Not a swiftie but also the album is not good. A few people said it best that it sounds like if AI made an album based on what people think Taylor Swift sounds like.
It also feels lyrically juvenile, like she's trying to fit in with the other big pop girlies right now that are a decade her junior, but a lot of criticism I see about her is her still acting like she's in her early 20s versus someone in their mid-thirties and how she seems frozen in that mentality.
Also, maybe Travis isn't a great muse and maybe don't make an album so soon after the last one and while in the middle of tour?
I'm also not a swifty but I usually like to read the lyrics because she can whip up some good ones. This one though - yeah lyrically juvenile is the right way to say it. Like good art requires some pain and she's too happy or something.
My birthday is on Christmas Eve, and I love it!! I love that it's never an ordinary day. I don't have to go to work, or to the bank, or to the dentist. It's always a special day, with family, dinner, gifts, etc
I have a Christmas baby who I brought home just shy of midnight on Christmas Eve. Best present ever. His middle name is Raphael as he’s my Christmas angel.
Recommend doing lots of Christmas carols in the run up as you feel positively overcome with understanding at why Jesus as the newborn baby is the ultimate metaphor for kindness and humanity and all the nice things about the Christmas story. I still tear up whenever I hear silent night.
Taylor - eeeessssh. Not hearing the bangers she promised us yet, but will have to give it a proper listen.
My due date was January 6 but ended up getting induced Christmas Eve with high BP. It became clear very quickly our little guy would be arriving on Christmas! He’ll be 10 this year.
My big suggestion is to help extended family temper excitement on Christmas Day. When my son was younger, he’d get overwhelmed because grandparents, aunts and uncles would come in hot - “it’s Christmas! It’s your birthday! It’s the BEST DAY EVER!!” and it was a lot for him. Christmas 2020 we had 5 separate family video calls scheduled and eventually he was like “No more zoom!!”
Everyone's insistence to call or zoom on the birthday is so stressful no matter what day it is!!! Spread it out!!!! I believe in birthday week / birthday month concept lol.
Here for the Xmas Eve baby talk!!!! I had my second daughter on Christmas Eve (she was due Jan 1, scheduled for c-section Dec 27, but ended up coming a little sooner), and we freakin named her Holly!!! We had some tense days in the hospital with her going unnamed -- we had decided on Holly before we realized how on-the-nose it would be, but then we just embraced it and now I think it's cute as heck! It remains to be seen what she thinks or how we'll celebrate her birthday going forward (she's turning 2 this year), but I'm loving the other messages and ideas posted here. So far it's like, people roll out the plant that's also your name right around the whole season of your birth? Amazing! When I was pregnant, I found myself on "christmas baby name lists" that were strangely affecting. Like Natalie? Yes, please!
Congrats!!! I’m a twin and we were born on December 23rd. Apparently the OB told my mom she needed to come in but she said, not before I finish my Christmas shopping! I gotta say, being a Capricorn is elite! Downsides have been aforementioned: birthday/christmas gift combo (even worse when you’re a twin and it’s “for you and your sister”) and it’s hard to plan a party bc folks aren’t around. I’d co-sign doing a celebration before or after (Jan can be hard bc everyone is broke post holidays). A Presidents’ Day weekend ice skating party ranked pretty high in my book. Also loved doing a 30th countryside weekend with my friends over MLK weekend. I’ve also had fun doing combo birthdays with other close to Christmas friends. It can be tough as a kid but as you get older you can make it what you want! Good luck to you and your Christmas bebe
Congratulations!! ❣️ I interpreted “CANCELLED!” As being about Blake but could see Brittany too. Need more listens before judging the album, but it’s wild to see the wide range of responses (various five star reviews while simultaneously people saying it’s horrible?)
I have a 12/27 baby. She'll be 12 soon. Our theory is Christmas is Christmas and it happens on 12/25. The 26th is a calm day where kids play with presents and everyone eats leftovers and parents make the dining room no longer look like Christmas (or it's a travel day, depending). Then the 27th is BIRTHDAY. I was in labor for a really long time, and that part was terrible, but honestly I'm glad she was born in the wee hours of the 27th and not the 26th, because having that day in between helps re-set things psychologically. And it's never a work day, and Target is open.
My birthday is Christmas Eve!! Honestly I love it, especially because my parents always made it was my birthday and not Christmas Eve (we’re interfaith but not especially religious). Oftentimes, I couldn’t have a birthday party with friends ON my birthday but my parents found other dates and always made it unique and fun (cookie exchange, holiday theater shows, etc)!! And you never have to work on your birthday!
My birthday is December 18! Growing up, I didn't love that my birthday fell during Christmas break (none of my friends were available for my birthday party!) and the occasional "this present is for your birthday and Christmas" (though my mom was very careful to split them up and make both feel special for me). As an adult, I love having a holiday-time birthday because the magic of the season also feels like it's celebrating me!
Congratulations!!! My second was also a Christmas baby ... Natalie arrived on December 28. As a couple others have said, I was totally drawn to the Christmas name lists. Lucia, or Lu, was runner up. 3 days before Natalie was born, our next door neighbor went into labor early and had herself a Christmas Day baby. They are both turning 10 this year, and what I hear from them is that they love having Christmas birthdays. They insist they get double the presents. And I can confirm that Natalie gets 3 different family parties out of it. We're still figuring out how to incorporate friend parties now that she's getting older and into that.
Advent, leading up to Christmas, is the season of waiting. I still remember slowing down that year I was pregnant and trying to be intentional about feeling and observing all my anticipation. I hope you get to as well. Throw in the twinkle lights and cozy vibes? Magical!
From one All(ie)y to another: mazel tov!!!! My birthday is December 27 and I would recommend making a big deal out of their day because it does tend to get lost in the shuffle. And yes, definitely designate two separate presents. Also since I started having birthdays, I always had my party/celebration the first weekend of January to a. extend the celebration and b. allow my friends to be able to come without in the mix of holiday madness. Another idea is to celebrate their half birthday as something fun too and maybe not as cold. ;)
I am listening right now my bias is I really love Folklore/Evermore and the rest I would consider myself Taylor Swift Neutral. I do share her fondness for a certain kind of cultural references (literary and tragic starts and heiresses) but I like Elizabeth Taylor for her work in the Mirror Crack'd so I don't think we're quite the same.
I was technically “glucose intolerant” my first pregnancy - my numbers were borderline but not quite GD. But this time my numbers are way better/normal! Without really doing anything differently lol. Hoping the same for you!!
Not a swiftie but also the album is not good. A few people said it best that it sounds like if AI made an album based on what people think Taylor Swift sounds like.
It also feels lyrically juvenile, like she's trying to fit in with the other big pop girlies right now that are a decade her junior, but a lot of criticism I see about her is her still acting like she's in her early 20s versus someone in their mid-thirties and how she seems frozen in that mentality.
Also, maybe Travis isn't a great muse and maybe don't make an album so soon after the last one and while in the middle of tour?
I'm also not a swifty but I usually like to read the lyrics because she can whip up some good ones. This one though - yeah lyrically juvenile is the right way to say it. Like good art requires some pain and she's too happy or something.
My birthday is on Christmas Eve, and I love it!! I love that it's never an ordinary day. I don't have to go to work, or to the bank, or to the dentist. It's always a special day, with family, dinner, gifts, etc
I have a Christmas baby who I brought home just shy of midnight on Christmas Eve. Best present ever. His middle name is Raphael as he’s my Christmas angel.
Recommend doing lots of Christmas carols in the run up as you feel positively overcome with understanding at why Jesus as the newborn baby is the ultimate metaphor for kindness and humanity and all the nice things about the Christmas story. I still tear up whenever I hear silent night.
Taylor - eeeessssh. Not hearing the bangers she promised us yet, but will have to give it a proper listen.
I do not have a Christmas baby but I wanted one so I could name her Natalie (as is apparently traditional).
I love Holly and Noelle as Christmas names, too!
My due date was January 6 but ended up getting induced Christmas Eve with high BP. It became clear very quickly our little guy would be arriving on Christmas! He’ll be 10 this year.
My big suggestion is to help extended family temper excitement on Christmas Day. When my son was younger, he’d get overwhelmed because grandparents, aunts and uncles would come in hot - “it’s Christmas! It’s your birthday! It’s the BEST DAY EVER!!” and it was a lot for him. Christmas 2020 we had 5 separate family video calls scheduled and eventually he was like “No more zoom!!”
Everyone's insistence to call or zoom on the birthday is so stressful no matter what day it is!!! Spread it out!!!! I believe in birthday week / birthday month concept lol.
Here for the Xmas Eve baby talk!!!! I had my second daughter on Christmas Eve (she was due Jan 1, scheduled for c-section Dec 27, but ended up coming a little sooner), and we freakin named her Holly!!! We had some tense days in the hospital with her going unnamed -- we had decided on Holly before we realized how on-the-nose it would be, but then we just embraced it and now I think it's cute as heck! It remains to be seen what she thinks or how we'll celebrate her birthday going forward (she's turning 2 this year), but I'm loving the other messages and ideas posted here. So far it's like, people roll out the plant that's also your name right around the whole season of your birth? Amazing! When I was pregnant, I found myself on "christmas baby name lists" that were strangely affecting. Like Natalie? Yes, please!
I love the name Holly!! I’m glad you went for it
PS CONGRATS!!!!!!!
Congrats!!! I’m a twin and we were born on December 23rd. Apparently the OB told my mom she needed to come in but she said, not before I finish my Christmas shopping! I gotta say, being a Capricorn is elite! Downsides have been aforementioned: birthday/christmas gift combo (even worse when you’re a twin and it’s “for you and your sister”) and it’s hard to plan a party bc folks aren’t around. I’d co-sign doing a celebration before or after (Jan can be hard bc everyone is broke post holidays). A Presidents’ Day weekend ice skating party ranked pretty high in my book. Also loved doing a 30th countryside weekend with my friends over MLK weekend. I’ve also had fun doing combo birthdays with other close to Christmas friends. It can be tough as a kid but as you get older you can make it what you want! Good luck to you and your Christmas bebe
Omg Christmas twins! Love the idea of making use of those winter long weekends for celebrations
Congratulations!! ❣️ I interpreted “CANCELLED!” As being about Blake but could see Brittany too. Need more listens before judging the album, but it’s wild to see the wide range of responses (various five star reviews while simultaneously people saying it’s horrible?)
I have a 12/27 baby. She'll be 12 soon. Our theory is Christmas is Christmas and it happens on 12/25. The 26th is a calm day where kids play with presents and everyone eats leftovers and parents make the dining room no longer look like Christmas (or it's a travel day, depending). Then the 27th is BIRTHDAY. I was in labor for a really long time, and that part was terrible, but honestly I'm glad she was born in the wee hours of the 27th and not the 26th, because having that day in between helps re-set things psychologically. And it's never a work day, and Target is open.
Target being open is so important
My former office mate’s wife was born on Christmas Day and the hospital gave her parents a stocking to take her home in.
Omg 😂
My birthday is Christmas Eve!! Honestly I love it, especially because my parents always made it was my birthday and not Christmas Eve (we’re interfaith but not especially religious). Oftentimes, I couldn’t have a birthday party with friends ON my birthday but my parents found other dates and always made it unique and fun (cookie exchange, holiday theater shows, etc)!! And you never have to work on your birthday!
My birthday is December 18! Growing up, I didn't love that my birthday fell during Christmas break (none of my friends were available for my birthday party!) and the occasional "this present is for your birthday and Christmas" (though my mom was very careful to split them up and make both feel special for me). As an adult, I love having a holiday-time birthday because the magic of the season also feels like it's celebrating me!
i am also a 12/18 baby hi!!
Hi, birthday twin! I love our day ✨
Congratulations!!! My second was also a Christmas baby ... Natalie arrived on December 28. As a couple others have said, I was totally drawn to the Christmas name lists. Lucia, or Lu, was runner up. 3 days before Natalie was born, our next door neighbor went into labor early and had herself a Christmas Day baby. They are both turning 10 this year, and what I hear from them is that they love having Christmas birthdays. They insist they get double the presents. And I can confirm that Natalie gets 3 different family parties out of it. We're still figuring out how to incorporate friend parties now that she's getting older and into that.
Advent, leading up to Christmas, is the season of waiting. I still remember slowing down that year I was pregnant and trying to be intentional about feeling and observing all my anticipation. I hope you get to as well. Throw in the twinkle lights and cozy vibes? Magical!
I love this! I’m going to start decorating early for sure
From one All(ie)y to another: mazel tov!!!! My birthday is December 27 and I would recommend making a big deal out of their day because it does tend to get lost in the shuffle. And yes, definitely designate two separate presents. Also since I started having birthdays, I always had my party/celebration the first weekend of January to a. extend the celebration and b. allow my friends to be able to come without in the mix of holiday madness. Another idea is to celebrate their half birthday as something fun too and maybe not as cold. ;)
My husband has a Jan. 2 birthday, and we are big half birthday fans.
Congrats! My friend's had their baby I think ultimately on the 26th (and they're Jewish so you know not big on Christmas). I will share this short made by a Czech animator, Hermína Týrlová who gave Mary superpowers and I am obsessed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0pEnTzjrP8&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
I am listening right now my bias is I really love Folklore/Evermore and the rest I would consider myself Taylor Swift Neutral. I do share her fondness for a certain kind of cultural references (literary and tragic starts and heiresses) but I like Elizabeth Taylor for her work in the Mirror Crack'd so I don't think we're quite the same.
Congratualtions! Did you have gestational diabetes the first time? I did, and I'm praying to get your wonderful results whenever we go for baby #2!
I was technically “glucose intolerant” my first pregnancy - my numbers were borderline but not quite GD. But this time my numbers are way better/normal! Without really doing anything differently lol. Hoping the same for you!!
lord I've seen what you've done for others!!! So happy for you <3