Related Tags
Taylor Swift fans are saying the same thing about The National guitarist Aaron Dessner’s contribution to The Tortured Poet’s Department
“Aaron Dessner, you are the glue holding this nation together.”
Image: Getty Images
“Aaron Dessner if you ever need a kidney you have my number.” Such is the sentiment expressed by one Taylor Swift fan – or Swifties as they’re collectively known – over The National guitarist’s contributions to the pop star’s new album, The Tortured Poet’s Department.
Just in case you’re living under a rock, the world’s biggest artist earlier today dropped her 11th studio record. The release, in which Swift, Dessner, and longtime producer Jack Antonoff share production credits, was accompanied by an extra 15 songs as part of a surprise double album (subtitled The Anthology), bringing the total number of tracks for this era to an impressive 31.
Of those 31 songs, Dessner is credited as co-writer on 15 of them (5 on main, 10 on the bonus side) and producer on 16 of them (5 and 11 respectively) — an effort that’s got the Swifties pretty much crowning him as the nation’s Lord and Saviour.
“For real the bonus album was a completely different piece of work. And what I was expecting from the album the entire time. I adored every single song. Bravo Aaron,” praised one Swiftie.
“The amount of Aaron Dessner involvement in the new songs… Folklore and Evermore stans are finally being fed again,” another fan commented, referencing Swift’s 2020 albums that, too, featured Dessner’s production touch.
On the flipside, Antonoff’s contributions appear to be receiving a lot less love from Swifties, many of whom pulled no punches when voicing their displeasure with his supposedly ‘boring’ production style (Some of the fandom have very strong feelings about his use of synths and drumkits, for one).
“Aaron Dessner has once again proven that Jack Antonoff is the problem,” one fan declared, while another implored: “Jack Antonoff please never produce another album ever again.”
“Aaron Dessner thank you for your service – Jack Antonoff count your days you bastard,” read a comment on X.
It’s all very dramatic, to say the least. But we’ll let Swift’s music do the talking below.
Check out some of the reactions to The Tortured Poet’s Department:
Aaron Dessner seeing that we are all liking the anthology tracks better 🤭pic.twitter.com/T4cYXsdqOb
— Chris ⸆⸉ 🤍 (@ChrisMtz_16) April 19, 2024
Aaron Dessner produced 11/15 of the TTPD: Anthology tracks… we won pic.twitter.com/a1wpRrgnap
— aram (@aramnotagoat) April 19, 2024
one thing i know for sure is that whenever aaron dessner and taylor collaborate they make some of the best songs on the album… their friendship is unmatched pic.twitter.com/LhDZ703nKU
— fiz ᶻ⁴ 💐 (@cardiganfml) April 19, 2024
aaron dessner you are the glue holding this nation together
— bald ann dowd (@ali_sivi) April 19, 2024
Aaron Dessner listening to Jack Antonoff on the first half of the album:pic.twitter.com/wKrB1dxNt5
— RKive⁷-⊠//Joonie Is A Cinnamon Roll (@HONEY_JAMZZZ) April 19, 2024
jack antonoff meticulously placing a synth chord that only 0.0000000001% of the population can hear when producing the tortured poets department
pic.twitter.com/RqjHajjd7t— will (@theluckywill) April 19, 2024
Pressing play on the new Taylor and hearing more Jack Antonoff produced mid-tempo synth-pop pic.twitter.com/Q1UdoQn37N
— oscar (@osc__ar) April 19, 2024