five stars, the outlet describes it as 'flat, cringe-inducing' and 'devoid of any noticeable stylistic shift or evolution.' 

Swift's undeniable fame is also seen as a potential obstacle to her songwriting abilities, with the outlet noting: 'Swift seems to be in tireless pursuit for superstardom, yet the negative public opinion it can come with irks her, and it’s a tired theme now plaguing her discography and leaving little room for the poignant lyrical observations she excels at.'

The singer's apparent attempt at detailing another doomed relationship - presumably with Healy, who she dated briefly in 2023 - also falls flat, with the NME describing her lyrics on the album's title track as 'her worst yet.'  

Closing the review, they write: 'To a Melbourne audience of her Eras Tour, Swift said that The Tortured Poets Department’ came from a “need” to write. It’s just that maybe we didn’t need to hear it.'

Swift took to her Instagram Stories on Sunday and reposted a number of reviews on her latest body of work, captioning each one with her own lyrics.

She shared a glowing review from Rolling Stone which summed up her mood on the album as 'confused, bitter, raging, vulnerable, yet more gloriously chaotic than we’ve ever heard her before.'

The singer wrote on the post, 'And that's the closest I've come to my heart exploding.' The line comes from track two, which bears the same name as the album, and Swift added two white heart emojis to it.

However the NME has offered the album three out of five stars, the outlet describes it as 'flat, cringe-inducing' and 'devoid of any noticeable stylistic shift or evolution'

Current album sales dwarf those of of Beyoncé, whose recent country-infused album Cowboy Carter was previously the UK's fastest-selling of the year with average sales of 40,000 copies

It comes after one magazine excluded a critic's byline on a less-than-favorable review of the hitmaker's new album over fears of harassment from Swift's loyal fans.

The superstar also shared a five-star review from The Times, adding 'These Chemicals hit me like white whine' from her song The Alchemy.

Another positive review came from The Independent, with critic Helen Brown writing, 'The whole album is a terrific reminder of the intense, personal connection Swift can conjure in song.'

'She fills arenas and dominates the news agenda because listeners can relate to her starry dramas – her tales endow their own experiences with new electricity.'

Taylor re-posted it to her Stories adding the line, 'Everyone we know understands why it's meant to be' — another one of her lyrics.

She also shared a five-star review from iNews, which called her new album a 'unique record - and one of the star's most emotionally poised.'

Closing the review, the NME wrote: 'To a Melbourne audience of her Eras Tour, Swift said that The Tortured Poets Department’ came from a “need” to write. It’s just that maybe we didn’t need to hear it'

Swift added the lyrics, 'I feel like laughing in the middle of practice' to the review, from her love anthem to boyfriend Travis Kelce, 34, titled High School.

Meanwhile earlier in the day Paste Magazine cited safety reasons as the need for their review to be anonymous.

Writing on X (formerly known as Twitter) in an editor's note, the publication stated, '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 disagree with the work.'

They ended the statement with, 'We care more about the safety of our staff than a name attached to an article.'

On a positive note The Tortured Poets Department has sold 1.4million copies across the United States since its release on Friday, making it the nation's bestselling album of the year so far. 

In the United Kingdom she is currently tied with David Bowie, U2 and Sir Rod Stewart on 11 number one albums, with her latest expected to be number 12.

Only The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones and Robbie Williams have earned more.  

On a positive note The Tortured Poets Department has sold 1.4million copies across the United States since its release on Friday, making it the nation's bestselling album of the year so far

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