Taylor Swift is proof that how we critique music is broken’: Is Bloomberg right?

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Taylor Swift is proof that how we critique music
is broken Is Bloomberg right?

• Trending Entertainment News on ponderly.com by
  Dougie N. Mark R.

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(No Transcript)
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Fact Box

• Born in West Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1989,
  Taylor Alison Swift first started working in the
  music industry when she and her family moved to
  the Nashville, Tennessee area. At age 14, was
  contracted by Sony/ATV to be a songwriter.
• Swift released her 11th studio album entitled The
  Tortured Poets Department (TTPD) on April 19,
  2024. The album, which was soon after its initial
  drop was unveiled to be a secret DOUBLE album,
  consists of 31 songs total and is two hours long.
• Averaging 23 media critic scores, Medacritic
  rates Swifts album with a metascore of 76/100.
  Rolling Stone, Variety, and The Guardian are
  among the 16 outlets who gave TTPD high scores
  and glowing reviews.
• According to a Bloomberg review by columnist
  Jessica Karl, music reviewing processes need to
  change. In her op-ed Taylor Swift Is Proof That
  How We Critique Music Is Broken, she claims
  initial TTPD reviews are garbage and a
  disservice to the artist due to hasty critiques.
• As of April 25, Taylor Swift has 107,704,241
  monthly Spotify listeners with her most popular
  songs being Cruel Summer, Fortnight (feat.
  Post Malone), Down Bad, and The Tortured
  Poets Department.

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Mark (No)

• Professional critics are able to speedily offer
  critiques of an album after a single listen.
  After years of doing it, we can assume these
  critics have trained their ears and eyes to
  evaluate art efficiently in its entirety and in
  the time needed. Due to Taylor's media domination
  in recent years, fans and spectators expect a
  timely review of her work.
• Even though many of these initial critiques were
  positive, others have followed that are not as
  glowing and just as relevant to those interested
  in assessing her art. For instance, Taylor
  Swift's recent album has been deemed
  'self-indulgent.' At 31 tracks, some see Swift
  continuing to repackage her failed romances as
  contemporary 'art,' which she's been doing for
  years as an artist. Even some of Taylor's
  supporters were quick to dismiss her recent
  effort, describing it as 'bland, artificial,
  soulless' and overall 'fake-sounding.' Reviewing
  an album, even with 31 tracks, is not a task that
  requires meticulous dissection when her lyrics
  are hardly complex or even stylistically/grammatic
  ally correct, as some argue.

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Mark (No)

• Likewise, it's not the critiques of Swift's
  recent release that were shortsighted or hasty.
  Rather, the rabid fan base's reaction to their
  favorite creator putting out another album has
  made objectively critiquing her album seemingly
  impossible. If The Killers or some other esteemed
  artist were to release a lengthy album tomorrow
  and critics were quick to respond, it's unlikely
  that such tribalism would occur. Taylor's fame
  now rivals Michael Jackson. Because of this, she
  is afforded exceptions regarding rushing reviews
  and reverence. It's important to remember that a
  review is only one person's opinion. A critic's
  opinion is as valid as anyone else's, regardless
  of how quickly it's given. People will love or
  hate the album independently, with or without
  professional critiques.

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Dougie (Yes)

• While Bloomberg's article initially implies
  something is lacking with Taylor Swift's latest
  album, the author is actually arguing for an
  improved critical landscape in which debuts can
  be thoroughly received to be properly reviewed.
  Its critiquing music critics, particularly the
  rushed turnarounds that govern them.
• Many find it difficult to understand how critics
  could possibly take the time to properly and
  thoroughly analyze an album like Swift's most
  recent release, which takes at least two hours to
  listen to without stopping to take notes and
  compose a thoughtful review. Yet, somehow,
  reviewers across the web reviewed Swifts
  whopping 31 tracks at rapid-fire speed, with some
  claiming up to 10 repeat listens. However, the
  robust album offers far too much material for one
  to feasibly form any sound judgment practically
  overnight.

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Dougie (Yes)

• With film, critics are offered early screenings
  to process new releases fully, yet music reviews
  tend not to be afforded that luxury, being
  limited to commercial release dates. As a result,
  reviewers race to pump out their opinions,
  undermining the capacity needed to do so. With
  adequate time to absorb highly anticipated albums
  before release, critical praise or rejection
  could bear more credible weight, having been
  formed without the pressure of unrealistic time
  constraints or fan pressure.
• Swift's massive fan base is active 27/4, so
  reviewers are pressured to publish even quicker.
  But considering the countless inside references
  strewn throughout her tracks, it's unrealistic to
  imagine gaining full comprehension upon a
  firstor even a fifthlisten. In fact, there's an
  entire Wikipedia page dedicated to Taylor Swift's
  cultural impact, listing numerous accredited
  higher education courses that focus on her
  artistry and lyricism. This Bloomberg column is
  making waves because it highlights some
  questionably quick critiques and calls for the
  industry to shift its focus back to the true
  evaluation of the quality of artistic content.

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