Does good art need inner turmoil? Taylor Swift’s newest album breaks the mould with a breezy, joyful feel. But some critics think in shedding her sadness she has also lost her way.
How Taylor Swift smashed her own records
Record release: In just three days, Swift achieved the UK's biggest first-week album sales since Ed Sheeran's Divide in 2017. Comprehension quiz
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The word “stagnates” in the first paragraph means:
A: To grow stronger and more powerful
B: To stop developing or making progress
C: To become more popular with critics
D: To disappear completely
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Which word is the closest synonym for “triumphalist”?
A: Victorious
B: Melancholy
C: Insincere
D: Musical
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According to some critics, what is a key reason for the perceived decline in the quality of Swift’s latest album?
A: Her fans, the ‘Swifties’, have stopped buying her music.
B: She is too focused on her global tour to write good songs.
C: Her happiness and lack of critical feedback have led to stagnation.
D: Her response to Charli XCX was not aggressive enough.
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In the past, what was a key reason for Taylor Swift’s appeal, according to the article?
A: Her ability to create upbeat, joyful music.
B: Her willingness to collaborate with other artists.
C: Her songs that connected with fans’ feelings of heartbreak and self-doubt.
D: Her advisers always gave her honest, critical advice.
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According to the text, why did critics consider Taylor Swift’s song Actually Romantic to be “tone-deaf”?
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In your own words, summarise the two opposing viewpoints in the article about whether suffering is necessary for creating great art.
Answers
Tap to reveal
1. B 2. A 3. C 4. C 5. Because responding triumphantly to a rival's sad and self-critical song seemed like punching down. 6. One viewpoint is that suffering is required to make great art, using the example of Vincent van Gogh, whose sadness is thought to make his optimistic art more meaningful. The opposite viewpoint is that suffering actually stops art from being made, because depression can take away a person's motivation to work.
1. B 2. A 3. C 4. C 5. Because responding triumphantly to a rival's sad and self-critical song seemed like punching down. 6. One viewpoint is that suffering is required to make great art, using the example of Vincent van Gogh, whose sadness is thought to make his optimistic art more meaningful. The opposite viewpoint is that suffering actually stops art from being made, because depression can take away a person's motivation to work.
Glossary
Iron law - A controlling principle.
Behemoth - Originally a monster described in the Bible, today the term is used to describe anything large, unwieldy and potentially dangerous.
Turmoil - A state of great confusion. The word was originally a verb meaning to agitate.
Charli XCX - A British singer, songwriter and DJ who first became popular in the early 2010s before a hugely successful album Brat in the 2020s.
Triumphalist - Showing boastful pride.
Melancholy - A feeling of sadness.
Vincent van Gogh - A Dutch artist who painted The Starry Night in 1889 while staying in a French mental asylum after suffering a breakdown. He died by suicide the following year.
Despondency - Low spirits due to a lack of hope.
Poignant - Causing sharp feelings of sadness.