By: Kate Gruetter

Editor-in-Chief

On Apr. 19, Taylor Swift released her eleventh album, The Tortured Poets Department. Even prior to the collection’s release, fans and critics began to question the persona Swift has begun to take on in the music industry. Online, people criticized her choice to announce her most recent album at the Grammys, which caused Swift’s superfans, dubbed Swifties, to immediately defend their idol. 

A similar dynamic seemed to occur between critics and fans again with the release of the Tortured Poets Department. While some Swifties simply expressed their appreciation for the album, others focused on pointing fingers at music critics or people who expressed disappointment with the album’s songs. When the New York Times published an article titled “On ‘The Tortured Poets Department,’ Taylor Swift Could Use an Editor,” Swifties flooded the comments, both on the Times’ website and Instagram page. One user wrote, “Amazing that this writer feels that they are in a position to critique Taylor Swift’s lyrics or music,” and another added, “So much hate and jealousy from either the smallest minded people in the world, or the largest congregation of misogynists, perhaps a combination of both. And the kicker?  Most of them haven’t listened to the albums or probably ever will.” 

The author of the article mentioned above, Lindsay Zoldaz, has written for the New York Time’s music column since 2019 and has penned multiple works for the publication praising Swift and her albums. The New York Times pays Zoldaz to criticize music, and the individuals discussing her writing seem to fail to recognize just that: her job is to be a critic. 

This discourse and dynamic on the Internet speaks further to the idea that, as a generation, we are losing the ability to appreciate culture and hold a conversation about it. Attacking someone for criticizing music, whose job is to criticize music, demonstrates a lack of critical thinking and a “follow the herd” mentality that has come with the digital age. The ability to post criticism practically anonymously or to carefully craft arguments behind a screen loses the complexity and diversity of conversation and allows individuals to ignore, block, or report any opinions they find disagreeable. Additionally, the inability to debate topics like music, and instead writing an online comment that lacks critical thinking, shows a dissipating interest in culture, or at least conversation about culture. 

Because of the internet’s availability and its immediacy, people adopt a reactive “pointing fingers” approach when it comes to public figures they idolize or love, which prevents them from genuinely observing music and appreciating it. The need to constantly defend beloved figures prevents people from analyzing and thinking critically about culture, and this loss of conversation prevents new and creative ideas in the cultural space. 

Ultimately, people need to take a step back before engaging in discussions online, specifically discussions centered around scapegoating and name calling, or we will lose an ability to converse healthily and in real time as a society.