What might have been unexpected was how "Reputation" -- Swift's 15-song album that was released after four pre-releases and a three-year album hiatus by the singer -- was received by critics, Billboard reported.
The album had more than 400,000 pre-orders, The Associated Press reported on Nov. 3. Swift’s label, Big Machine Records, was predicting sales of more than 2 million in the album’s first week.
The reviews have been positive so far. The Los Angeles Times called "Reputation" Swift's "most focused, most cohesive album yet." Rolling Stone said it was an album "full of one-on-one adult love songs."
It is “her most intimate album,” Rolling Stone continued. “A cycle about how it feels when you stop chasing romance and start letting your life happen.
“That’s a daring swerve from a songwriter who’s scored so many brilliant hits about pursuing the next romantic high,” Rolling Stone wrote.
Before the album’s official release, Swift previewed four songs from “Reputation”: “Look What You Made Me Do,” “... Ready For It?” “Gorgeous,” and “Call It What You Want.”
"Don't let the album title fool you," USA Today reported. "Taylor Swift doesn't give a damn about her bad reputation."
The New York Times called "Reputation" a "public renegotiation, engaging pop music on its terms, not hers." It is "fundamentally unlike any of her other albums in that it takes into account -- prioritizes, actually -- the tempo and tone of her competition."
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