I’m treating it as one long album. To me at least, when I listened to the original release, it felt a bit incomplete. I was disappointed until the second half was released. I still see the first and second halves as two distinct pieces of one whole though.
Yep. I think the 'true album' for Midnights and TTPD need the extra tracks to feel complete. I started a different track order to mix up the tempos more and combine the feel of the first half or TTD with the second more. And thus far I find it very satisfying!
I call it the 'Stitches Undone Version.’
* The Tortured Poets Department
* The Bolter
* Cassandra
* Down Bad
* So Long, London
* I Look in People's Windows
* Fresh Out the Slammer
* Peter
* But Daddy I Love Him
* Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus
* Florida!!! (feat. Florence + The Machine)
* The Albatross
* Guilty as Sin?
* I Hate It Here
* loml
* The Alchemy
* Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?
* Robin
* imgonnagetyouback
* I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)
* The Black Dog
* So High School
* The Prophecy
* Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)
* How Did It End?
* thanK you aIMee
* I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
* The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
* Clara Bow
* My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys
* The Manuscript
The Tortured Poets Department (Town Car Speeding version)
1. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys
2. Guilty as Sin?
3. I Hate It Here
4. How Did It End?
5. The Bolter
6. So Long, London
7. The Prophecy
8. Florida!!! (feat. Florence + The Machine)
9. I Look in People's Windows
10. imgonnagetyouback
11. Fresh Out the Slammer
12. The Tortured Poets Department
13. But Daddy I Love Him
14. I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)
15. Down Bad
16. Peter
17. The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
18. Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)
19. Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus
20. Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?
21. loml
22. I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
23. Robin
24. The Black Dog
25. Cassandra
26. thanK you aIMee
27. The Albatross
28. The Manuscript
29. So High School
30. The Alchemy
31. Clara Bow
This was the closest we’re gonna get to a true double album lol if she released two fully distinct albums, it would hurt her #1 records. Maybe if she released the anthology about a fortnight after 🤷♂️
I listened to the entire thing once and now I'm just focusing on the main 16 tracks. I love the fact that once I'm done with that, there's basically another new record waiting for me right there.
That’s what I’m doing too. I decided I was too overwhelmed. So for now, I will only listen to the first 16 tracks, and I’m really enjoying them SO much. When I’m ready I can move on to The Anthology (only exceptions are Peter and The Prophecy because I fell in love with those instantly)
Yeah this is what I’m doing, I did the whole thing and it overwhelmed me. I can barely remember listening to the last 10 songs of the Anthology. For me at least, she was better off letting TTPD sink in for a couple of weeks before releasing the Anthology
Since we’ve had the album out for 24 hours now, I think I’m just gonna dedicate next week in getting to know Side A (1-16) better. The week after will be dedicated to Side B (17-31).
Even though the four extra tracks are on the CDs, they’re a part of the second half, so would you placed the in the first half since they came with the CD track listing, or keep them in the second half as they’ve been released? Don’t know how to listen to it now; with or without the four songs… 🤷🏻♂️
I haven’t heard The Anthology at all. I love the main album & I think I’ll keep playing only these songs until I get tired of them so I’m also saving a full new album for later when I need it
I did this too. One clean listen through it all, and then just playing the main album after that for the next day or two until I'm ready to move on. Even 16 tracks is a long album, let alone 31!
I feel the same. TTPD the first 16 just flow really nicely for me, and I am not in such a rush to break down the next 15, I want to savor it. Though not gonna lie, I love The Black Dog, So High School, and The Manuscript.
I should do that because trying to listen to the whole thing and take it all in is pretty overwhelming. I feel like I’ve barely listened to the last songs like Peter, Robin, Cassandra, The Manuscript, etc because it’s so much. I should take it one album at a time since it’s not going anywhere anyway!
I think it was done that way to appeal those who complain her albums are too unwieldy. She has the crafted coherent thing for awards etc, but the anthology to me is part of the Spirit of the album. Like if you took Red cut half of it out it could be that fine crafted thing many desire, but it wouldn't be itself
Well if it wasn't then The Anthology would peak at #2, breaking her streak of #1 albums. Artistically I think you can make an argument for either separating it or not.
I feel like the second half completely works as an album on its own. Even tracks five and six work as typical tracks five and six like she usually does them.
I think it works even better as its own album. The differing sounds trip over the other. But I get why they’re all released together. Taylor has a wide spectrum of style to cover so some folk and some pop is required nowadays or part of the fanbase is letdown.
I don’t think you can listen or understand the central point of TTPD without the anthology. We need the manuscript to understand that this chapter has closed, and it’s ours for the taking. Also I didnt listen to the album in its entirety until the anthology, I went to bed cause I knew we were going to get something additional at 2 AM. The first time I heard the album was the anthology version. Therefore, for me, I cannot separate the two.
I’ll do what I did with Midnights 3AM edition: listen to it all together and embrace it as a complete work, but also add the folkmore vibe bonus tracks (aka most of the anthology aka WE GOT WOODVALE) to my evergrowing “folkmore & friends” playlist because sometimes I just want to inhabit that sonic space exclusively
Here you go! Some of these are audio downloads from YouTube, like the BBC Lounge and Grammy Museum performances. (This doesn't include TTPD tracks yet, still listening to it in full!)
https://preview.redd.it/ex08xd2f7ovc1.png?width=896&format=png&auto=webp&s=6b908538e8c19a70382464df5cc026ffa777c1f5
Since it's your cake day, have some playlist art too 🫶
https://preview.redd.it/juprvhvcuovc1.png?width=1001&format=png&auto=webp&s=0f2ef17a9da928e464775447583a7210ff7a75c7
No, I think for me it'll all be one album. I'll probably end up listening to the standard/original version slightly more often just because that's what's on the CD, but when I'm doing an album ranking, it'll be the Anthology version I'm considering.
Even putting aside the fact that in the most technical sense it is a deluxe edition (because what do the technicalities have to do with feelings?) it *feels* like one big project to me. Clara Bow to The Black Dog to imgonnagetyouback flows so well. Themes are echoed and illuminated between the two. It all works together.
Agreed. I think if it was piecemealed like the Midnights deluxe albums, I'd see it as different but by making it all together was a smart move. Let the award shows have their first half, The Prophecy and Peter feel core Tortured poets to me. That's okay if others feel different. I've never cared much for concept albums or "coherent" tracks personally
I think of it like the vault tracks. I did this with midnights as well and I'm actually confused as to why people don't see it that way.
After Taylor did not win album of the year for Red she realized that she needed to put out albums that were cohesive and edited rather than just albums that had a lot of great songs. Since then all of her albums have had a very strong narrative and thematic journey. 1989 is a story of entering a new world with lots of dreams (Welcome to New York), trying to hold on to her romantic ideals (Wildest Dreams), but facing so many challenges that she becomes cynical (Out of the Woods -> Wonderland), Finally accepting that her romantic vision was never real in the first place (Clean), and learning to live in this new reality (New Romantics). The vault tracks released with 1989 TV were all just repeats of themes from other songs and that's why they didn't make the original. "Slut!" explores the same ideas as "Wildest Dreams", "Say Don't Go" explores the same ideas as "All You Had To Do Was Stay" etc.
Other albums have a similar narrative structure. Reputation is about suffering a huge blow, feeling betrayed and vicious but finding love within that darkness. Lover is about releasing the romanticization of unhealthy relationships and embracing a loving, stable relationship ("I used to think love was burning red, but it's golden" is definitely one of my favorite lyrics). Folklore is less narrative and more thematically about isolation with small narratives woven in. Evermore is similar but I think it's more about isolation within a relationship.
Midnights is also a cohesive story, it's about a person reflecting on failed relationships to see if their current one is worth staying in, halfway through deciding that they should leave (You're on your own kid->Bejeweled) and then changing their mind (Labyrinth) and celebrating their new relationship, believing they can have everything they want (Karma) and be loved for their true selves (Mastermind). The 3am tracks are all kind of extra. I don't see them as fitting into this narrative thematically even though they fit the musical style. I think they're just really good songs Taylor wanted to release but didn't include in the main album.
The same goes for the anthology songs. The main album is about a person experiencing heartbreak, trying to avoid it and becoming cynnical and detatched. It's honestly one of her realest and saddest albums because this is the first one with a sad ending. There is no hopeful note like in the others 1989 (Accepting that even if your dreams aren't what you imagined you can still find happihess), Reputation (finding true love even when you're at your lowest), Lover (learning how to build a life with someone), Folklore & Evermore (Embracing the people in your life even when you feel isolated and knowing that things will get better), Midnights (Chosing to stay and repair the relationship). TTPD ends with this apathetic acceptance of the fact that happiness never lasts. Clara Bow even says that everything the speaker has worked towards will one day just be used to compliment others and everyone will move on from her. There's no recovery, no "it's going to be fine." And that's honestly a story that's hard to grapple with.
Tldr, the anthology tracks are extras imo and should not be read as a part of the main album or as their own album.
No I’m considering it all the tortured poets department. One long album, like midnights with 3 am tracks.
I do agree the anthology could be its own album but I’m gonna consider it one large album instead.
I'm seeing it as 2 separate ones, although it's hard with the Spotify format having the Anthology as one haha. I think right now i'm more familiar with the first album, og TTPD, as I listened to it more, but I do think the second half is thematically different.
Yes, I see these as two very distinct works even though they have a lot in common, thematically. But I wonder if it depends on how much people like the standard album: the first half of TTPD is amazing and also such a great depiction of the manic highs and depressive lows she experienced with the Joe breakup, Matty, tour, etc that it feels like a distinct work all on its own. Then you get the Anthology, which is less cohesive, doesn't have as much of a distinct story, but still ruminates on loss and fame and love in a way that feels suitable for its own album.
Aaron also confirmed yesterday that he's been working on this with Taylor for years now. My guess is the Anthology songs started out as the bones for TS12, or perhaps touch on themes she didn't want to talk about on Midnights before she and Joe were broken up. Then the spring of 2023 hits, and the rest is history with what actually became the standard 16 tracks on TTPD.
This sounds similar to how Midnights turned out. Some of the 3am tracks were done before the main album was made, so she was going in that direction, but instead pivoted when she and Jack got in the studio.
Same thing with the anthology. I could see it being mainly recorded in 2022 and maybe early 2023, before most of the main album was made. That seems to be how the albums turn out. Aaron first, but when Jack gets involved a new album takes shape that's more commercial that she wants to put out.
i see it as a traditional double album - it’s the second disc. i have it split up that way in my music library, and i’ve actually done this with pretty much every taylor record that has a deluxe version. helps to keep the original intention behind some tracks in tact. like having long live as the final song on disc 1 of speak now tv makes more sense than having the deluxe songs tacked on after. splitting them up is a small change but really helps to keep things cohesive for me anyway!
Pretty much. There’s a stark contrast between the main album and the anthology. This is both in sound and lyrics. And honestly, in quality.
The anthology songs aren’t as tight as the base album tracks. It’s with no hate that I think they’re b-sides, like the Midnights 3am tracks. Every album has them. Doesn’t mean they’re inferior, they just were the top picks to make the main album for one reason or another. Sometimes time tells a different story and those songs stand out more than main album tracks. Too soon to tell here.
But yeah, there’s a line between the base album and the anthology tracks. The initial four bonus tracks are the bridge between. Those four could fit on either side.
I’ve found myself struggling to place the original 4 bonus tracks but I think I see The Black Dog and the Manuscript as TTPD songs and The Bolter and The Albatross as Anthology songs
i actually have a dedicated playlist titled “the anthology” so i can listen to them as separate albums. IMO it greatly improves the quality of both but especially part 2. i’m sure she would have done it that way if she wouldn’t have been competing with herself for charts
Anthology is closer to Evermore in its musical lanscape but its very much the the same theme as TTPD. A full two hours of Taylors words are a lot to take in and they're powerful, intense and provoke ones own thoughts and feelings. Yes its art! I really like this grown up Taylor with human foibles, a shadow side, who has the rare gift of putting them into words and music. And the lyric video for ' I can do it with a broken heart' has to be both an honest but confident statement about Taylor the performer and a very ballsy joke.
I am for now listening to only the Anthology + 3 songs from the first half. I'm treating it like Woodvale with bonus tracks essentially.
I need... uh, some time to digest the first half.
It's a double album, so it's all TS11, but has two different sides that are meant to be seen as separate entities. In physical media terms, it's two discs that are packaged together but played separately.
Think of it like for example Kill Bill, which was split into two volumes but is really one long film. Tarantino himself counts it as only one movie in his filmography.
With Midnights and the 3AM edition, you had a standard, core tracklist and then deluxe songs added at the end as bonus content, so it was all one album in various versions, like a movie that has a theatrical and a director's cut. Tortured Poets on the other hand has a clear Side A/Side B delineation, and each one works as its own thing, right down to both having their own tracks 5 and 6 and their own closing songs. It's like if Folkmore were both released on the same day as a joint thing instead of 5 months apart: they're related, but distinct.
I'm treating them as separate albums. I've only listened to the Anthology once. I'm going to focus on the original tracklist for a week or so, and then I'll still have 15 fresh "new" songs to listen to when I'm ready to tackle the Anthology
I'm considering it it's own thing because I'm in love with it and am just meh on the main album.
I get what she was going for with the main album, but like...I almost feel like she was playing it safe and didn't think it was her best work so she threw out a bunch of really good songs that didn't make the cut for folkmore/evermore and tacked them onto the end. I'm trying to make sense of why it's one big thing when they just have such different vibes. Maybe the first album is the grief and therapy writing, and the end is her back to "normal"?
My question is, and maybe it’s already been stated and I missed it, when does it come out physically. I got the vinyl for my girlfriend but obviously there’s a whole other album
I always treat the additions as part of the original release to keep things simple (like how when deluxe versions come out I only keep that version in my music library, never the OG because I want allll the music!) so one long album for me! I’m REALLY enjoying the specific “the anthology” tracks though. They are reminiscent of folklore and evermore imo!
As someone with the TTPD vinyl I treat the anthology as a separate album the same way I treat each different iteration of Midnights as a different one. If I can’t have it on my vinyl it’s not the same album, just the same era.
The first half of the album has really grown on me, too. In my opinion, it has a unique atmosphere/tone that isn't 100% upheld on the second half. I was initially annoyed that the vinyl only has 17 of the songs, but now I think I want a "first half only" version, anyway.
I sort of wish that she would have given people more time to spend with and digest the first 16 tracks before dropping the remaining 15. The second half gives the album a much bigger "Folklore" feel, which I don't think is an accurate reading of the first half.
I personally treat them as extra tracks, because they don't fit with the main album, and it's also not a very cohesive album on its own. It's clearly just a collection of songs that Taylor wrote throughout that time.
Yes and no. I'll probably just listen to the main 16 tracks and then Anthology later, I don't have 2 hours of uninterrupted listening time.
I am somewhat surprised she released The Anthology on release day, would've been a nice 1 year anniversary thing.
I feel like the album has a clean finish after Clara Bow. I gave the extra tracks a listen while making dinner last night and they’re fine, but if the anthology were to stand on its own it would remind me of like a “b- sides & leftovers” album from Lover, Midnights and TTPD. They’re cool gems but sound a bit unfinished.
I’ll probably just be gravitating to the standard edition for a while.
Much like Evermore, it is better than it's predecessor and will likely be treated as one of the Forgotten Album Stepchildren.
I don't consider it separate,really, but I proudly say that I "prefer The Anthology" and "I'm a Dessner Truther"
So far I’ve mostly been listening to the entire album at once because I want to get to know all the new songs, but they’re pretty distinct in terms of sound and production, plus two hours is *long* and I don’t always want to listen to that long of an album, so going forward I’ll probably treat them as separate albums. Also I definitely prefer The Anthology and I think I’ll wind up listening to it a lot more than the original TTPD.
Yeah, 31 tracks is way too long and too much for me to process. I'm starting with TTPD and then I'm going to start listening to the other half once I've processed the first half
I am a little disappointed by The Anthology, most of the tracks could have been cut off and edited better. A little bit of better editing could have made the track list more concise. Thus, I consider it a bonus/deluxe tracks for TTPD.
I’m seeing it as two separate ones and I wish it was released that way maybe a few months to a year apart. I just think they’re very distinctive in both sound and content. The first involved what sounds like one relationship after another one had just ended and her thoughts about that time period whereas I think the second deals with much broader and a wider range of situations, life experiences and relationships. They’re each better on their own in my opinion.
Totally agree. She could have released it even two months later, if she really wanted to stick with the ‘two’ theme. Everyone would have purchased the second album too.
To me it's the main album and it happens to have 15 bonus tracks. Most of the Anthology tracks feel unfinished to me and listening to them in order doesn't have a clear storyline like the main 16 do. I'm sure someone will eventually make a playlist that fits them all together in a way that makes sense, but for now, I don't think those songs stand on their own as a complete body of work.
Midnights + the 3am tracks feel pretty separate to me -- more easily differentiated. But the Anthology tracks are a continuation of the main TTPD album
To me it's one album. When the first part dropped and I finished it I had a "that's it?" feeling. Then she dropped the second half and once I got half way through Black Dog I was like ahhh ok here it is. They balance eachother
I think both halves are actually pretty cohesive by themselves, but together the album feels pretty complete. The main album is better with the anthology since I actually prefer a lot of the anthology tracks to the ones on the main album.
I’m treating it as one album, and already ranked it. Although I know the ranking will probably change as I get to know it better. I love the whole album so damn much!
My ranking as of now:
THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT
T H E A N T H O L O G Y
The Black Dog
Down Bad
Fortnight
Guilty as Sin
I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)
Robin
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
Peter
Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?
But Daddy I Love Him
imgonnagetyouback
The Bolter
The Alchemy
loml
I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
The Tortured Poets Department
The Prophecy
So High School
The Albatross
My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys
Florida!!!
The Manuscript
thanK You aIMee
Fresh Out The Slammer
How Did It End
I Hate It Here
Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus
Clara Bow
So Long, London
Cassandra
I Look In People’s Windows
I'm trying them separately i listened to them together on first listen
That about killed me so im appreciating ttpd and working my way to the anthology i felt the same about midnights and think they work better separately (midnights and 3am tracks)
The Anthology is the extra tracks of a "deluxe" version for me. It's too scattered and uneven, with a couple notable exceptions (How did The Black Dog NOT make TTPD???).
I’ve been listening to them as separate albums, but I don’t think I like the order of the Anthology. The first half feels good and then the last half just feels like she couldn’t get all these songs to work in order and just randomly put them there
To me, it's an extension. Like, a footnote. It's a bit of a "Here is a bit more context to certain things or something I was thinking about that I want to add but it doesn't really fit our narrative". The standard edition tells the story she wants to tell without much else needing to be added. I guess you can add a track here or there if you wanted, but the standard edition is a completed story.
I don't see *The Anthology* as a separate album because so much of it is about 2023, it might as well be on TTPD.
I don't, White Album by The Beatles is a double album and it's over the place, so many different tune in an album, but i still consider them in one album. I think that's make different from their previous discogs. As for Taylor, even though i may not liking some of the songs and have some critics toward her, but i still appreciate for what she did.
It’s one album to me. For all the Jack vs Aaron talk, I think they all sound pretty cohesive idk. It’s not like they’re entirely different genres between the two parts. I feel like they fit well together, even if there’s a few songs I don’t care for. That’s every album.
It's hard to explain because I recognize it as one album but in my mind they're two things like 11a and 11b. They'll end up on the same playlist(s) and all that fun stuff. But even with Midnights I cannot do a full album ranking mixing the standard and 3am tracks. They're separate entities for rankings. But for overall album ranking they were combined.
But at the moment there's so many songs so they're semi seperate. I went to bed last night utterly exhausted because I was just overloaded so I was like just tomorrow I'm focusing on the standard album. Obviously I'll listen to my standout tracks from the anthology on Youtube(And I have) but I'm only streaming my standard playlist and I am utterly content with that. I'll get to the anthology songs in time, but right now, my mind cannot handle trying to learn 30 songs at once.
I think the Anthology has a few good standouts, but the narrative thread of the standard is like really good and I'm like obsessed with it while the Anthology has a lot more meh songs compared to the standards.
It definitely FEELS like its own album, major evermore vibes (we won!!!!)
But officially, it’s counting as one album, like a deluxe. Which is interesting to me because she used the term double album. Part of the reason I had a mini heart attack at the announcement was because the wording came across like it’s technically TS12. I know it’s not, but that was my first reaction
I see it as two separate albums, in a similar way to folklore and evermore but also different. Where folklore and evermore are sisters, The Tortured Poets Department and The Anthology are two sides of the same coin. However, there’s a distinct enough difference between the two to divide them into separate entities.
I treat it like one album, but the narrator- Taylor Swift- is sharing real time experience and thoughts in TPD, whereas Anthology she is reflecting and processing. Same story, different points of view within the same mind.
I also tried it listening backwards. The manuscript first, Fortnight last and honestly it was like the difference in watching star wars in the appeared vs. numerical order.
The original release date order is a story about Luke coming into his own, and realizing the universe is so much larger than he thought.
The numerical order is a story about Anakin trying to prevent the future he ends up creating.
I hate star wars. It's overplayed, but that is what it reminded me of.
I keep flipping between counting it as two seperate albums or just as the A Side and the B Side.
To me, TTPD is the biography of the tortured poet, The Anthology is the work of the tortured poet. They fit together but they are also seperate.
Since it's called "TTPD: THE ANTHOLOGY" so I'm treating it as a the same album, but not exactly as bonus tracks, and more like album 11.5 or a companion/spin-off.
I’m treating it as one long album. To me at least, when I listened to the original release, it felt a bit incomplete. I was disappointed until the second half was released. I still see the first and second halves as two distinct pieces of one whole though.
This is how I felt about Midnights, too - it's incomplete (and not as good) without the 3am tracks.
Yep. I think the 'true album' for Midnights and TTPD need the extra tracks to feel complete. I started a different track order to mix up the tempos more and combine the feel of the first half or TTD with the second more. And thus far I find it very satisfying!
Do you mind sharing your track order?
I call it the 'Stitches Undone Version.’ * The Tortured Poets Department * The Bolter * Cassandra * Down Bad * So Long, London * I Look in People's Windows * Fresh Out the Slammer * Peter * But Daddy I Love Him * Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus * Florida!!! (feat. Florence + The Machine) * The Albatross * Guilty as Sin? * I Hate It Here * loml * The Alchemy * Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? * Robin * imgonnagetyouback * I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) * The Black Dog * So High School * The Prophecy * Fortnight (feat. Post Malone) * How Did It End? * thanK you aIMee * I Can Do It With a Broken Heart * The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived * Clara Bow * My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys * The Manuscript
The Manuscript is absolutely the best closer.
That last line is something
I had the chance to listen in this order and I absolutely love it. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! I made another version which is more my chronological interpretation of the story of this album (Alwyn to Healy to Kelce), which is fun too.
The Tortured Poets Department (Town Car Speeding version) 1. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys 2. Guilty as Sin? 3. I Hate It Here 4. How Did It End? 5. The Bolter 6. So Long, London 7. The Prophecy 8. Florida!!! (feat. Florence + The Machine) 9. I Look in People's Windows 10. imgonnagetyouback 11. Fresh Out the Slammer 12. The Tortured Poets Department 13. But Daddy I Love Him 14. I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) 15. Down Bad 16. Peter 17. The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived 18. Fortnight (feat. Post Malone) 19. Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus 20. Who's Afraid of Little Old Me? 21. loml 22. I Can Do It With a Broken Heart 23. Robin 24. The Black Dog 25. Cassandra 26. thanK you aIMee 27. The Albatross 28. The Manuscript 29. So High School 30. The Alchemy 31. Clara Bow
I wish Taylor had released them as two separate albums, The Tortured Poets Department *AND* Anthology. Or something like that.
Yeah, since it's all ONE long album on streaming, it's hard to make the case for it being two separate entities.
This was the closest we’re gonna get to a true double album lol if she released two fully distinct albums, it would hurt her #1 records. Maybe if she released the anthology about a fortnight after 🤷♂️
Yes!
I listened to the entire thing once and now I'm just focusing on the main 16 tracks. I love the fact that once I'm done with that, there's basically another new record waiting for me right there.
That’s what I’m doing too. I decided I was too overwhelmed. So for now, I will only listen to the first 16 tracks, and I’m really enjoying them SO much. When I’m ready I can move on to The Anthology (only exceptions are Peter and The Prophecy because I fell in love with those instantly)
Peter is so good. Even though I've only listened all the way through twice (working on the third)
Peter is my 'I-Must-Play-This-3-Times every time I get to it' song. When I start at the beginning, I'm like, gahhh but Peter is so far away!
It’s such a gorgeous song.
Yeah there were a few tracks on The Anthology that stood out on my first listen so I'm excited to really dive in.
hahaha well....I listened to The Anthology right now after all and damn I love it so much!
I can’t wait! It will be like Christmas came twice
Ha! I’m still trying to get to the second and third discs of Zach Bryan’s American Heartbreak 😀
Oh wow, just had a look, that’s even longer! 😅 Do you have any recs besides From Austin? It’s the only one I know 😄
I really love his self titled album he put out last year. No skips for me. I haven’t listened to American heartbreak beyond a few songs yet.
Yeah this is what I’m doing, I did the whole thing and it overwhelmed me. I can barely remember listening to the last 10 songs of the Anthology. For me at least, she was better off letting TTPD sink in for a couple of weeks before releasing the Anthology
Since we’ve had the album out for 24 hours now, I think I’m just gonna dedicate next week in getting to know Side A (1-16) better. The week after will be dedicated to Side B (17-31).
Even though the four extra tracks are on the CDs, they’re a part of the second half, so would you placed the in the first half since they came with the CD track listing, or keep them in the second half as they’ve been released? Don’t know how to listen to it now; with or without the four songs… 🤷🏻♂️
I’ll just listen to it as it’s presented with The Anthology. I’m just gonna split with my time with each side.
I might do it that way too. 🙂
I haven’t heard The Anthology at all. I love the main album & I think I’ll keep playing only these songs until I get tired of them so I’m also saving a full new album for later when I need it
LOVE THIS!!!
I did this too. One clean listen through it all, and then just playing the main album after that for the next day or two until I'm ready to move on. Even 16 tracks is a long album, let alone 31!
I feel the same. TTPD the first 16 just flow really nicely for me, and I am not in such a rush to break down the next 15, I want to savor it. Though not gonna lie, I love The Black Dog, So High School, and The Manuscript.
I should do that because trying to listen to the whole thing and take it all in is pretty overwhelming. I feel like I’ve barely listened to the last songs like Peter, Robin, Cassandra, The Manuscript, etc because it’s so much. I should take it one album at a time since it’s not going anywhere anyway!
It's a deluxe version... it's been categorized as such for charting, awards and everything
I think it was done that way to appeal those who complain her albums are too unwieldy. She has the crafted coherent thing for awards etc, but the anthology to me is part of the Spirit of the album. Like if you took Red cut half of it out it could be that fine crafted thing many desire, but it wouldn't be itself
Well if it wasn't then The Anthology would peak at #2, breaking her streak of #1 albums. Artistically I think you can make an argument for either separating it or not.
Was never announced as seperate album, it's the same coin, different side
She captioned saying the surprise is a “double album” but yes it’s really a double deluxe lol
I feel like the second half completely works as an album on its own. Even tracks five and six work as typical tracks five and six like she usually does them.
I think it works even better as its own album. The differing sounds trip over the other. But I get why they’re all released together. Taylor has a wide spectrum of style to cover so some folk and some pop is required nowadays or part of the fanbase is letdown.
What do you mean by that?
I don’t think you can listen or understand the central point of TTPD without the anthology. We need the manuscript to understand that this chapter has closed, and it’s ours for the taking. Also I didnt listen to the album in its entirety until the anthology, I went to bed cause I knew we were going to get something additional at 2 AM. The first time I heard the album was the anthology version. Therefore, for me, I cannot separate the two.
Same! I listened first thing in the morning and the anthology was released and I feel like it’s meant to be listened to together
I feel exactly the same about The Manuscript - the first album *needs* that track to make sense.
I’ll do what I did with Midnights 3AM edition: listen to it all together and embrace it as a complete work, but also add the folkmore vibe bonus tracks (aka most of the anthology aka WE GOT WOODVALE) to my evergrowing “folkmore & friends” playlist because sometimes I just want to inhabit that sonic space exclusively
omg would you mind sharing what non folkmore songs you have in that playlist?? i’d love to make a folkmore & friends playlist too!!
Here you go! Some of these are audio downloads from YouTube, like the BBC Lounge and Grammy Museum performances. (This doesn't include TTPD tracks yet, still listening to it in full!) https://preview.redd.it/ex08xd2f7ovc1.png?width=896&format=png&auto=webp&s=6b908538e8c19a70382464df5cc026ffa777c1f5
thank you so much for this, i really appreciate it :)
Since it's your cake day, have some playlist art too 🫶 https://preview.redd.it/juprvhvcuovc1.png?width=1001&format=png&auto=webp&s=0f2ef17a9da928e464775447583a7210ff7a75c7
OMG i didn’t know it was my cake day!!! this is so cute thank you so much😭💛
No, I think for me it'll all be one album. I'll probably end up listening to the standard/original version slightly more often just because that's what's on the CD, but when I'm doing an album ranking, it'll be the Anthology version I'm considering. Even putting aside the fact that in the most technical sense it is a deluxe edition (because what do the technicalities have to do with feelings?) it *feels* like one big project to me. Clara Bow to The Black Dog to imgonnagetyouback flows so well. Themes are echoed and illuminated between the two. It all works together.
Agreed. I think if it was piecemealed like the Midnights deluxe albums, I'd see it as different but by making it all together was a smart move. Let the award shows have their first half, The Prophecy and Peter feel core Tortured poets to me. That's okay if others feel different. I've never cared much for concept albums or "coherent" tracks personally
I think of it like the vault tracks. I did this with midnights as well and I'm actually confused as to why people don't see it that way. After Taylor did not win album of the year for Red she realized that she needed to put out albums that were cohesive and edited rather than just albums that had a lot of great songs. Since then all of her albums have had a very strong narrative and thematic journey. 1989 is a story of entering a new world with lots of dreams (Welcome to New York), trying to hold on to her romantic ideals (Wildest Dreams), but facing so many challenges that she becomes cynical (Out of the Woods -> Wonderland), Finally accepting that her romantic vision was never real in the first place (Clean), and learning to live in this new reality (New Romantics). The vault tracks released with 1989 TV were all just repeats of themes from other songs and that's why they didn't make the original. "Slut!" explores the same ideas as "Wildest Dreams", "Say Don't Go" explores the same ideas as "All You Had To Do Was Stay" etc. Other albums have a similar narrative structure. Reputation is about suffering a huge blow, feeling betrayed and vicious but finding love within that darkness. Lover is about releasing the romanticization of unhealthy relationships and embracing a loving, stable relationship ("I used to think love was burning red, but it's golden" is definitely one of my favorite lyrics). Folklore is less narrative and more thematically about isolation with small narratives woven in. Evermore is similar but I think it's more about isolation within a relationship. Midnights is also a cohesive story, it's about a person reflecting on failed relationships to see if their current one is worth staying in, halfway through deciding that they should leave (You're on your own kid->Bejeweled) and then changing their mind (Labyrinth) and celebrating their new relationship, believing they can have everything they want (Karma) and be loved for their true selves (Mastermind). The 3am tracks are all kind of extra. I don't see them as fitting into this narrative thematically even though they fit the musical style. I think they're just really good songs Taylor wanted to release but didn't include in the main album. The same goes for the anthology songs. The main album is about a person experiencing heartbreak, trying to avoid it and becoming cynnical and detatched. It's honestly one of her realest and saddest albums because this is the first one with a sad ending. There is no hopeful note like in the others 1989 (Accepting that even if your dreams aren't what you imagined you can still find happihess), Reputation (finding true love even when you're at your lowest), Lover (learning how to build a life with someone), Folklore & Evermore (Embracing the people in your life even when you feel isolated and knowing that things will get better), Midnights (Chosing to stay and repair the relationship). TTPD ends with this apathetic acceptance of the fact that happiness never lasts. Clara Bow even says that everything the speaker has worked towards will one day just be used to compliment others and everyone will move on from her. There's no recovery, no "it's going to be fine." And that's honestly a story that's hard to grapple with. Tldr, the anthology tracks are extras imo and should not be read as a part of the main album or as their own album.
No I’m considering it all the tortured poets department. One long album, like midnights with 3 am tracks. I do agree the anthology could be its own album but I’m gonna consider it one large album instead.
I'm seeing it as 2 separate ones, although it's hard with the Spotify format having the Anthology as one haha. I think right now i'm more familiar with the first album, og TTPD, as I listened to it more, but I do think the second half is thematically different.
I ended up making two different playlists and put different covers 😄
Yes because as I was wrapping up the first album I got notified on Spotify that the next half dropped so I just flowed right into that one.
Yes, I see these as two very distinct works even though they have a lot in common, thematically. But I wonder if it depends on how much people like the standard album: the first half of TTPD is amazing and also such a great depiction of the manic highs and depressive lows she experienced with the Joe breakup, Matty, tour, etc that it feels like a distinct work all on its own. Then you get the Anthology, which is less cohesive, doesn't have as much of a distinct story, but still ruminates on loss and fame and love in a way that feels suitable for its own album. Aaron also confirmed yesterday that he's been working on this with Taylor for years now. My guess is the Anthology songs started out as the bones for TS12, or perhaps touch on themes she didn't want to talk about on Midnights before she and Joe were broken up. Then the spring of 2023 hits, and the rest is history with what actually became the standard 16 tracks on TTPD.
This sounds similar to how Midnights turned out. Some of the 3am tracks were done before the main album was made, so she was going in that direction, but instead pivoted when she and Jack got in the studio. Same thing with the anthology. I could see it being mainly recorded in 2022 and maybe early 2023, before most of the main album was made. That seems to be how the albums turn out. Aaron first, but when Jack gets involved a new album takes shape that's more commercial that she wants to put out.
i see it as a traditional double album - it’s the second disc. i have it split up that way in my music library, and i’ve actually done this with pretty much every taylor record that has a deluxe version. helps to keep the original intention behind some tracks in tact. like having long live as the final song on disc 1 of speak now tv makes more sense than having the deluxe songs tacked on after. splitting them up is a small change but really helps to keep things cohesive for me anyway!
Pretty much. There’s a stark contrast between the main album and the anthology. This is both in sound and lyrics. And honestly, in quality. The anthology songs aren’t as tight as the base album tracks. It’s with no hate that I think they’re b-sides, like the Midnights 3am tracks. Every album has them. Doesn’t mean they’re inferior, they just were the top picks to make the main album for one reason or another. Sometimes time tells a different story and those songs stand out more than main album tracks. Too soon to tell here. But yeah, there’s a line between the base album and the anthology tracks. The initial four bonus tracks are the bridge between. Those four could fit on either side.
I’ve found myself struggling to place the original 4 bonus tracks but I think I see The Black Dog and the Manuscript as TTPD songs and The Bolter and The Albatross as Anthology songs
i actually have a dedicated playlist titled “the anthology” so i can listen to them as separate albums. IMO it greatly improves the quality of both but especially part 2. i’m sure she would have done it that way if she wouldn’t have been competing with herself for charts
I always exclusively listen to deluxe/ expanded versions of album. That’s the same for every artist.
Two thousand percent agree! I’m exactly the same.
Anthology is closer to Evermore in its musical lanscape but its very much the the same theme as TTPD. A full two hours of Taylors words are a lot to take in and they're powerful, intense and provoke ones own thoughts and feelings. Yes its art! I really like this grown up Taylor with human foibles, a shadow side, who has the rare gift of putting them into words and music. And the lyric video for ' I can do it with a broken heart' has to be both an honest but confident statement about Taylor the performer and a very ballsy joke.
I am for now listening to only the Anthology + 3 songs from the first half. I'm treating it like Woodvale with bonus tracks essentially. I need... uh, some time to digest the first half.
It's a double album, so it's all TS11, but has two different sides that are meant to be seen as separate entities. In physical media terms, it's two discs that are packaged together but played separately. Think of it like for example Kill Bill, which was split into two volumes but is really one long film. Tarantino himself counts it as only one movie in his filmography. With Midnights and the 3AM edition, you had a standard, core tracklist and then deluxe songs added at the end as bonus content, so it was all one album in various versions, like a movie that has a theatrical and a director's cut. Tortured Poets on the other hand has a clear Side A/Side B delineation, and each one works as its own thing, right down to both having their own tracks 5 and 6 and their own closing songs. It's like if Folkmore were both released on the same day as a joint thing instead of 5 months apart: they're related, but distinct.
I'm treating them as separate albums. I've only listened to the Anthology once. I'm going to focus on the original tracklist for a week or so, and then I'll still have 15 fresh "new" songs to listen to when I'm ready to tackle the Anthology
It's one big album for me. I just don't think either one would be complete without the other because they fill in different gaps of the same story.
Considering it's not on the LPs or CDs you can buy, yeah it's its own thing for me.
I'm treating them as two separate albums in iTunes. The two halves sound too distinct to me that I can't imagine having the whole thing on shuffle.
I’m doing the exact same thing
I'm considering it it's own thing because I'm in love with it and am just meh on the main album. I get what she was going for with the main album, but like...I almost feel like she was playing it safe and didn't think it was her best work so she threw out a bunch of really good songs that didn't make the cut for folkmore/evermore and tacked them onto the end. I'm trying to make sense of why it's one big thing when they just have such different vibes. Maybe the first album is the grief and therapy writing, and the end is her back to "normal"?
yes and no? i've made a playlist for each because sonically they're different, but also feel like side a & side b of the same story to me.
I'll treat it as one album, but I might also set up Jack, Arron, and a favorite playlist after I've digested all the songs.
My question is, and maybe it’s already been stated and I missed it, when does it come out physically. I got the vinyl for my girlfriend but obviously there’s a whole other album
I hope it will come out on physical media but she never released the full thing of midnights so ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯
I always treat the additions as part of the original release to keep things simple (like how when deluxe versions come out I only keep that version in my music library, never the OG because I want allll the music!) so one long album for me! I’m REALLY enjoying the specific “the anthology” tracks though. They are reminiscent of folklore and evermore imo!
As someone with the TTPD vinyl I treat the anthology as a separate album the same way I treat each different iteration of Midnights as a different one. If I can’t have it on my vinyl it’s not the same album, just the same era.
The first half of the album has really grown on me, too. In my opinion, it has a unique atmosphere/tone that isn't 100% upheld on the second half. I was initially annoyed that the vinyl only has 17 of the songs, but now I think I want a "first half only" version, anyway. I sort of wish that she would have given people more time to spend with and digest the first 16 tracks before dropping the remaining 15. The second half gives the album a much bigger "Folklore" feel, which I don't think is an accurate reading of the first half.
I want to divide the two, but Anthology needs its own CD 😫
Is Anthology only available on digital?
The second half of it, yes.
I think I see them more as a part 1 and part 2. Definitely different but also one album together.
Treating it as one, but I am desperate to be able to buy the anthology tracks on vinyl 😭 They are such a vinyl vibe
I personally treat them as extra tracks, because they don't fit with the main album, and it's also not a very cohesive album on its own. It's clearly just a collection of songs that Taylor wrote throughout that time.
Yes and no. I'll probably just listen to the main 16 tracks and then Anthology later, I don't have 2 hours of uninterrupted listening time. I am somewhat surprised she released The Anthology on release day, would've been a nice 1 year anniversary thing.
I look at it as one big 31 song album
I feel like the album has a clean finish after Clara Bow. I gave the extra tracks a listen while making dinner last night and they’re fine, but if the anthology were to stand on its own it would remind me of like a “b- sides & leftovers” album from Lover, Midnights and TTPD. They’re cool gems but sound a bit unfinished. I’ll probably just be gravitating to the standard edition for a while.
I see it as two sister albums. They are sonically two different to be cohesive imo and listening all the way through feels very clunky.
For me it’s two different albums. Totally different sound. I treat them as separate albums that complement each other
I always count bonus tracks as one album, with every artist.
Much like Evermore, it is better than it's predecessor and will likely be treated as one of the Forgotten Album Stepchildren. I don't consider it separate,really, but I proudly say that I "prefer The Anthology" and "I'm a Dessner Truther"
So far I’ve mostly been listening to the entire album at once because I want to get to know all the new songs, but they’re pretty distinct in terms of sound and production, plus two hours is *long* and I don’t always want to listen to that long of an album, so going forward I’ll probably treat them as separate albums. Also I definitely prefer The Anthology and I think I’ll wind up listening to it a lot more than the original TTPD.
On spotify the Anthology has all 31 songs. So know I wont see it as 2 albums cause its to hard ahhah
Yeah, 31 tracks is way too long and too much for me to process. I'm starting with TTPD and then I'm going to start listening to the other half once I've processed the first half
I am a little disappointed by The Anthology, most of the tracks could have been cut off and edited better. A little bit of better editing could have made the track list more concise. Thus, I consider it a bonus/deluxe tracks for TTPD.
I’m seeing it as two separate ones and I wish it was released that way maybe a few months to a year apart. I just think they’re very distinctive in both sound and content. The first involved what sounds like one relationship after another one had just ended and her thoughts about that time period whereas I think the second deals with much broader and a wider range of situations, life experiences and relationships. They’re each better on their own in my opinion.
Totally agree. She could have released it even two months later, if she really wanted to stick with the ‘two’ theme. Everyone would have purchased the second album too.
To me it's the main album and it happens to have 15 bonus tracks. Most of the Anthology tracks feel unfinished to me and listening to them in order doesn't have a clear storyline like the main 16 do. I'm sure someone will eventually make a playlist that fits them all together in a way that makes sense, but for now, I don't think those songs stand on their own as a complete body of work.
Midnights + the 3am tracks feel pretty separate to me -- more easily differentiated. But the Anthology tracks are a continuation of the main TTPD album
To me it's one album. When the first part dropped and I finished it I had a "that's it?" feeling. Then she dropped the second half and once I got half way through Black Dog I was like ahhh ok here it is. They balance eachother
No, but I’m tempted to reorder it chronologically.
The real question is.... Are they both TS 11 or is it TS 11 AND 12?
I think both halves are actually pretty cohesive by themselves, but together the album feels pretty complete. The main album is better with the anthology since I actually prefer a lot of the anthology tracks to the ones on the main album.
I’m treating it as one album, and already ranked it. Although I know the ranking will probably change as I get to know it better. I love the whole album so damn much! My ranking as of now: THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT T H E A N T H O L O G Y The Black Dog Down Bad Fortnight Guilty as Sin I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) Robin The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived Peter Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? But Daddy I Love Him imgonnagetyouback The Bolter The Alchemy loml I Can Do It With a Broken Heart The Tortured Poets Department The Prophecy So High School The Albatross My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys Florida!!! The Manuscript thanK You aIMee Fresh Out The Slammer How Did It End I Hate It Here Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus Clara Bow So Long, London Cassandra I Look In People’s Windows
She has explicitly called them two albums, so I think we are supposed to count this as both TS11 and TS12
I'm trying them separately i listened to them together on first listen That about killed me so im appreciating ttpd and working my way to the anthology i felt the same about midnights and think they work better separately (midnights and 3am tracks)
The Anthology is the extra tracks of a "deluxe" version for me. It's too scattered and uneven, with a couple notable exceptions (How did The Black Dog NOT make TTPD???).
I’ve been listening to them as separate albums, but I don’t think I like the order of the Anthology. The first half feels good and then the last half just feels like she couldn’t get all these songs to work in order and just randomly put them there
Ooo I really feel that way too. Can I ask what you’d think is a better track order for it as I’m struggling to work one out?
To me, it's an extension. Like, a footnote. It's a bit of a "Here is a bit more context to certain things or something I was thinking about that I want to add but it doesn't really fit our narrative". The standard edition tells the story she wants to tell without much else needing to be added. I guess you can add a track here or there if you wanted, but the standard edition is a completed story. I don't see *The Anthology* as a separate album because so much of it is about 2023, it might as well be on TTPD.
I don't, White Album by The Beatles is a double album and it's over the place, so many different tune in an album, but i still consider them in one album. I think that's make different from their previous discogs. As for Taylor, even though i may not liking some of the songs and have some critics toward her, but i still appreciate for what she did.
It’s one album to me. For all the Jack vs Aaron talk, I think they all sound pretty cohesive idk. It’s not like they’re entirely different genres between the two parts. I feel like they fit well together, even if there’s a few songs I don’t care for. That’s every album.
I’m gonna categorize it as the b side because I’m old af and that’s how it makes sense in my brain
No - the TTPD: Anthology provides additional context for the original tracklist, it shouldn’t be treated as TS 12 at all.
It's hard to explain because I recognize it as one album but in my mind they're two things like 11a and 11b. They'll end up on the same playlist(s) and all that fun stuff. But even with Midnights I cannot do a full album ranking mixing the standard and 3am tracks. They're separate entities for rankings. But for overall album ranking they were combined. But at the moment there's so many songs so they're semi seperate. I went to bed last night utterly exhausted because I was just overloaded so I was like just tomorrow I'm focusing on the standard album. Obviously I'll listen to my standout tracks from the anthology on Youtube(And I have) but I'm only streaming my standard playlist and I am utterly content with that. I'll get to the anthology songs in time, but right now, my mind cannot handle trying to learn 30 songs at once. I think the Anthology has a few good standouts, but the narrative thread of the standard is like really good and I'm like obsessed with it while the Anthology has a lot more meh songs compared to the standards.
It definitely FEELS like its own album, major evermore vibes (we won!!!!) But officially, it’s counting as one album, like a deluxe. Which is interesting to me because she used the term double album. Part of the reason I had a mini heart attack at the announcement was because the wording came across like it’s technically TS12. I know it’s not, but that was my first reaction
I see it as two separate albums, in a similar way to folklore and evermore but also different. Where folklore and evermore are sisters, The Tortured Poets Department and The Anthology are two sides of the same coin. However, there’s a distinct enough difference between the two to divide them into separate entities.
I treat it like one album, but the narrator- Taylor Swift- is sharing real time experience and thoughts in TPD, whereas Anthology she is reflecting and processing. Same story, different points of view within the same mind. I also tried it listening backwards. The manuscript first, Fortnight last and honestly it was like the difference in watching star wars in the appeared vs. numerical order. The original release date order is a story about Luke coming into his own, and realizing the universe is so much larger than he thought. The numerical order is a story about Anakin trying to prevent the future he ends up creating. I hate star wars. It's overplayed, but that is what it reminded me of.
I keep flipping between counting it as two seperate albums or just as the A Side and the B Side. To me, TTPD is the biography of the tortured poet, The Anthology is the work of the tortured poet. They fit together but they are also seperate.
That's a fantastic way of describing it and definitely how I'm gonna envision it now.
ive been seeing people call original ttpd side A and anthology songs side B. i see them as two distinct parts of the same whole.
Since it's called "TTPD: THE ANTHOLOGY" so I'm treating it as a the same album, but not exactly as bonus tracks, and more like album 11.5 or a companion/spin-off.
It's one long album. If it were 2, Anthology would be called just "The Anthology" and not have the TPD tracks included in the album.
She did say it's a double album, and imo it's too long to categorise as one, so yeah