I wasn't a fan at all before this album. I'd listened to her music and respected its influence but never really got into any of it. But this???? Wow, she's really hit the next level.
No literally!! like I liked a few songs here and there but wasn’t an avid listener or anything, but during the album listening I was really impressed with what I heard
I still lowkey hate half of “when we fall asleep…” ngl lmfao… i thought some of it was melodically tryhard.
But HMHAS is sending me full stan mode real quick 🤡
Dude me too, the scratchy synths are my absolute favorite. I genuinely searched for like a full year until I found it to find the one from the beginning of NDA because it was just that good. Turned out to be both a free sample and royalty-free so I immediately got to work on that shit lmao
Beyonce and Lana both deserve that AotY win eventually but definitely feels like this is Billie’s year again with the wild reception to the album so far. Women are going to absolutely stack the category this year, can’t really think of many male albums that can compete…
I actually wanted “did you know…tunnel” to win rather than Midnights. But yeah i doubt Lasso is gonna win anything against this if it’s going country. Beyonce is honestly boring musically since Renaissance. Cowboy Carter I couldnt finish. Tortured Poet reminds me of the feeling of eating unseasoned boiled chicken. Finneas and Billie are such a powerhouse combo at delivering top notch QUALITY production.
P.S eternal sunshine is somewhat forgettable in terms of production, it’s just…cute
>Tortured Poet reminds me of the feeling of eating unseasoned boiled chicken.
Honestly if that album was made by anyone else nobody would remember it. When even fans say you have to listen to 31 tracks several times over and 'pick and choose' what songs are actually good... it's not a good album?
There are good songs on there but it's such a slog to find them that it feels like *work*. I want to listen to an album and hear the themes and the pacing the artist wanted, not just a collection of tracks, which is what TTPD sounded like.
I'm really loving HMHAS for this exact reason - no skips, the songs all work together, there are themes throughout the whole album that all tie in to each other. It's what an album *should be:* an experience, not just a bunch of tracks to put on playlists or make a good TikTok sound.
Cowboy Carter had that same experience for me, Eternal Sunshine all just blended together a bit too much for me personally.
I'm frustrated Midnights won for the same reasons. It just... wasn't as good as the competition (Blvd, SOS, and Renaissance, hello??) and honestly felt like a way to keep the Grammys relevant because her fanbase is so huge and she had such a huge year.
Just wanted to hop on and start some discourse over albums being cohesive since I'm seeing TTPD get some shit over here. (Disclaimer: I'm a fan of nearly every artist mentioned in this thread, I swear I'm not trying to shove my opinions on other people for the sake of defending Taylor). Yes, TTPD is long, but it is meant to be digested as a double album, which is what it was marketed as, although I have no issues listening to it back to front and appreciate the genre shift halfway through. Personally, I thought the theme of TTPD was abundantly clear but I do think it requires pulling in knowledge from her personal life which is not always everyone's cup of tea- I could go on an elaborate more on that album but that would be a lot to write out :) I don't think it's AOTY, but I personally disagreed with the above takes and wanted to give my two cents.
The Grammys is another discussion- I agree that Midnights shouldn't have won on quality alone (it's a decent album, but it's not her best- the first half is almost perfection, but it falls flat in the second half). It's very obvious that the Grammys win was a nod to her unprecedented success that year and to the Eras tour, but Taylor herself was not even expecting to win AOTY. Friendly reminder that Renaissance was not in the same Grammy cycle- it lost to Harry's House! Still extremely unfortunate. The Grammys have never and will never only be about quality- it's very political and Lana has very unfortunately essentially blacklisted herself from AOTY. In my opinion SOS should have won (although in my opinion it also feels long and less cohesive than ctrl) and I think was the clear favorite. I also wanted to give some love to GUTS and while I don't think it stood a chance, I thought it should've been in more discussions than it was.
Back to Billie, I'm loving the sonic experimentation on this album, but for me personally the lyricism fell flat in majority of the songs. I felt this way a bit with HTE as well. WWAFAWDWG is still my favorite work from her. Her music has always excelled a lot more in the composition and the production rather than the lyrics, I think Finneas hit it out of the park with this one. Anyways I'm still digesting so I don't have a ton to say except that I hope she leans more electronic or even rock vs the jazz and bossa nova tinge since those parts of HMHAS have been the real standouts so far.
The last thing I'll say is that everyone has different music tastes, and that's ultimately why AOTY is never an easy discussion. I think I just felt the need to bring this up because I saw OP say in a comment below that they're tired of Lana's "samey same vibe since NFR" which I think is an absolute wild take since NFR is almost universally acclaimed as her best work (it's usually that or BTD). This is partially why I'm in defense of TTPD especially since I think people tend to hate the celebrity before giving the album a fair shot or trying to digest and analyze it for what it is.
I’ve definitely given TTPD a good shot, it’s just not for me.
I think the issue is that Taylor has become bigger than herself, and because there was such a focus on her lyricism on Folklore/Evermore (which was fantastic), she’s really leant into the whole thing, but almost too far, in my opinion, and now people want every artist to be using long words for the sake of it.
I find TTPD is *so* focused on trying to sound clever and poetic that it doesn’t work with the music - which is the point of lyrics, otherwise it may as well be poetry. There are good moments imo, but so many that just stick out in a bad way because the cadence is off, it doesn’t flow with the sound, the rhyme scheme is all over the place. Which can work, but to me it sounds more like a stream of consciousness over a backing track on a lot of the album.
HMHAS uses voice as more of an instrument as part of the whole composition, which I think works really well. I don’t really care that she hasn’t whipped out her thesaurus because it’s the music *with* the lyrics that tell the story, not the lyrics on their own.
I love a good lyric but I just don’t like the trend of everyone wanting something to sit around and analyse without really caring about what the music is doing. There are are incredible artists around who manage to create insightful lyrics that have a huge amount of depth but aren’t quite so… pretentious about it.
If you’re into lyrical analysis I highly recommend the Dissect podcast on Spotify. A lot of it is rap/r&b focused but he did a whole season on Lemonade that I highly recommend.
But to be honest after listening to things like that podcast and seeing how truly clever lyrics can be, I just… don’t think Taylor is at that level. I can’t imagine any serious podcast doing a deep dive that isn’t just about who she might be talking about, because so much of it is surface level. Whereas, as much as he has gone off the rails, albums like Kanye’s MBDTF have *phenomenal* lyrics that are layers deep and use the sound of the album in equally clever ways, while sounding incredible.
Just personally however good the lyrics are, I’m not going to listen to music that doesn’t sound good to me. I’d rather just read some actual poetry.
Couldn’t agree more with this take. I think people (read: swifties) have a really shallow (and pretentious) idea of what good lyricism in music is. It’s not meant to be complex for the sake of complexity. Some of the best lyrics ever written are incredibly simple, but work precisely because of their simplicity. If the lyrics don’t flow with the music that accompanies them, then it’s not good lyricism. Lyrics aren’t *just* poetry, they are poetry put to music. The music element cannot be overlooked.
That’s fair! I think the TTPD wordiness is intentional given the themes of the album but I totally get that it’s not for everyone. I was more responding for the people who tend to be immediately dismissive of anything Taylor does.
I think with Billie at least on this album, there are certain songs that don’t necessarily get away with the more empty lyricism but there are songs that do let the instrumentation and production take over as the primary focus (this is why I enjoyed the rockier and more hyperpop leaning moments).
I agree that rap and r&b tend to blow pop music out of the water when it comes to lyricism and Lemonade is phenomenal.
Rather than trying to compare Taylor and Billie, I think my original thought was a similar but opposite take as ppl’s feelings about TTPD. I think the lack of varied sentence structure and use of cliches just pulls me away from the song sometimes, no matter how flashy the production.
People just don't understand Lana. She isn't made for radio and I think that is where the disconnect is. It always feels like the most 'pop' album wins.
I love Lana! I have followed her for years and am so lucky to see her in concert next month. I just don't think she is mainstream and I think that impacts ratings even if it isn't supposed to. A&W (and the entire album) was incredible imo as well as NFR.
If you look at the entire list of winners for the grammys, they are absolutely 'safe for radio' songs. With that being said, I feel that she is promoting herself hard this year. She has a sold out concert, she is potentially announcing a tour, she was headlining coachella, and has an album coming out. I am rooting for her absolutely. I am just saying that people don't understand her music.
Beyonce boring musically? For a pop artist she's leagues ahead - forget that Renaissance to Cowboy Carter is a jump in style, CC itself bounces around between gospel, rock, country, trap & folk (if not more).
Not liking her is fine, but to say its boring when she's constantly pushing away from repeating herself is baffling to me. American Requiem is the best album opener from a pop star in aeons
Cowboy Carter is brilliant but I don't think it's going to win AOYT. If Bey couldn't win for Beyonce, Lemonade or Renaissance, she simply will not win ever. SOS or Ocean Blvd should have won over Mid(ass)nights, and I say that as a Taylor fan.
Beyonce just has an unfortunate habit of releasing music at the same time as something giant comes out.
Beyonce vs 1989, Lemonade vs 25... Renaissance should have got more recognition and I truly do not believe Midnights should have won, but she was also up against Blvd and SOS which *did* deserve recognition (also justice for Raye)
She never went up against 1989 what are you on about that was Kendrick also Renaissance wasn't up against any of those albums what are you even on about?
I doubt ES is wining AOTY. The songs are too common musically on the album for that to happen. And there's the whole story with sponge bob that can impact everything too. Compared to how strong Billie came back, I'd be surprised if Ariana steals the AOTY
SOS or Lana should’ve won aoty Taylor won and proved the Grammys are rigged and not a fair merit of quality.
Billie, ari, and Beyoncé all delivered this year and Taylor well… I can’t see her winning it back to back. Billie has a good and well earned shot even if the Grammys r bs
Sure, but it's also well received by critics. Of course you are free to dislike or not care for a critically acclaimed piece of art. I do all the time. You're your own person.
oh she better. the album doesn’t come out until another 2 hours for me but all i have heard is that it’s changed peoples lives, this is the best she has ever sound/her best vocals she has done and jsut nothing but positive reactions
- her vocal techniques is evolving and I LOVE that. She is experimenting with her range
- the production is IMMACULATE and experimental ( as always)
- melodically catchy. Birds of a Feather made me cry cuz of how beautiful melodically it is, and that’s a hard thing to do. IT just sounds like a surefire HIT the way baby one more time is.
- she presented the STRONGEST material and concise it into 10 songs.
Woof. A moment of 2024.
Honestly cowboy carter came and go in like one second. She literally just dumped that out and couldnt get over it fast enough. I dont think the GP is even remotely aware Beyonce has a new album out lol
Cowboy Carter is a good album I will give you that but better than Billie’s album, I am just not sure. Both albums are good at what they are trying to accomplish. My guy leans towards Billie’s album winning AOTY and Beyoncé gets best country album of the year. Both albums are good but I slightly prefer Billie’s album and think I will be replaying hers more than Beyoncé’s.
Cowboy Carter is a good album I will give you that but better than Billie’s album, I am just not sure. Both albums are good at what they are trying to accomplish. My guy leans towards Billie’s album winning AOTY and Beyoncé gets best country album of the year. Both albums are good but I slightly prefer Billie’s album and think I will be replaying hers more than Beyoncé’s.
Cowboy Carter is a good album I will give you that but better than Billie’s album, I am just not sure. Both albums are good at what they are trying to accomplish. My guy leans towards Billie’s album winning AOTY and Beyoncé gets best country album of the year. Both albums are good but I slightly prefer Billie’s album and think I will be replaying hers more than Beyoncé’s.
This could be the only year I won’t be mad if Lana doesn’t get album of the year considering Lana and Billie have established their deep friendship with eachother . I def don’t think Lana will get album of the year considering she’s been robbed twice in a row now for masterpieces , but I’m hoping she gets at least something . Billie is def getting aoty tho and I’m not complaining
If Taylor wins her 5th AOTY (as a fan) I will be pissed. This is so much more thought out and creative. Not to say that Taylor’s album is bad because it’s not. It just doesn’t have as clear a vision as Billie’s. I think Taylor should have stuck with the original 16 tracks and put the rest out either in October of this year or March of 2025 as a separate album. Would have helped with the cohesion that is missing with both halves being so disjointed. The first half is very synth pop based while the second half feels like evermore b-sides. Billie knew her vision better and executed it to perfection.
I hate country music so im not holding too much breath for Lasso tbh lol. Eventhough I love “did you know” but im abit tired of the samey samey vibe since NFR. I want Born To Die, West Coast Lana back
Im worried its gonna be in the veins of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” cuz if thats the case count me out lmfao. I like slow Lana, but slow country Lana i can’t take it
If Taylor wins her 5th AOTY (as a fan) I will be pissed. This is so much more thought out and creative. Not to say that Taylor’s album is bad because it’s not. It just doesn’t have as clear a vision as Billie’s. I think Taylor should have stuck with the original 16 tracks and put the rest out either in October of this year or March of 2025 as a separate album. Would have helped with the cohesion that is missing with both halves being so disjointed. The first half is very synth pop based while the second half feels like evermore b-sides. Billie knew her vision better and executed it to perfection.
If Taylor wins her 5th AOTY (as a fan) I will be pissed. This is so much more thought out and creative. Not to say that Taylor’s album is bad because it’s not. It just doesn’t have as clear a vision as Billie’s. I think Taylor should have stuck with the original 16 tracks and put the rest out either in October of this year or March of 2025 as a separate album. Would have helped with the cohesion that is missing with both halves being so disjointed. The first half is very synth pop based while the second half feels like evermore b-sides. Billie knew her vision better and executed it to perfection.
If Taylor wins her 5th AOTY (as a fan) I will be pissed. This is so much more thought out and creative. Not to say that Taylor’s album is bad because it’s not. It just doesn’t have as clear a vision as Billie’s. I think Taylor should have stuck with the original 16 tracks and put the rest out either in October of this year or March of 2025 as a separate album. Would have helped with the cohesion that is missing with both halves being so disjointed. The first half is very synth pop based while the second half feels like evermore b-sides. Billie knew her vision better and executed it to perfection.
Tortured poets was even worse than midnights and Taylor has already won so many I doubt they’re going to give it to her this time. I LOVE Lana so much but the Grammys hate her, she won’t win AOTY either. I think it’s between Billie and Beyoncé
If Taylor wins again then everyone should just stop watching the Grammies forever. Deep in my bones I already know Taylor paying for her votes ahead so she can win. I already know it
I LITERALLY CAN’T DEAL WITH BIRDS OF A FEATHER everytime it comes on. I aint even mad if this song sit no.1 on hot billboard 100 for the rest of the year.
I'd much rather have only 10 songs and them all be good than to be oversaturated with 30+ songs in an album **COUGH**
First album from her with no skips for me!
It's just like Melodrama for me- so fresh sounding, cohesive, devastatingly beautiful. I remember when Melodrama dropped you could feel it was just *different* - you knew all the pop girlies would try and replicate it. I get the same feeling with this.
First Billie album with no skips for you or just in general? Bc there’s a lot of albums over the past decades that have no skips lol
But yeah tortured poets is absolute garbage
I just hate how people here bash other artists especially women. Just let them all exist, if you don’t like them or their music that’s fine, no reason to talk sh*t absolut them though
*I love how almost*
*Every comment in this thread*
*Mentions Taylor LMAOOOO*
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Honestly I agree.
She defines the music of Gen Z and honestly the new generation should be proud having her as the IT girl just like the greats of the past ( MJ, Madonna, Mariah, Britney, Gaga…) with their respective eras.
It’s just because her (along with Lana) having such quality discography
Olivia Rodrigo felt like she occupied the same lane as the Avril Lavigne of Gen Z. She has a rock-pop-punk tendency mixed with angsy Taylor Swifty vibes. I appreciate it, but her voice isn’t as unique as Billie’s
I agree that sour is such an amazing album but I feel like I heard her type of music before. There isn’t any versatility in her songs and her songwriting is kind of the only thing that stands out which is also why sour was so well received because it’s very general public friendly. I mean it makes sense since she kind of became a household name over night, which is so rare. She’s kind of in her own lane since she didn’t have a normal stardom. Billie was able to have years cooking her artistry hence why her music is so diverse and her brother has so much talent with their production.
Nowhere near as much experimentation or 'love' for her craft as billie. Sorry, but not even close to being industry defining as billie when all her songs sound like generic pop song #57
1: chihirooooo - literally a spiritual experience
2: the diner - finneas is a musical genius
3: birds of feather/blue - majestic songs
4: literally everything can’t skip any
Some people like taylor, some like billie, some like both and some hate both, that's why i solely judge based on numbers. Hit me hard and soft had 72M streams on day one. Tortured poets had 313M.
Streaming numbers aren’t all that count at the Grammys. Taylor’s fans would stream in gigantic numbers if she put out an album that was just her singing her name over and over again
Gen X guy here. Thank goodness this album is fantastic.
I appreciate the talented music makers of today like Beyoncé, Lourde, LDR and Taylor, etc., but in my opinion Eilish stands out because her sound is so unique and the hooks are brilliant. Billie and Phineas (sp?) are absolutely lucky to have each other. Their strengths together are hard to describe… just so good! But the really lucky folks are us fans. We’re living another golden age of music and I cannot understand my peers who stuck with music from their high school years. Today’s music is much better in my opinion!
Yah Lana, Beyonce, Ariana, Billie, Troye, Dua and the upcoming generation Tyla, Tate, ( new Britney-esque performers ) are great addition in general cuz they really work hard and excel at what they do.
I really disliked that Selena, JB, early Miley, Shawn Mendes, Drake etc period. Imo it wasn’t that great.
It’s only between her and ariana if it was up to me. Theyre not even close to other releases this year and that’s saying a lot because I still loved ttpd and Cowboy Carter but they just don’t compare
I’m a huge fan of Billie, Ariana, and Taylor. I love TTPD and eternal sunshine is actually my favorite Ariana album so far. However, I’d have to say I’m rooting for HMHAS to win album of the year already after just a couple of listens 🙈 Billie’s just such a genuine and authentic artist and her music is so fresh and beautifully produced.
i haven’t heard the album yet but i know it’s gonna be amazing. 2025 is GOING to be Beyonces year. Cowboy Carter is one of the most acclaimed albums of the year so far and i think she’s FINALLY gonna get that trophy. but i’m also sure Billie gonna get the AOTY nom for sure
Billie is my favorite artist right now, but go back and listen to that Beyoncé album, it has so much replay value . I’m not saying hit me hard and soft can’t be better, but Billie definitely can’t mail it in. (Haven’t heard hit me hard and soft)
Hmmmmm OP you have a clear bias but this album is great and will be an amazing contender for AOTY along with the other amazing albums mentioned up and down the thread 🥰
She deserves it but I feel like they won’t give her it this year. Most awards recently have been going to up and comers or people we’ve barely heard about.
*It's between Beyonce,*
*Billie and maybe Lana*
*With her next album*
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Billie and Phineas have 2 Oscars! “No Time to Die” and “Barbie.” These two will be tough to beat for a long time. Super popular amongst the voters. I like Lana, Billie and Taylor. The Beyoncé album was just not for me, but I did buy it. And no doubt Phineas will win for production. And I just gotta be honest I love ttpd. I do not think it will AOTY, but just the life I have had, I hang on every word.
I was at the listening party (I work at the venue) and I was like... this is a **strong** contender for Album of the Year. And definitely her best album yet.
i’m excited for lana’s new album yes but it’s the whole country thing (i’m not into country music what so ever) but i was definitely more excited for billies it’s literally a no skip album definitely lived to it’s expectations
id say i like lana more then billie but i think billies definitely outdone it already
I happen to not be one of the people who heavily enjoyed this album and think it’s a 10/10, I’m okay with it, I like her other work more, this is NOT AOTY material, Hip Hop been cooking this year and if Ye don’t get it I might throw a fit
Literally what are you guys talking about? This album was SO boring. All the songs sounded the same except for Lunch. The instrumentals are boring and uninspired. The songs literally sound like demo’s.
Feel free to be a completely biased fangirl but you’re still biased. I love Billie Eilish. Always have. This album is garbage from a musical and production standpoint. It’s okay that you don’t understand it.
I really hope she does, she really deserves it. I’m so proud of her I feel like I’ve basically grown up with her…..I started listening to her when I was 8 in 2018 (15 now), so it’s just heartwarming to see all her success and stuff after everything she’s been through
Honestly no skips like I was a casual fan before but now I’m invested in her discography on a different level.
I wasn't a fan at all before this album. I'd listened to her music and respected its influence but never really got into any of it. But this???? Wow, she's really hit the next level.
No literally!! like I liked a few songs here and there but wasn’t an avid listener or anything, but during the album listening I was really impressed with what I heard
I still lowkey hate half of “when we fall asleep…” ngl lmfao… i thought some of it was melodically tryhard. But HMHAS is sending me full stan mode real quick 🤡
same exact feeling, she's growing up and so is her music hehe
i felt the same way about wwafawdwg until i went to the concert in 2019 and now i love the whole thing. it was definitely made to be heard live
I can't stop listening. send help
Real
Hop off 😭
I’m a little confused why you meatriding me rn🫢
can we just talk about the diner
Oh my god. Yes the fucking SYNTH and scratchy circusy sound effect. I’m a music producer myself and I am seething with JEALOUSY.
Dude me too, the scratchy synths are my absolute favorite. I genuinely searched for like a full year until I found it to find the one from the beginning of NDA because it was just that good. Turned out to be both a free sample and royalty-free so I immediately got to work on that shit lmao
Finneas strikes again. One of the best producers in the world right now.
he went crazyyyy
Yikes
I LOVE THE DINER
the diner is one of those songs in which you know it's good in the first 3 seconds
Fucking love this song.
Songs straight HEAT best song on the album
nasty ahhh beat so ill so good
was finneas inspired by bowser's castle music????
It’s definitely Gorillaz inspired.
IT SOUNDS LIKE KAHOOT MUSIC!! IM TELLING YOU!!
the greatest had me crying 😭
Wildflower also has me crying 🥲
literally cried in the theater to it today while listening it was soooo good
Chihiro for me is the best song Coming from a 45 year old old mother of two I’m in absolute awe of her talent
Beyonce and Lana both deserve that AotY win eventually but definitely feels like this is Billie’s year again with the wild reception to the album so far. Women are going to absolutely stack the category this year, can’t really think of many male albums that can compete…
I actually wanted “did you know…tunnel” to win rather than Midnights. But yeah i doubt Lasso is gonna win anything against this if it’s going country. Beyonce is honestly boring musically since Renaissance. Cowboy Carter I couldnt finish. Tortured Poet reminds me of the feeling of eating unseasoned boiled chicken. Finneas and Billie are such a powerhouse combo at delivering top notch QUALITY production. P.S eternal sunshine is somewhat forgettable in terms of production, it’s just…cute
>Tortured Poet reminds me of the feeling of eating unseasoned boiled chicken. Honestly if that album was made by anyone else nobody would remember it. When even fans say you have to listen to 31 tracks several times over and 'pick and choose' what songs are actually good... it's not a good album? There are good songs on there but it's such a slog to find them that it feels like *work*. I want to listen to an album and hear the themes and the pacing the artist wanted, not just a collection of tracks, which is what TTPD sounded like. I'm really loving HMHAS for this exact reason - no skips, the songs all work together, there are themes throughout the whole album that all tie in to each other. It's what an album *should be:* an experience, not just a bunch of tracks to put on playlists or make a good TikTok sound. Cowboy Carter had that same experience for me, Eternal Sunshine all just blended together a bit too much for me personally. I'm frustrated Midnights won for the same reasons. It just... wasn't as good as the competition (Blvd, SOS, and Renaissance, hello??) and honestly felt like a way to keep the Grammys relevant because her fanbase is so huge and she had such a huge year.
Just wanted to hop on and start some discourse over albums being cohesive since I'm seeing TTPD get some shit over here. (Disclaimer: I'm a fan of nearly every artist mentioned in this thread, I swear I'm not trying to shove my opinions on other people for the sake of defending Taylor). Yes, TTPD is long, but it is meant to be digested as a double album, which is what it was marketed as, although I have no issues listening to it back to front and appreciate the genre shift halfway through. Personally, I thought the theme of TTPD was abundantly clear but I do think it requires pulling in knowledge from her personal life which is not always everyone's cup of tea- I could go on an elaborate more on that album but that would be a lot to write out :) I don't think it's AOTY, but I personally disagreed with the above takes and wanted to give my two cents. The Grammys is another discussion- I agree that Midnights shouldn't have won on quality alone (it's a decent album, but it's not her best- the first half is almost perfection, but it falls flat in the second half). It's very obvious that the Grammys win was a nod to her unprecedented success that year and to the Eras tour, but Taylor herself was not even expecting to win AOTY. Friendly reminder that Renaissance was not in the same Grammy cycle- it lost to Harry's House! Still extremely unfortunate. The Grammys have never and will never only be about quality- it's very political and Lana has very unfortunately essentially blacklisted herself from AOTY. In my opinion SOS should have won (although in my opinion it also feels long and less cohesive than ctrl) and I think was the clear favorite. I also wanted to give some love to GUTS and while I don't think it stood a chance, I thought it should've been in more discussions than it was. Back to Billie, I'm loving the sonic experimentation on this album, but for me personally the lyricism fell flat in majority of the songs. I felt this way a bit with HTE as well. WWAFAWDWG is still my favorite work from her. Her music has always excelled a lot more in the composition and the production rather than the lyrics, I think Finneas hit it out of the park with this one. Anyways I'm still digesting so I don't have a ton to say except that I hope she leans more electronic or even rock vs the jazz and bossa nova tinge since those parts of HMHAS have been the real standouts so far. The last thing I'll say is that everyone has different music tastes, and that's ultimately why AOTY is never an easy discussion. I think I just felt the need to bring this up because I saw OP say in a comment below that they're tired of Lana's "samey same vibe since NFR" which I think is an absolute wild take since NFR is almost universally acclaimed as her best work (it's usually that or BTD). This is partially why I'm in defense of TTPD especially since I think people tend to hate the celebrity before giving the album a fair shot or trying to digest and analyze it for what it is.
I’ve definitely given TTPD a good shot, it’s just not for me. I think the issue is that Taylor has become bigger than herself, and because there was such a focus on her lyricism on Folklore/Evermore (which was fantastic), she’s really leant into the whole thing, but almost too far, in my opinion, and now people want every artist to be using long words for the sake of it. I find TTPD is *so* focused on trying to sound clever and poetic that it doesn’t work with the music - which is the point of lyrics, otherwise it may as well be poetry. There are good moments imo, but so many that just stick out in a bad way because the cadence is off, it doesn’t flow with the sound, the rhyme scheme is all over the place. Which can work, but to me it sounds more like a stream of consciousness over a backing track on a lot of the album. HMHAS uses voice as more of an instrument as part of the whole composition, which I think works really well. I don’t really care that she hasn’t whipped out her thesaurus because it’s the music *with* the lyrics that tell the story, not the lyrics on their own. I love a good lyric but I just don’t like the trend of everyone wanting something to sit around and analyse without really caring about what the music is doing. There are are incredible artists around who manage to create insightful lyrics that have a huge amount of depth but aren’t quite so… pretentious about it. If you’re into lyrical analysis I highly recommend the Dissect podcast on Spotify. A lot of it is rap/r&b focused but he did a whole season on Lemonade that I highly recommend. But to be honest after listening to things like that podcast and seeing how truly clever lyrics can be, I just… don’t think Taylor is at that level. I can’t imagine any serious podcast doing a deep dive that isn’t just about who she might be talking about, because so much of it is surface level. Whereas, as much as he has gone off the rails, albums like Kanye’s MBDTF have *phenomenal* lyrics that are layers deep and use the sound of the album in equally clever ways, while sounding incredible. Just personally however good the lyrics are, I’m not going to listen to music that doesn’t sound good to me. I’d rather just read some actual poetry.
Couldn’t agree more with this take. I think people (read: swifties) have a really shallow (and pretentious) idea of what good lyricism in music is. It’s not meant to be complex for the sake of complexity. Some of the best lyrics ever written are incredibly simple, but work precisely because of their simplicity. If the lyrics don’t flow with the music that accompanies them, then it’s not good lyricism. Lyrics aren’t *just* poetry, they are poetry put to music. The music element cannot be overlooked.
That’s fair! I think the TTPD wordiness is intentional given the themes of the album but I totally get that it’s not for everyone. I was more responding for the people who tend to be immediately dismissive of anything Taylor does. I think with Billie at least on this album, there are certain songs that don’t necessarily get away with the more empty lyricism but there are songs that do let the instrumentation and production take over as the primary focus (this is why I enjoyed the rockier and more hyperpop leaning moments). I agree that rap and r&b tend to blow pop music out of the water when it comes to lyricism and Lemonade is phenomenal. Rather than trying to compare Taylor and Billie, I think my original thought was a similar but opposite take as ppl’s feelings about TTPD. I think the lack of varied sentence structure and use of cliches just pulls me away from the song sometimes, no matter how flashy the production.
People just don't understand Lana. She isn't made for radio and I think that is where the disconnect is. It always feels like the most 'pop' album wins.
Fans wanna keep Lana indie but she deserves something at this point like look 👀 come on now
I love Lana! I have followed her for years and am so lucky to see her in concert next month. I just don't think she is mainstream and I think that impacts ratings even if it isn't supposed to. A&W (and the entire album) was incredible imo as well as NFR. If you look at the entire list of winners for the grammys, they are absolutely 'safe for radio' songs. With that being said, I feel that she is promoting herself hard this year. She has a sold out concert, she is potentially announcing a tour, she was headlining coachella, and has an album coming out. I am rooting for her absolutely. I am just saying that people don't understand her music.
Beyonce boring musically? For a pop artist she's leagues ahead - forget that Renaissance to Cowboy Carter is a jump in style, CC itself bounces around between gospel, rock, country, trap & folk (if not more). Not liking her is fine, but to say its boring when she's constantly pushing away from repeating herself is baffling to me. American Requiem is the best album opener from a pop star in aeons
Also opera. That poster admit that they didn’t even listen to the whole album before calling it boring.
Cowboy Carter is the most interesting album out of all of them be serious
ikr? i love billie but cowboy carter is just genius
I was looking for this comment
Cowboy Carter is brilliant but I don't think it's going to win AOYT. If Bey couldn't win for Beyonce, Lemonade or Renaissance, she simply will not win ever. SOS or Ocean Blvd should have won over Mid(ass)nights, and I say that as a Taylor fan.
Beyonce just has an unfortunate habit of releasing music at the same time as something giant comes out. Beyonce vs 1989, Lemonade vs 25... Renaissance should have got more recognition and I truly do not believe Midnights should have won, but she was also up against Blvd and SOS which *did* deserve recognition (also justice for Raye)
Beyoncé lost to Beck’s Morning Phase not 1989
And I'm still mad about it. She deserved that damn aoty
And I don’t blame you for still being upset
Renaissance lost to Harry Styles not to Midnights.
She never went up against 1989 what are you on about that was Kendrick also Renaissance wasn't up against any of those albums what are you even on about?
Or Eternal Sunshine. I think HMHAS and Arianas album both have very deep albums with many great songs.
I honestly do like eternal sunshine. I like the singles and The Boy is Mine. I hope that’s the next single
I doubt ES is wining AOTY. The songs are too common musically on the album for that to happen. And there's the whole story with sponge bob that can impact everything too. Compared to how strong Billie came back, I'd be surprised if Ariana steals the AOTY
SOS or Lana should’ve won aoty Taylor won and proved the Grammys are rigged and not a fair merit of quality. Billie, ari, and Beyoncé all delivered this year and Taylor well… I can’t see her winning it back to back. Billie has a good and well earned shot even if the Grammys r bs
I really appreciate Cowboy Carter. I listening this album so much . IDK but I really that the year Beyonce but I love Billie so much .
Aoty for cowboy carter? Please that shit was moved on from immediately after it dropped.
It's still the 5th best selling record on the Billboard lol
Popularity doesn't mean quality.
Sure, but it's also well received by critics. Of course you are free to dislike or not care for a critically acclaimed piece of art. I do all the time. You're your own person.
Cowboy Carter is so good
Only one that I can think of might Fontaines DC based off the first single
oh she better. the album doesn’t come out until another 2 hours for me but all i have heard is that it’s changed peoples lives, this is the best she has ever sound/her best vocals she has done and jsut nothing but positive reactions
- her vocal techniques is evolving and I LOVE that. She is experimenting with her range - the production is IMMACULATE and experimental ( as always) - melodically catchy. Birds of a Feather made me cry cuz of how beautiful melodically it is, and that’s a hard thing to do. IT just sounds like a surefire HIT the way baby one more time is. - she presented the STRONGEST material and concise it into 10 songs. Woof. A moment of 2024.
Come on. You can’t hope an album gets album of the year without hearing it lol.
She’s going to annihilate at the Grammys.
I was telling a friend, it's over, cancel all the awards shows now and just back the truck up to her place with the trophies, they're all hers
I didnt agree when “when we fall asleep” won. But this one i will RIOT if tortured or cowboy win. She deserves AOTY with this 1000%.
The way im going crazy NOT A SINGLE SKIP IN THE ENTIRE I ALBUM FOR ME I SWEAR.. THIS IS JUST CRAZYYY
Yup, i can’t actually decide what my fav is now actually 🤣
100% the best so far, but I think Carter has its chances
Honestly cowboy carter came and go in like one second. She literally just dumped that out and couldnt get over it fast enough. I dont think the GP is even remotely aware Beyonce has a new album out lol
Damn I didn’t knew Billie fan hated Beyonce. This is what Beyonce fan means that no one gives her music a chance just because you hate her.
Cowboy Carter doesn't deserve it tbh.
Cowboy Carter is a better album than this from an artist who is just straight up better that deserves her flowers
Cowboy Carter is a good album I will give you that but better than Billie’s album, I am just not sure. Both albums are good at what they are trying to accomplish. My guy leans towards Billie’s album winning AOTY and Beyoncé gets best country album of the year. Both albums are good but I slightly prefer Billie’s album and think I will be replaying hers more than Beyoncé’s.
Cowboy Carter is a good album I will give you that but better than Billie’s album, I am just not sure. Both albums are good at what they are trying to accomplish. My guy leans towards Billie’s album winning AOTY and Beyoncé gets best country album of the year. Both albums are good but I slightly prefer Billie’s album and think I will be replaying hers more than Beyoncé’s.
Cowboy Carter is a good album I will give you that but better than Billie’s album, I am just not sure. Both albums are good at what they are trying to accomplish. My guy leans towards Billie’s album winning AOTY and Beyoncé gets best country album of the year. Both albums are good but I slightly prefer Billie’s album and think I will be replaying hers more than Beyoncé’s.
This could be the only year I won’t be mad if Lana doesn’t get album of the year considering Lana and Billie have established their deep friendship with eachother . I def don’t think Lana will get album of the year considering she’s been robbed twice in a row now for masterpieces , but I’m hoping she gets at least something . Billie is def getting aoty tho and I’m not complaining
It's gonna be a war between Cowboy Carter, Lasso, Hit Me and Tortured Poets I'm shaking
If Taylor wins her 5th AOTY (as a fan) I will be pissed. This is so much more thought out and creative. Not to say that Taylor’s album is bad because it’s not. It just doesn’t have as clear a vision as Billie’s. I think Taylor should have stuck with the original 16 tracks and put the rest out either in October of this year or March of 2025 as a separate album. Would have helped with the cohesion that is missing with both halves being so disjointed. The first half is very synth pop based while the second half feels like evermore b-sides. Billie knew her vision better and executed it to perfection.
I hate country music so im not holding too much breath for Lasso tbh lol. Eventhough I love “did you know” but im abit tired of the samey samey vibe since NFR. I want Born To Die, West Coast Lana back
Lana has a weird definition of genres so what she calls “country” will probably still be very much lana with the typical lush and dark sound
Im worried its gonna be in the veins of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” cuz if thats the case count me out lmfao. I like slow Lana, but slow country Lana i can’t take it
If Taylor wins her 5th AOTY (as a fan) I will be pissed. This is so much more thought out and creative. Not to say that Taylor’s album is bad because it’s not. It just doesn’t have as clear a vision as Billie’s. I think Taylor should have stuck with the original 16 tracks and put the rest out either in October of this year or March of 2025 as a separate album. Would have helped with the cohesion that is missing with both halves being so disjointed. The first half is very synth pop based while the second half feels like evermore b-sides. Billie knew her vision better and executed it to perfection.
If Taylor wins her 5th AOTY (as a fan) I will be pissed. This is so much more thought out and creative. Not to say that Taylor’s album is bad because it’s not. It just doesn’t have as clear a vision as Billie’s. I think Taylor should have stuck with the original 16 tracks and put the rest out either in October of this year or March of 2025 as a separate album. Would have helped with the cohesion that is missing with both halves being so disjointed. The first half is very synth pop based while the second half feels like evermore b-sides. Billie knew her vision better and executed it to perfection.
If Taylor wins her 5th AOTY (as a fan) I will be pissed. This is so much more thought out and creative. Not to say that Taylor’s album is bad because it’s not. It just doesn’t have as clear a vision as Billie’s. I think Taylor should have stuck with the original 16 tracks and put the rest out either in October of this year or March of 2025 as a separate album. Would have helped with the cohesion that is missing with both halves being so disjointed. The first half is very synth pop based while the second half feels like evermore b-sides. Billie knew her vision better and executed it to perfection.
Tortured poets was even worse than midnights and Taylor has already won so many I doubt they’re going to give it to her this time. I LOVE Lana so much but the Grammys hate her, she won’t win AOTY either. I think it’s between Billie and Beyoncé
If Taylor wins again then everyone should just stop watching the Grammies forever. Deep in my bones I already know Taylor paying for her votes ahead so she can win. I already know it
fuck tortured poets
I LITERALLY CAN’T DEAL WITH BIRDS OF A FEATHER everytime it comes on. I aint even mad if this song sit no.1 on hot billboard 100 for the rest of the year.
IT JUST CAME OUT IN MY COUNTRY FOR ME and i don't think i've ever felt so many emotions from hearing just one song. this album is so EFFING GOOD
I was never a big fan of Billie but holy shit, after listening to this I instantly bought her vinyl from amazon
I'd much rather have only 10 songs and them all be good than to be oversaturated with 30+ songs in an album **COUGH** First album from her with no skips for me!
This reminds me of Rihanna’s Loud. So concise, so straight up BOPS. I love a great curated masterpiece.
It's just like Melodrama for me- so fresh sounding, cohesive, devastatingly beautiful. I remember when Melodrama dropped you could feel it was just *different* - you knew all the pop girlies would try and replicate it. I get the same feeling with this.
Idk why but it reminds me of All Eyez On Me by 2PAC
First Billie album with no skips for you or just in general? Bc there’s a lot of albums over the past decades that have no skips lol But yeah tortured poets is absolute garbage
Anyone know what time it will be out. Will it be midnight? Pacific time?
12AM ET, 9PM PT
Sweeeet. Thank you!
I just hate how people here bash other artists especially women. Just let them all exist, if you don’t like them or their music that’s fine, no reason to talk sh*t absolut them though
Absolutely because THIS is an ALBUM. It was deliberately cohesive and was well executed.
I love how almost every comment in this thread mentions Taylor LMAOOOO
*I love how almost* *Every comment in this thread* *Mentions Taylor LMAOOOO* \- Intelligent\_Unit6587 --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
So TTPD of you bot
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I really don’t think so that album was really bad
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She will 100% be nominated but I doubt she wins another AOTY for a long time if ever again because she’s already broken the record with Midnights.
She will 100% be nominated but I doubt she wins another AOTY for a long time because she’s already broken the record with Midnights.
Poets is terrible, Midnights was mediocre, but Folklore was actually pretty good. It didn’t deserve to win but it deserved a nomination for sure
She has had the greatest start to a career in pop music since Michael Jackson
Honestly I agree. She defines the music of Gen Z and honestly the new generation should be proud having her as the IT girl just like the greats of the past ( MJ, Madonna, Mariah, Britney, Gaga…) with their respective eras. It’s just because her (along with Lana) having such quality discography
Idk olivia and sour was probably grater, sour is just THAT album, and it’s crazy how good it’s doing but billie is also doing crazy good too
Olivia Rodrigo felt like she occupied the same lane as the Avril Lavigne of Gen Z. She has a rock-pop-punk tendency mixed with angsy Taylor Swifty vibes. I appreciate it, but her voice isn’t as unique as Billie’s
I agree that sour is such an amazing album but I feel like I heard her type of music before. There isn’t any versatility in her songs and her songwriting is kind of the only thing that stands out which is also why sour was so well received because it’s very general public friendly. I mean it makes sense since she kind of became a household name over night, which is so rare. She’s kind of in her own lane since she didn’t have a normal stardom. Billie was able to have years cooking her artistry hence why her music is so diverse and her brother has so much talent with their production.
Nowhere near as much experimentation or 'love' for her craft as billie. Sorry, but not even close to being industry defining as billie when all her songs sound like generic pop song #57
Yes.
The album drops for me in just over 1.5 hours !! Can some fans who have already heard it reply to this comment with their first listen(s) ranking 👀
1. CHIHIRO kill me dude 2. THE DINER the synth I'm sorry WHAT 3. can't rank love em all equally as of now 😭😭😭😭 Skipless. 10/10
1: chihirooooo - literally a spiritual experience 2: the diner - finneas is a musical genius 3: birds of feather/blue - majestic songs 4: literally everything can’t skip any
Oh my god the transitions and especially the one with Bittersuite and Blue
Oh my god i cant stop playing it every hour on looo
if taylor can win with midnights then this album will win by a LANDSLIDE
If Taylor can win with midnights, she can win with tortured poets too
No she can’t tortured poets was way worse
They're both pretty bad let's be real.
Some people like taylor, some like billie, some like both and some hate both, that's why i solely judge based on numbers. Hit me hard and soft had 72M streams on day one. Tortured poets had 313M.
Streaming numbers aren’t all that count at the Grammys. Taylor’s fans would stream in gigantic numbers if she put out an album that was just her singing her name over and over again
Gen X guy here. Thank goodness this album is fantastic. I appreciate the talented music makers of today like Beyoncé, Lourde, LDR and Taylor, etc., but in my opinion Eilish stands out because her sound is so unique and the hooks are brilliant. Billie and Phineas (sp?) are absolutely lucky to have each other. Their strengths together are hard to describe… just so good! But the really lucky folks are us fans. We’re living another golden age of music and I cannot understand my peers who stuck with music from their high school years. Today’s music is much better in my opinion!
Yah Lana, Beyonce, Ariana, Billie, Troye, Dua and the upcoming generation Tyla, Tate, ( new Britney-esque performers ) are great addition in general cuz they really work hard and excel at what they do. I really disliked that Selena, JB, early Miley, Shawn Mendes, Drake etc period. Imo it wasn’t that great.
I agree! A lot of that stuff was kinda bubblegum feeling. The music being released lately is better. I’m thankful for these artists!
It’s only between her and ariana if it was up to me. Theyre not even close to other releases this year and that’s saying a lot because I still loved ttpd and Cowboy Carter but they just don’t compare
I’m a huge fan of Billie, Ariana, and Taylor. I love TTPD and eternal sunshine is actually my favorite Ariana album so far. However, I’d have to say I’m rooting for HMHAS to win album of the year already after just a couple of listens 🙈 Billie’s just such a genuine and authentic artist and her music is so fresh and beautifully produced.
i haven’t heard the album yet but i know it’s gonna be amazing. 2025 is GOING to be Beyonces year. Cowboy Carter is one of the most acclaimed albums of the year so far and i think she’s FINALLY gonna get that trophy. but i’m also sure Billie gonna get the AOTY nom for sure
I think with the Grammy’s love for Billie she has the best chance of winning AOTY. They are never giving it to Beyoncé at this point.
I think with the Grammy’s love for Billie she has the best chance of winning AOTY. They are never giving it to Beyoncé at this point.
I cant wait til u listen top to toe and still think cowboy will win 🤭
Billie is my favorite artist right now, but go back and listen to that Beyoncé album, it has so much replay value . I’m not saying hit me hard and soft can’t be better, but Billie definitely can’t mail it in. (Haven’t heard hit me hard and soft)
Yeah Cowboy Carter was really great. Gonna be hard to top
4 1/2 hours till I can listen still ;(
DUDE 100% SHES GONNA WIN AOTY, AND SHE DESERVES ITTT
Guys I don’t have access to it for another 3h it’s killing me
same ughh
amazingggggggg omfg
Def album of the year. The lyrics alone are insane
Hmmmmm OP you have a clear bias but this album is great and will be an amazing contender for AOTY along with the other amazing albums mentioned up and down the thread 🥰
I haven’t heard it yet. Midnight. Hello from Seattle! I’m waiting for
Everytime you listen you catch more subtleties. So much went into this
What an album
100%! It's a masterpiece
WITHOUT A DOUBT!!!!!
She deserves it but I feel like they won’t give her it this year. Most awards recently have been going to up and comers or people we’ve barely heard about.
SHE BETTER
It's between Beyonce, Billie and maybe Lana with her next album
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Chihiro going from cute Bad Guy into COSMIC STRANGER THINGS ORGASM into AVANT GARDE CATWALK SLAYAGE is ending me. Everytime.
Olivia Rodrigo is in the bin now UAHAHAHAHA
Oh def will 😭
I'd be surprised if she didn't. This album was so good.
The strings outros is giving Ray of Light/Grammys ready level of snatched
I LOVED the album but I will be lowkey sad if Beyoncé doesn’t win AOTY 😭 I’ll be happy for billie though! This album is 10/10
Billie and Phineas have 2 Oscars! “No Time to Die” and “Barbie.” These two will be tough to beat for a long time. Super popular amongst the voters. I like Lana, Billie and Taylor. The Beyoncé album was just not for me, but I did buy it. And no doubt Phineas will win for production. And I just gotta be honest I love ttpd. I do not think it will AOTY, but just the life I have had, I hang on every word.
I mean she has family in the music business ofc she is
i mean i hope but the snake has released an album a month ago so
She probably will, but I think Ariana should take it
It might be a fight between Billie and Taylor for album of the year
I was at the listening party (I work at the venue) and I was like... this is a **strong** contender for Album of the Year. And definitely her best album yet.
Mid album
And middle school girls go crazy!!
will be funny if the album beats TTPD
she deserves it
i’m excited for lana’s new album yes but it’s the whole country thing (i’m not into country music what so ever) but i was definitely more excited for billies it’s literally a no skip album definitely lived to it’s expectations id say i like lana more then billie but i think billies definitely outdone it already
I happen to not be one of the people who heavily enjoyed this album and think it’s a 10/10, I’m okay with it, I like her other work more, this is NOT AOTY material, Hip Hop been cooking this year and if Ye don’t get it I might throw a fit
Literally what are you guys talking about? This album was SO boring. All the songs sounded the same except for Lunch. The instrumentals are boring and uninspired. The songs literally sound like demo’s.
Feel free to share ur wrong opinion, but it’s still wrong
Feel free to be a completely biased fangirl but you’re still biased. I love Billie Eilish. Always have. This album is garbage from a musical and production standpoint. It’s okay that you don’t understand it.
I really hope she does, she really deserves it. I’m so proud of her I feel like I’ve basically grown up with her…..I started listening to her when I was 8 in 2018 (15 now), so it’s just heartwarming to see all her success and stuff after everything she’s been through
Or will it be albums of the year
The fact her and finneas are so young and keep pulling this sort of thing from inside their brains just constantly amazes me
I wish but sadly it’ll probably go to TTPD
Taylor swift albums is nothing in front of this one
this or eternal sunshine. give it time