New Taylor Swift album: Reputation is dropping Nov. 10.

Look What You Made Me Do:

I had no idea this was coming out. Sweet! :)

I like the song! I didn't initially like the chorus, but it grew on me, even though it's basically just I'm too sexy for my shirt. Can't wait for the album. I was going to post it when I went on lunch today. (:

Was seriously going to post it last night but I was too tired to write anything.

"She's dead."

:-0

Like the sound. I always thought her stuff was kind of catchy but my wife turned me into a fan.

On another note, have you listened to Carly Rae Jepsen's recent album E•MO•TION? Pretty dang good.

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On another note, have you listened to Carly Rae Jepsen's recent album E•MO•TION? Pretty dang good.

I haven't, but I keep meaning to. Griffin McElroy has quite a few bits on MBMBaM about listening to her music, but I always forget to actually listen to her stuff.

Thanks for the reminder!

Griffin is the reason I listened to her album in the first place, and I am happy I did.

Fun Fact: Apparently she recorded about 200 songs when working on EMOTION, and she selected the album songs from those. Later on she released more of those songs as a "SIDE B" to the album. Those are great as well!

On another note, my wife is not a fan of the new T song. I have mixed emotions about that.

In Kanye's song Famous, he references when he stormed the VMA stage and took the mic from Taylor, and says that "[he] and Taylor might still have sex, [because he] made that bitch famous" and when the song came out, Taylor gave some little message at the Grammys IIRC about how she was disappointed or something, basically just trying to play victim. Kanye and his wife, Kim Kardashian, then said that they actually called Taylor to get permission, and Taylor/her PR team tried to deny this. Kim then put the video recordings of Kanye on the phone with Taylor (he records all of his conversations for things like sampling, or in cases like this) on Snapchat, and although Taylor doesn't directly approve the use of the word bitch, she clearly states in the videos that it's all clearly tongue-in-cheek, and that she's totally fine with it. Kanye said he called her to get permission purely because friendships and relationships are more important than punchlines. Taylor said that she was gonna go on stage at the Grammys and acknowledge the lines and approve them and all that, which of course as I stated, she did the exact opposite and instead tried to play victim. Kanye saw her as a true friend and she backstabbed him.

That's what happened as far as I understand, but I can't pretend that I cared enough to really look into it.

IIRC I also remember there being something about promising she could listen to it before he published it, which he did not do so he made her tentative approval irrelevant.

And then, of course, you still have the ability to be bothered by something once it happened, even if theoretically you thought it would not bother you before it happens.

But really, like most of these things the tribes seem to be drawn more based on personality fealty than contractual logic or emotional empathy.

(I swear to you I have absolutely no clue how I know this information. Crazy Velcro brain.)

Taylor doesn't directly approve the use of the word bitch

This is the key to the whole thing, and the part that all the insufferable thinkpieces conveniently left out. That particular lyric isn't present in the footage that was posted, and that's the part she objected to later. The rest of us don't get to tell her how to feel about being referred to that way, and fuck anyone who thinks they do.

For the record, I genuinely hate celebrity gossip culture, but I unfortunately did become aware of this particular event as it was happening, and like almost everything else I've ever experienced, it made me really question whether anyone else ever pays attention to details at all.

For the record, I genuinely hate celebrity gossip culture, but I unfortunately did become aware of this particular event as it was happening, and like almost everything else I've ever experienced, it made me really question whether anyone else ever pays attention to details at all.

You're not wrong. But I definitely don't pay attention to the details, mainly because I try not to pay attention at all. Celebrity culture is ridiculous. Kanye West is a fucking insane person, but he makes good music. Taylor Swift seems genuinely good, but that could all be an act and she might be awful, but she makes good music. I guess it's an age old discussion about separating the artist from their work, which I do pretty often and pretty easily. I don't need or care about the drama, especially when most of it seems manufactured just to keep people talking.

Holy shit this whole thing is sheer brilliance. I watched it right after the Game of Thrones season finale and I'm really not sure which one was better.

seriously?

seriously?

Hey, lighten up. It's better than posting spoilers.

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Fair point. Women are always portrayed well in hip hop, especially by Kanye West.

I'm not checking, but I'm weird that way.

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seriously.

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I did not know. I feel ashamed lying naked on the floor.

There are some weird people on them there internez. I would know, I'm three of them. No worries through, as they all have the sweet innocent heart of a little girl. In a jar. On my desk.

I am not putting a sarcasm tag here, cuz' I darn well shouldn't need to. Then again... it is the internet.

*Sigh*

/s

This completely ruined my weekend

On the bright side, made me dig up this:

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seriously?

Hey, lighten up. It's better than posting spoilers.

Are you serious right now? We don't know what that thing in the skybox is or what it's about, it'll presumably be easy to see in the final game, the picture of it was a thumbnail, and I spoilered the theory (if you can even call it that) in case someone decided to be touchy about it. I understand not wanting spoilers but if you really think what I posted needs to be covered in warnings or not even posted at all, and is worse than off-topic posting, then you're being too touchy.

seriously.

why?

But they've been an in-joke for a while, now, I think. I remember checking in one April Fools and seeing swift.bungie.org, at the very least. And if a number of people want to talk about something off-topic, and do it, in a thread marked off-topic, that's... fine?

You don't really need to ask why; the why is that they want to talk about it, and, as evidenced by the number of responses, others here do too. It's a forum about Destiny, but it's also a community, and something something something I think I've spent enough words on being That Guy about this already.

seriously.

why?

The real question would be 'why not?'

But they've been an in-joke for a while, now, I think. I remember checking in one April Fools and seeing swift.bungie.org, at the very least.

that's where the joke started
the thing is it's not a joke, or if it is it's got extremely thick sarcasm on it
everyone's saying they're just plain looking forward to her new music, and why they like it and which tracks are good and so on
I'm curious why because I always thought she was a generic pop star, the kind the music industry pumps out every 5-10 years

As far as I can remember, it was just because some of us started using her for our avatars. I don't even remember who did it first. I was definitely early, not sure I was first though.

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that's where the joke started

Incorrect, the avatars were a thing for a while, and there were actual discussions going on. The April Fools' joke came from that, it didn't start anything (though it was phenomenally well-executed).

the thing is none of this seems like a joke, people are saying they're just plain looking forward to her new music

We are. As far as I know, everyone who uses those avatars is an actual fan.

and I'm curious why because I always thought she was a generic pop star, the kind the music industry pumps out every 5-10 years

Again, incorrect. While certainly business focused at times, she does actually bother to make her own music. Personally, my tastes generally lean towards punk rock, and I used to be someone who claimed I didn't listen to popular music at all, but Taylor changed my mind.

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why?

you know why.

why?

you know why.

because you want to have sex with her? you can just say that

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As far as I can remember, it was just because some of us started using her for our avatars. I don't even remember who did it first. I was definitely early, not sure I was first though.

It was either you, me, or Cruel, probably. I did after Funkmon mentioned his Avril avatar in some random post, and I thought it'd be funny (and I do genuinely love Taylor Swift's music).

I still rock the Swifty theme, and I will until Beorn pries it from my cold, dead hands. The execution of that April Fools was perfect.

because you want to have sex with her? you can just say that

I'm not sure whether you're so dense that you've actually misinterpreted that GIF as something sexual (if that's the case, I'll explain it: Breitzen was figuratively winking at you and saying "you know" because he KNOWS that you actually don't know - it's a joke), or if you really believe people aren't capable of appreciating anything else about a hugely accomplished artist other than her looks.

I'm not sure whether you're so dense that you've actually misinterpreted that GIF as something sexual (if that's the case, I'll explain it: Breitzen was figuratively winking at you and saying "you know" because he KNOWS that you actually don't know - it's a joke), or if you really believe people aren't capable of appreciating anything else about a hugely accomplished artist other than her looks.

Plus, lets just say for one reason or another, subtly is not one of Vagueness strong suites at the moment. He'll probably want to reply to this, but he shouldn't.

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It's called male, and she turned a Cure song into bluegrass. It's a primarily acoustic album, and she covers songs made famous by men singers. Her voice isn't strong, and she's not technically skilled, but she's pleasant and has completely inoffensive interpretations of the music. I didn't think she ruined any of the songs, which is saying something.

I'd like to point out that I haven't heard a lot of cover albums put out since 2007.

It's always worth the five day waiting period between replies.

But they've been an in-joke for a while, now, I think. I remember checking in one April Fools and seeing swift.bungie.org, at the very least.

that's where the joke started
the thing is it's not a joke, or if it is it's got extremely thick sarcasm on it
everyone's saying they're just plain looking forward to her new music, and why they like it and which tracks are good and so on
I'm curious why because I always thought she was a generic pop star, the kind the music industry pumps out every 5-10 years

Taylor Swift has been masterful in manipulation of her image. She was a young teen when she broke out in the country scene, writing inoffensive and relatable pop country with lame lyrics other highschoolers like.

Her second single was her first crossover hit, Teardrops on My Guitar, which peaked at #13. It was about unrequited love. Her first single was Tim McGraw which also hit top 40. It was about thinking about people while listening to a song you share. Relatable and dumb.

Her second album was more poppy country, and was even more successful, with You Belong With Me reaching #2, and the rest of her singles sitting comfortably in the top 40. This pop country was working well for her, so she did a similar album, Speak Now, in 2010, with similar success, and a few top ten hits.

She had been slowly going more and more pop with her country, and slowly stopped being the victim, the lover who's rebuked or going through drama, and started to get angrier. The poppier her songs were, the better she did.

She released another album, Red, which was a sellout album, literally. She made Red a double album, where half the tracks were standard pop country, and quite good. The other half we're huge pop hits with synths and electronic bits. With this album, she had her first number one with We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, but her other singles also did well, none of which were country, or even pop country, but straight up pop. These were so different that she was utterly unrecognizable to me at that time, and I asked who she was when I heard the song on the radio.

Compare this song (skip to about halfway through) to Tim McGraw.

Still, she was trying to keep her image vaguely wholesome.

Again, Red, her fourth record, was a double album where half of it was country.

For 1989, her fifth album, she did something great. She went on TV, a late night show iirc, to announce it and her tour. This was in the same year that other popular pop star released her album with no notice. Taylor Swift talks to her fans directly, running contests and making all her moves public and does them in the most popular venues she can, in an extremely reasonable manner, but with cunning business sense. So she went on Fallon to announce her album...but she didn't. She announced a livestream she would do, all over the world, so she could announce to her fans what the announcement was. She partnered with Yahoo for this, so she got money just on ANNOUNCING her album, and also got fan credit for livestreaming it right to them, and with a premier of Shake It Off, her biggest single yet. She also said 1989 would be entirely pop, and it was. That record was her most successful yet, and it wasn't close.

She shifted her singing to be more angry, attacking, and petty, less sad and lovey, but that's okay. Some of the most venomous songs out there are the best. She meets her critics head on, and insults them.

What Taylor Swift has seemingly pulled off is astonishing.

She was a lame country singer, who made some successful pop songs, while maintaining a completely wholesome Disney Channel style image. As time went on, and she began to be criticized for her endless series of boyfriends and seemingly hypocritical behaviour, she completely changed genres, with even more success, and simply attacked those critics in her songs, essentially silencing them. She turned into a bad girl pop singer, but her origins as a nice girl country artist serve her well, and she has inexplicably made music everyone who likes pop enjoys, plus some crossover fans. She is not like other pop stars.

I don't like pop. I like pop punk, but dated a girl who liked country music, so I've been following Taylor Swift, unfortunately, for a decade. I can understand liking Taylor Swift's country phase. Her pop albums are absolute dogshit IMO. I listened to 1989 and was astonished at how bad all the songs were. The singles are genuinely I can't believe people like this bad. Her new single is also bad, but her success remains undeniable, and as far as I can tell, unstoppable.

And the original is so good!

Her pop albums are absolute dogshit IMO. I listened to 1989 and was astonished at how bad all the songs were. The singles are genuinely I can't believe people like this bad.

It's okay to be wrong sometimes. It happens to the best of us occasionally. (:

If I'm messing with you, it means I think you're cool enough to take it. I have great memories of playing GV back in the Halo days. No ill will here!

because you want to have sex with her? you can just say that

I'm not sure whether you're so dense that you've actually misinterpreted that GIF as something sexual (if that's the case, I'll explain it: Breitzen was figuratively winking at you and saying "you know" because he KNOWS that you actually don't know - it's a joke)

that's awfully complicated for two words

or if you really believe people aren't capable of appreciating anything else about a hugely accomplished artist other than her looks.

I didn't know WTF it was supposed to mean, and wink is a pretty coy thing to do (wink wink nudge nudge etc.)
thanks so much for calling me dense though

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If I'm messing with you, it means I think you're cool enough to take it. I have great memories of playing GV back in the Halo days. No ill will here!

good to know
I still play Halo if you're up for it, and Destiny if you're not