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‘Cringeworthy?’ 4 scathing reviews of Taylor Swift’s TTPD album: the 31-song, 2-piece record has already broken Spotify records and earned a 5-star rating from some outlets – but haters gonna hate …

Not everyone loves Taylor Swift’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department. Photo: @taylorswift/Instagram
Not everyone loves Taylor Swift’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department. Photo: @taylorswift/Instagram
Taylor Swift

  • Taylor Swift’s 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department, and its surprise companion TTPD: The Anthology, signal another round of hits for her, but has earned the ire of some critics
  • While Rolling Stone magazine called it an instant classic, another publication had to hide the names of its writers to shield them from the wrath of Swifties

Taylor Swift finally released her highly anticipated 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, on April 19 – followed by a surprise second album on the same day titled TTPD: The Anthology with 15 additional tracks for a total of 31 new songs.
Taylor Swift’s TTPD double album has polarised critics. Photo: @taylorswift/Instagram
Taylor Swift’s TTPD double album has polarised critics. Photo: @taylorswift/Instagram

The album has already broken several Spotify records, per Vanity Fair, and garnered widespread acclaim from the music industry, with Rolling Stone magazine hailing it as an “instant classic” while The Independent awarded it a perfect five-star rating. Swift took to X (formerly Twitter) to share the glowing reviews.

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But not everyone’s a fan.

Unfortunately, the billionaire singer-songwriter’s fan base can become quite, erm, spirited when it comes to protecting their favourite singer. Many have even gone as far as to send death threats to critics, causing one publication, Paste Magazine, to hide their bylines in an effort to avoid fervent backlash from Swifties.

Here’s a round-up of some of the harshest criticism TTPD and its follow-up album has received.

1. NME: “Swift’s 11th studio album is surprisingly flat and, at times, cringeworthy”

Taylor Swift, once compared to William Shakespeare, is now accused of being “cringe-inducing”. Photo: @taylorswift/Instagram
Taylor Swift, once compared to William Shakespeare, is now accused of being “cringe-inducing”. Photo: @taylorswift/Instagram

“Above all else in her career, Swift has always found acclaim through her lyricism, and comparisons have gleefully been made between herself and The Bard (William Shakespeare). Speaking in February, she says that ‘I have never had an album where I needed songwriting more than I needed it on [TTPD]’. It’s surprising, then, that The Tortured Poets Department delivers some of her most cringe-inducing lines yet,” Laura Molloy writes.

“Musically, it’s an album mostly devoid of any noticeable stylistic shift or evolution,” she adds.

2. The Guardian: “Taylor Swift’s new album is about a reckless kind of freedom. If only it sounded as uninhibited”

Taylor Swift has drawn criticism for its lyrics and production. Photo: @taylorswift/Instagram
Taylor Swift has drawn criticism for its lyrics and production. Photo: @taylorswift/Instagram

“The delulu era had found its soundtrack – or at least it would have if TTPD sounded anything like as feral and feckless as its themes,” Laure Snapes writes, referring to the online slang derived from “delusional” about unrealistic standards or beliefs.

Sumnima Kandangwa is a Hong Kong-based freelance writer and editorial assistant for Style by SCMP. Having graduated from Baptist University with a BA (Hons) in International Journalism, she writes on pop culture, influencers, celebrities, entertainment, luxury; and lifestyle.