#justiceforlana

Continuing my trip forward in time through the album charts

28/10/22 : Midnights - Taylor Swift


I am, obviously, a completely independent reviewer - unbiased and unswervable in my opinions.  However, I also like a quiet life, so if I don't like this there's going to be trouble because it has already been made clear to me, from about four weeks ago, that this is THE BEST ALBUM EVER.  Yes, Mrs Reed is a huge fan and doesn't care who knows.  

Sorry, that should read the Misses Reed are huge fans and don't care who knows.  I have heard half of it in passing (including on the day of release over breakfast) and it sounded OK, but let's actually pay attention this time...

Phew.  I quite liked it.   There's some proper songs on with decent tunes and lyrics - it's got quite an 80s sound to a lot of it and there's also a lot more bass throughout than I was expecting.  "Anti-hero", "Karma" and "Mastermind" jumped out for me, but I reckon they were all pretty decent tracks - yes, she's a bit lyrically whiny at times but nowhere near as bad as she has been in the past.  I'm still mystified as to quite what her legions of fans see in her that inspires such devotion, but everyone seems perfectly happy with the situation and they're not doing any harm, so who am I to stop them?

We are, unsurprisingly, at #1 with a new entry in the charts this week - this is her ninth #1 album in a row and I suspect she'll be about for a bit with this one.  We've actually got new entries for the rest of the top five - Arctic Monkeys (#2 - which I think I might quite like from the bits I've heard), Loyle Carner (#3 - I didn't mind him last time we met him), Simple Minds (#4 - may be fine, may be terrible) and Kylie Minogue (#5 - I can live without this).  There's a bizarre mix of new entries in the rest of the top 20 as well - Dry Cleaning (#11), A-ha (#12), Carly Rae Jepsen (#16), The Bocelli Family (#17) and Architects (#18).

Wikipedia has the expected massive amount (393 milliPeppers) - I can't claim I bothered reading most of it, but I did note that the album has been slightly successful.  It set records for the most streams in a day on Spotify, Apple and Amazon - it even sold 400,000 vinyl copies in the US on its first day.  Mad numbers really - and the critics liked it as well!

"Customers also listened to" Carly Rae Jepsen, Ellie Goulding, Phoebe Bridgers and Big Red Machine - the last of whom I know nothing about but it's a cool name!  I didn't mind this at all though - which is lucky because I suspect I'll be hearing it for a bit (and, even better, this one of hers doesn't have a ten minute track on it).

04/11/22 - Not exactly bringing anything new to the party
21/10/22 - Surprisingly enjoyable

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