The Taylor Swift magic has rekindled in full swing with the arrival of 'The Tortured Poets Department,' garnering widespread acclaim by the day. Yet, despite the overwhelming hype and glowing reviews, a sense of disappointment has caught fans by surprise as below-average ratings contrast with the overall positive reception. Despite the album's immediate success in breaking Spotify records, fans found it difficult to overlook these critical voices, grappling with the unexpected turn of events so soon after its release.

Following the release of Swift's album, Pop Tingz recently shared Pitchfork's evaluation of 'The Tortured Poets Department' on X. The review awarded a 6.6/10 for the first segment of the album, with the second part receiving a lower score of 6.0/10. Despite the album receiving glowing reviews from other publications, prompting Swift to express gratitude to each reviewer via her social media channels, these particular critiques made fans question the basis of the ratings. 

Those who had already immersed themselves in the album and integrated it into their playlists found the scores significantly below their expectations. Particularly, considering how prominent artists and their family members from the literary canon and the film industry like Patti Smith and Clara Bow’s descendants have already given their nod to the content, it was only justified that the scorecard would lead to feelings of disappointment and frustration among fans.

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For fans, more than the feelings of dismay, it was the sheer lack of transparency for the review that left them enraged.

As Taylor Swift unveiled a series of consecutive Easter eggs ahead of the release of 'The Tortured Poets Department,' fans anticipated an album that would resonate like never before. Intriguingly, it lived up to those expectations, with the pop sensation delivering fresh surprises. While these unexpected twists kept fans engaged both before and after the album's release, propelling it to instant success, none were prepared for Pitchfork's lukewarm ratings.

Many fans voiced their discontent, insisting that the album "deserves better" while others struggled to reconcile the review's assessment with its widespread acclaim.

Some perceived a bias in the review and were less surprised by its critical stance. However, non-Swiftie fans tended to agree with the ratings, seeing them as justified. Nevertheless, some supporters acknowledged the subjective nature of musical taste and understood where the critics were coming from, though Swifties, in particular, found it hard to accept the criticism despite positive reviews making the buzz everywhere else.

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What do you think of fans' displaying disappointment over Pitchfork's average rating for Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department'? Let us know in the comments below!