Every Single Album

Nora expressed my issue perfectly….”she can do better.” None of the encores I’m coming back to, but original album has had some growth on me and returning/play listing about 1/2. Still not a great release from her imo, but can’t wait to see what’s next. PS: Y’all should check out Amy Sharks “soft pop” album. Thing y’all would dog some of those tracks, it’s been spinning a lot here.

I hope she listens to this and does not put anything out for five years. Because you expect her to be the same person that she was when she wrote Red and when she made 1989 and and it’s not possible. Just admit that you do not like who she is at this moment. But many of us do like who she is at this moment and it’s fun and whimsical and not serious and joyful. You’re clearly not going to be satisfied with what she is doing at this time in her life so I would just recommend not listening.

I've been listening since the Miley Cyrus discography episodes, which were thoughtful and fun. I wish I could say the same about the Gracie Abrams album review and other reviews . The episode was supposed to review Gracie's album, but it felt like an attempt to discredit her at every turn: her voice, her production, her songwriting. Every time the hosts had a chance to say Taylor Swift did it better, they took it. Crediting a collaborator is fair, but the way it was framed minimized Gracie's role in her own music. If the point is that she's "inspired" by Taylor, there are kinder and more honest ways to say it than picking apart every half second. We get it, you're Taylor fans. That's fine. But you don't need to tear one artist down to praise Taylor, especially when the episode isn't about Taylor at all. Then came the irony. After holding Gracie to an impossible standard, the hosts said they hold Taylor to a much higher standard, and then praised "Cleveland!" as a genius idea. Personally, that song was a miss and a ridiculous pick to defend. Taylor is a talented artist, and you can love her work and still be honest about it. But standards that only go one way aren't standards. Even more frustrating was the claim that the best song on Gracie's album was only the best because Aubrey co-wrote it, with the suggestion that Aubrey basically wrote it alone. That completely erases Gracie's contribution. Tearing one woman down to lift another up is bad taste, and it's sexist. Not every female artist should be measured against Taylor Swift, especially when they're in different genres with different vocal styles. The Madonna episode had the same problem, with comments about her age and gender that were disappointing to hear. Honestly, the hosts seem out of touch at times. I hope they rethink this direction, because the Miley episodes showed they can do better.

…but this pod has really fallen off for me. Checked back in for some Showgirl Encore content and I agree with some other reviewers that the overall quality of commentary has gone downhill. I *do* hold up my hand heart for a 40-something straight dude who can Swiftie this hard. But Nathan’s analysis has increasingly lost the plot. For all his depth of knowledge of the music industry, his vibe takes are just… off. Nora, it’s time to ruuuuunnnnn not walk to the Swiftologist platform and do some guest spots on Evolution of a Snake, where you can all spend some time feeling like fools in your headdresses together. Zack and Madeline’s critical analysis is collectively the most thoughtful, incisive, sharpest, and funniest out there. As soon as Nathan lumped Zack in with average Swiftie creators creating hot takes for clicks, it became clear just how much he doesn’t get it. A few years ago I had two top Taylor pods. Now I’d just love to hear Nora and the snakes collab.

Music is meant to bring people together despite differences. Nora and Nathan can’t seem to understand that people use music as an escape and don’t need their pop stars sharing political opinions. They continually call Olivia Rodrigo brave for sharing hers (which if that’s what she wants to do fine) but it’s hardly brave when you’re speaking to an echo chamber which her audience is. I find people like ed Sheeran and others who don’t succumb to everyone telling them what they should believe, much braver than any of the current pop stars who are celebrated as long as they support whatever cause is currently popular