Byline Removed From Negative Review Of Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ Due To ‘Threats Of Violence’ To Author

On Friday, Paste Magazine uploaded a review of Taylor Swift’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department. The author of the review, “Taylor Swift Strikes Out Looking on The Tortured Poets Department,” remains anonymous after fans threatened a writer in 2019 for their review of Swift’s other album, Lover, in 2019.

“Editor’s Note: There is no byline on this review because, in 2019, when Paste reviewed ‘Lover,’ the writer was sent threats of violence from readers who disagreed with the work. We care more about the safety of our staff than a name attached to an article.”

The review was critical of Swift’s new album, claiming this was Swift’s “worst lyricism to date.”

“‘I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary,’ Swift muses, and it sounds like satire. This is your songwriter of the century? Open the schools.”

“Between producer Jack Antonoff’s atrocious backing instrumental and the Y2K-era, teen dramedy echo chamber of a vocal harmony provided by out-of-place guest performer Post Malone, ‘Fortnight’ chokes on the vomit of its own opaqueness.”

Paste received a mixed response on social media for its review. Similar to its 2019 review of “Lover,” many Swifites chimed in to criticize it. 

“This is the most unprofessional review that I have ever read,” one user said.

Another posted, “Instead of talking about the songs y’all are talking about rumored s— just delete the review.”

Other users praised Paste for protecting their writer and questioned if removing the byline was the right call. Some felt the writer had a right to express their opinion, even if it was negative.

The Tortured Poets Department made history as the first album to gain more than 300 million streams in a day on Spotify.

Courtney Love recently attacked Swift, saying she is “not important as an artist.”