The Tortured Poet's Department- anyone else listening?

[Imzadi]

I use Spotify. I can make a playlist on a cloud, or download it to my device because I pay for premium. But the free services hold the music in the cloud. I don’t pay for individual albums. I just pick what I like and download it. One song at a time, or a whole playlist, or a whole album. It’s almost like an infinite music library (I mean, some artists aren’t on there).

I have Amazon Music subscription. I just looked and Swift's new album us there, 32 songs. They're in the cloud. I play a song. She gets a bit of money paid to her from Amazon from my playing that song? I don't see an option to download and own the music, just play it.

@Dan Murphy You don't have an option to download it because you have a monthly subscription service. Same with Spotify. You pay a fee per month to listen to music. Once you cancel the service, the ability to listen to the music goes away. So, no, they don't want you to download it with that kind of service.

I know that, for the most part, people do not buy a physical item (record, cassette, disc) to play, but rather a digital file. Let's say I want to buy Billy Joel's new album (do they still call it, an album?). Where do I buy it? Do I buy a digital album of 8-12 songs, like a vinyl album ($3.98) back when? Or a single, like a 45 (89 cents) back when? Do I get a file that I have on my device, a file that I own? Or is it in a cloud, only to be streamed?

There are places where you can buy the digital files. But, get this, with digital files, you do not OWN anything. Gone are the days where you can re-sell an album/cassette/CD or make copies of it, or make a mix tape for a friend. You can not re-sell your digital copy. You cannot make copies of it. As I said, I'm not even sure how many devices you are allowed to download it to. You might be able to transfer your download off an old device you are no longer using, onto a newer device and unregister the old device. I forget the exact legal wording, but you are only buying a file that gives you the ability to LISTEN the music - with limitations.

Here is the new album, (yes they are still called albums,) that can be bought, err, gotten directly off Taylor Swift's website. There are Terms of Use at the bottom. Too much legalese for me to figure out.

https://store.taylorswift.com/

 

[Dan Murphy]

@Dan Murphy You don't have an option to download it because you have a monthly subscription service. Same with Spotify. You pay a fee per month to listen to music. Once you cancel the service, the ability to listen to the music goes away. So, no, they don't want you to download it with that kind of service.



There are places where you can buy the digital files. But, get this, with digital files, you do not OWN anything. Gone are the days where you can re-sell an album/cassette/CD or make copies of it, or make a mix tape for a friend. You can not re-sell your digital copy. You cannot make copies of it. As I said, I'm not even sure how many devices you are allowed to download it to. You might be able to transfer your download off an old device you are no longer using, onto a newer device and unregister the old device. I forget the exact legal wording, but you are only buying a file that gives you the ability to LISTEN the music - with limitations.

Here is the new album, (yes they are still called albums,) that can be bought, err, gotten directly off Taylor Swift's website. There are Terms of Use at the bottom. Too much legalese for me to figure out.

https://store.taylorswift.com/

Life used to be simple.

 

[Imzadi]

Life used to be simple.

 

[irlandaise]

FYI, it's available to listen to free if your library subscribes to Hoopla. I'm not very familiar with Swift but I watched her concert movie on Disney+ and enjoyed it so I just borrowed the new album to give it a try.

 

[C&Jx2]

You can download from Spotify to your mobile devices to listen to offline if you don’t use data/wifi. But that comes with the paid service.

 

[slo]

I very much respect Taylor Swift as an artist - I think she’s awesome! But…I don’t go out of my way to listen to her music. When a song is on the radio I listen to it and do not turn the channel. So, to answer the OP’s question, I’m not listening to the new album. To those that are - I hope you are enjoying it

 

[dizneegirl]

Dan - you can still buy albums in physical format... quite a few are even being released on vinyl again. I like to buy CDs from Amazon that come with a free MP3 album I can download. Best of both worlds.

 

[Beezle2]

Dan - you can still buy albums in physical format... quite a few are even being released on vinyl again. I like to buy CDs from Amazon that come with a free MP3 album I can download. Best of both worlds.

My kids are into vinyl and today in National Record Store day. They are out buying records.

 

[Christine]

I was listening to the new stuff on the Sirius XM Taylor Swift channel this morning. Full stop, I'm not a Swiftie but my son is. I have an Eras Tour playlist I listen to from Spotify when I'm in the car and I enjoy about 90% of the songs on there...a lot. I have found that it takes me a bit to really get into them.

What I will say is she's definitely got a "style"--breathy, higher pitched (probably not the right term) ballads. What I heard today all sounded a lot a like. I would like to hear something reminiscent of Shake It Off, Style, Karma, Lover, Blank Space, something like that with some oomph that makes me want to do a little dance. I'm sure it will come.

My personal favorites from the past are Betty, Cardigan, August, Cruel Summer, Wildest Dreams well I could go on.

 

[Toolulu22]

Just finished TTPD and now I'm listening to THE ANTHOLOGY songs! I really love it -- it's like the older sister to Midnights. I didn't think I was going to like it after the first pass because the cover art and lyrics gave me such Folklore vibes (love Folklore, just took a few listens to get into it). Favorites so far are definitely But Daddy I Love Him, Florida!!!, and The Alchemy.

I am still working my way through the Anthology songs. Favs so far are The Black Dog, loml, I Hate it Here, Chloe or Sam or Sophie or Marcus. Oh and the lyrics to aiMee- awesome.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Dan - you can still buy albums in physical format... quite a few are even being released on vinyl again. I like to buy CDs from Amazon that come with a free MP3 album I can download. Best of both worlds.

Yes, I've seen vinyl is again popular.

 

[Christine]

Whew, a music reviewer on Washington Post gave it a scathing review.

 

[C&Jx2]

Whew, a music reviewer on Washington Post gave it a scathing review.

I’m sure she cares with all the money she’s making right now lol!

 

[Christine]

I’m sure she cares with all the money she’s making right now lol!

Oh I know--there will always be that--I just like reading the different perspectives on her music. Some of what he said I agreed with but none of it really matters if her fan base enjoys it.

 

[C&Jx2]

I am a fan, but not an apologist. I love this album and the lyrics, but the more I listen to it the more it drones on and the songs kind of sound the same. It’s better in small doses because the songs individually are really great!

 

[dcassetta]

Nope. Not a fan. I’m not sure if I have ever heard any of her songs. But to those that enjoy have at it!

Serious question - if you’ve never heard any of her songs, how do you know whether you would like them or not? Perhaps if you did listen to her music, you would be a fan.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

What I heard today all sounded a lot a like.

I gave it a go on Spotify yesterday and felt the exact same as you down to the type of songs you mentioned you were hoping for. It just didn't pull me in and each song was too similar to each other. I did read an article beforehand that did an in-depth analysis into the album pulling out the references and potential references she was or could have been going for so on that level a lot of work went into it and a lot of thoughts towards blatant but then hidden meanings...but for me it's not an album I wanted to listen to not even one that I could find myself learning to like or grow on me. I wanted to like it or at least find some songs but I just couldn't this time around. I resonated more with other songs of hers.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I am a fan, but not an apologist. I love this album and the lyrics, but the more I listen to it the more it drones on and the songs kind of sound the same. It’s better in small doses because the songs individually are really great!

This is what my friend who works at Target said just a bit ago

"I don’t mind the occasional taylor swift but forcing us to listen to an hour of the slowest most boring songs I’ve ever heard in my life is one of the most cruel things Target has done to us"

So I think you could be onto something about short stints

 

[georgina]

Whew, a music reviewer on Washington Post gave it a scathing review.

Saw that - can't say I disagree from what I have heard. There are a few Taylor Swift songs I like - I really like Exile with the Bon Iver guy, but for the most part I can take or leave it.