Highlights for me in part one after a few listens (loosely in order of favs):

 

The tortured poets department and I can do it with a broken heart (really love these songs - the ones I want to keep playing on repeat atm)

Whose afraid of little old me

My boy only breaks his favourite toys

Clara Bow

Florida

Fortnight

 

But Daddy I love him

Guilty as sin?

Loml

 

Many of the other songs are growing on me much more too - which I'm very thankful for 😅 For example, I did not like Down Bad or The Alchemy at all on first listens but they have got depth and are sounding better on each listen.

 

Going to give part 2 a first listen later this afternoon...

 

313M worldwide!!!!!!!!!! 127M more than midnights!!!!! 7 tracks over 1M in the UK!!!!!!!! WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

These are crazy numbers

Can't get enough of this atm, it just keeps growing and growing!! I have to say it was a lot to digest initially but now I've given all the tracks at least 2 listens it's really starting to click :heart:

 

I actually think I prefer the first half to the anthology personally. My absolute favourite atm is 'The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived' (the BRIDGE!!!) - honestly has the potential to be one of my all time favourites from her. Fortnight, My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys, So Long London, Fresh Out The Slammer & Florida are my other stand outs from the initial edition so far but honestly I really like most of them.

 

Still need some more time with the anthology tracks but my highlights from those so far are The Albatross, The Black Dog & The Propechy.

 

But yeah, I'm definitely not underwhelmed at all personally and this will be on repeat all weekend :lol:

 

So for me I don’t really get much of a Midnights vibe probably more in the production side of things but lyrically I get folklore / evermore.

 

I’ve only heard the standard 16 tracks so far so I’ll be going in on part 2 tomorrow but the standard 16 tracks from the album I think are all pretty strong. On first listen I definitely think this is more my bag than what Midnights was but I’m quite impressed had just the standard 16 been the entire album I’d be happy with this. Maybe Midnights on the whole was more varied but this is definitely more cohesive and structured better as a body of work.

 

Intrigued at what the next 15 tracks will bring but yeah this was a nice listen.

 

So far I’m feeling Florida!!! (VERY happy Florence really shone on that song too and was given her moment but it worked a lot more than I’d have initially imagined) and Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me is a career highlight.

Edited April 20, 20241 yr by Jordanlee

One of my highlights: "WELL YOU SHOULD BE!"

I am changing my hair colour for this once again! It’s been a tradition for me since fearless tv:

I went golden brown for fearless tv,red for Red tv, dark brown for midnights, purple for speak now tv, bleach blonde for 1989 tv (unplanned but I dyed my hair brown at the end of nov and it coencided with you’re losing me). Few weeks ago I decided to go blonde again and am currrntly going platinum blonde for the album!

I am changing my hair colour for this once again! It’s been a tradition for me purple for speak now tv

 

 

This is giving me life...

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived is going to become a cult classic amongst the fanbase. It’s Matty’s ‘Dear John’/‘Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve’/‘All Too Well’. But somehow, even more scathing and so very well written!

Who's afraid of little old me , my current favourite

After a couple of listens to part 2, here are my favourites:

 

The Albatross

How did it end?

So high school

Thank you AlMee (maybe my favourite in part 2)

The prophecy

Peter

 

This is the kind of album that I am going to uncover more and more of as I listen to it.

 

Loving the tortured poets department song so much - for sure my biggest play so far. But I've been listening to this album all weekend when I can and each time I uncover something new. I didn't appreciate how beautiful So Long, London is until a few listens in.

I find the second album better then the first tbh, I think the whole project is very much one that’s a whole entity rather than one where you pick big highlights, but So Long London is emerging as my fave, it’s lush!

I’ve sat with this for a few days now and my faves are:

 

The Tortured Poets Department

But Daddy I Love Him

Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?

Guilty As Sin?

imgonnagetyouback

thanK you aIMee

So High School

I Look in Peoples Window

 

I find the second album better then the first tbh, I think the whole project is very much one that’s a whole entity rather than one where you pick big highlights, but So Long London is emerging as my fave, it’s lush!

 

I agree. It’s an actual project not an album boosted by a handful of massive songs / future singles. On the surface I can understand some peoples reaction where there isn’t a major highlight but that works in the albums favour tbh, for me at least.

 

There’s so many songs on here that I’m loving it’s getting harder to pick a favourite the more I listen :lol:

Second part is also very strong from hearing this today.

 

Part of me wishes the release was kind of split so I could fully absorb each half but I’ll go back to both across the week. Definitely impressed as a whole with this though it’s almost like the trilogy of folklore / evermore. I found the Black Dog to be stunning, Cassandra the mad woman of this album (i definitely hear mad woman production wise on that) and there was something about How Did It End that I loved.

 

I think I’ll go back to this (likely maybe in two separate parts for now) but there’s a lot I like on this. I definitely don’t hear much of Midnights on this on the whole.

Agree with all of this. I was disappointed on first listen but once I got over that there weren't any real highs and actually took in the songs, I've realised there aren't actually many songs out of 31 that I didn't like.

Definitely impressed as a whole with this though it’s almost like the trilogy of folklore / evermore. I found the Black Dog to be stunning, Cassandra the mad woman of this album (i definitely hear mad woman production wise on that)

 

I'm feeling this too. Whose afraid of little old me is giving me the last great American Dynasty part 2 vibes.

Now that I’ve had it with me for a couple of days, this for me, is one of her best albums. Especially as a complete piece of work. I get that working with the same producers again is tiring and it really would be nice to see her work with someone else for her next (original) project, however, I am in the very small minority that prefers the original Jack album over the Aaron surprise release, but I love both sides rn and honestly there’s only a handful of tracks I don’t think Imd care to listen to again.

 

My favourites (in tracklist order) so far are:

 

Fortnight

The Tortured Poets Department

My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys > I think this is my absolute favourite <

So Long, London

But Daddy I Love Him

Florida!!!

Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?

I Can Do It With A Broken Heart

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

The Black Dog

So High School

thanK you aIMee

Peter

The Bolter

Robin

 

They’re the ones that I am LOOOOVING the rest I like but not to the levels I do with these. However, Down Bad is getting there… pretty quickly lmao.

I kind of feel like this might end up being my favourite of hers you know.

 

I really want the next album to build on the sound from thank you Aimee/so high school.

In the mids. Fortnight [

#1, the tortured poets department #2 and so long London #3b

 

I’m expecting Hozier to end up at 2 as he’s already back up there on Spotify, but I think she’ll have 3+4 this week! Though I’m not sure if it’ll be the ones that charted yesterday!