I loved the pod when it was the Taylor albums and more discography of artists, but they stopped talking about music. I was so disappointed that instead of talking about Confessions II - which is a great album, Nathan talked about celebrities, staying at a hotel in NYC and totally losing the plot.

Maybe y’all are too much “insiders” if ya think the wedding was not enough for you Nora & Nathan. The signs were probably posted b/c EVERY media outlet was going crazy! Liz Rose was there and posted. PS Taylor has never been cool, she has stated this for decades. Y’all are always pissy which is sad! Leave her alone Jesus.

A solid podcast but they compare everyone to Taylor Swift which just isn’t fair, not everyone is a crazy superstar like her. Also please do royel Otis

I really enjoy this podcast even though I won’t always agree (what swiftie does?) I especially prefer Nora‘s thoughtful viewpoints & it seems like much of the whining in the reviews are from people that refuse to ever criticize Taylor (or even critique her against herself). It’s hard to separate the music from Taylor’s writing from her actual thoughts/perspectives - so of course it will be commented on! keep at it but I will say Nathan is creepy at a times. A man his age saying some of stuff he does about much younger female singers & their personal lives & their hair frizz while performing… is just weird.

A little disappointed that Nat was hot and bothered about the NYT list, and cites McCartney omission. Noting the strange absence of Joni, Neil, Paul and others, I did 5 seconds of research and discovered that this was a list of Americans. And here I wasn’t even about to bloviate in a knowing, insidery way on a podcast about the silliness of the list.

Overall, an interesting podcast. I’ve liked many, but the latest on the NYT project on the best American songwriters missed the mark. First part of this podcast was on TSwift and discussed if the list was valid by having the “right” songwriters. Maybe not, because Paul McCartney was excluded. Hellooo! Paul is British and what did the NYT article focus on? Yep. American songwriters. It wasn’t a slip up, because McCartney not being on the list was mentioned several times and used to cast doubt on NYT’s work. Makes me wonder if the hosts do their homework or are they just winging it?

Nathan is showing us his boomer-ness with all the female pop star age stuff. The industry ain’t the same, the internet changed that.

This is an all-time favorite podcast for me. As a lifelong Swiftie (here since Debut), I don’t always agree with all of Nathan and Nora’s takes, but I genuinely love their warmth, opinions, and intense love for Taylor as an artist. They are a joy and a pleasure to listen to. I would listen to anything they made together, but I’m especially happy they chose to make this! Edit: I still really love this podcast, but Nathan, while usually lovely, says the strangest, most out-of-touch things at times. I was just warming back up to him recently, and the phrase “racehorses have great lives” exited his mouth. Why are you guys spending 60 seconds of fans’ listening time on Nathan saying insensitive things? I just don’t get it. Not every thought is meant to be heard by tens of thousands of people, so perhaps stronger editing is needed. Edit 2: Please never record Nora using a tin can again; that was unlistenable.

I am a former music business major- now mom & accountant, LOVING this podcast. The commentary by Nora and Nate is educated and on point. Michelle Branch’s spirit room was my jam when I was a teen. I love all pop music and am a big swiftie. I am definitely the right targeted audience. Keep up the great work!

It’s become a bummer. They’re stans - not objective listeners in any way. You know what is incredibly boring? “We love everything. Everything is great” - The Podcast. Get real. Its 2026. People are tired of being lied to.

I love this podcast. Norah and Nathan have such a fun energy/banter together and I just really enjoy it.

I would love for y’all to include some other viewpoints on this podcast. It’s becoming very one note. I feel I know what’s going to be said before it’s spoken. Also maybe try to include someone from a different background or a woman in their late 30s/40s. It’s becoming very academic east coast podcast and I think it would be interesting to talk with someone from a very different background. Frankly the comment frying a turkey is Southen about sent me over the edge.

Nora, she could absolutely be our President.

Love the deep dive you both are doing for the documentary. Re: the room where she was trying on her costumes. That is her NY apt. I saw a video a fan shared on IG that she grew up in this apt and she showed a video of herself in the same room and the long short tan cabinets are seen. If you watch carefully one camera angle actually shows the staircase behind her. Looking forward to 5&6!!

I’m a proud Swifty over 50 AND a podcast lover. Thisnis THE BEST, smartest, most insightful and entertaining Taylor podcast out there!! 👍🏼🫶🏻

I totally disagree with Nora, that Billboard “should” remove a Top Ten streaming song from the Hot 100, if it’s a certain amount of months old. As Nathan points out, that IS the “destruction of truth.” And for some reason Nora doesn’t understand, or “get it…that the artist who is this podcast’s raison d’etre - Taylor Swift — would have been irreparably reputationally harmed, if this policy had been in place on the date she released her first album! The “legend” of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” — AND Ms. Taylor Swift — are BASED on their longevity & gargantuan “cumulative” numbers! Thank you, Nathan, for defending the meaning of numbers. For example let’s look at your brother Mark’s industry, golf. Should we have stopped counting Jack or Tiger’s majors — because the PGA Tour assumed people were getting “tired of seeing them,” in the World Golf Rankings? Should wr take Warren Buffet “off the board” on the list of wealthiest Americans, because he’s been on the Top Ten List for too darn long? That’s Nora’s argument…and Nathan, I agree with you.

As a longtime listener, I want to share a constructive, good-faith critique: in the last year or so, ESA has become increasingly focused on the question of which artists will rise to the top of the industry, and stay there. I find this focus on the popularity race and commercial success completely uninteresting. This podcast is at its best when it’s focused on the artists and the music. Streaming numbers are not the only factor in an artist’s success and cultural impact. I absolutely love listening to Nathan & Nora unpack music, lyrics, and albums. But that sometimes feels like an afterthought, even on the pods ostensibly dedicated to discussing an album. With love and respect, a longtime listener.

Really like the show but there is way too much Taylor content that doesn’t relate to Albums (why is the docuseries being reviewed when there’s still new music and older albums to review)

This is a pretty good podcast! The hosts have a wonderful rapport and back and forth. My only not: there is nothing I hate more than a voicing Taylor Gospel opinions like they’re gospel! (Its “got a long list of ex-lovers” not “Starbucks lovers” my man)

I’ve been a big fan of this pod for years and I hate saying this but…lately Nora’s constant slow drawn out talking like she is thinking out loud/formulating her thought as she’s making a point is kind of unbearable😭

Love this show but Hilary Duff is misspelled!

Love this podcast. Am eager to hear a Florence + the Machine review/series! ⚡️🎶

Nora is way too left-wing. She won’t listen to a song about cancel culture. Unbelievable. Yikes.

These people are morons. Wish I could give 0 stars. They have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about. Lily Allen’s album is absolutely revelatory, vulnerable, brutal and raw. She’s going to receive Grammy nominations for sure. They also didn’t do their research. The “dojo” was the bachelor pad David Harbour owned prior to his engagement. He kept it while he had his primary living space with Lily, hence why she never had any idea he was using his old place for sex. Every single song on her album is catchy and well made with subtle details and very high quality production value. For example, on P**** Palace, she samples the Stranger Things intro in the beginning and the synth and twinkling sound is truly mesmerizing. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift could never and HAS never written anything this well made or honest 😂 Typical Taylor-cult members. Good luck to you both, you need it.

Nora’s lighthearted playfulness has turned to condescension, and no matter how hard Nathan works to ground the narrative and bring it back to a place of reasonable perspective it doesn’t balance out her attitude, and listening has become insufferable. I’m all in on honest critique of albums, not super interested in listening to albums be mocked.

That’s the review. Nora is miserable to listen to.

Felt like the quality of this pod hasn’t been great for awhile. Some of the takes of TLOAS have completely lost the plot. Unsubscribing and unfollowing.

If you love Taylor Swift then this is the pod for you. I don’t especially like her, so the constant episodes about her and mentioning of her in every other episode can be grating, but even so it’s a decent show made by informed people.

Once again Nora is miserable, talking politics. I was so excited to get into TLOAS and this was disappointing

These recent reviews are terrible. You guys need to stop rushing episodes to let your thoughts breathe. Total bummer. Used to enjoy them when they were nuanced.

I’m surprised (but maybe shouldnt be) to see all the low reviews after the Taylor Swift Showgirls album. They have a 2.5 hour long, nuanced discussion, grounded in deep knowledge of Taylor lore and music theory. It’s not a glowing review of the album but it’s a more interesting discussion for it.

Update: Nora is miserable about something. How is no one giving her feedback. Cancelling my subscription to anything she is on…wow… The laugh talking from Nora as another reviewer noted gets on my nerves. It is a bit immature…it’s not that funny the stuff she is laughing about constantly. Wish Nathan wouldn’t have backed down on his “hostage situation” statement. I felt the same way!! No shade…it is just too much of the same.

If you don’t take it seriously as music journalism and instead accept that these are two Taylor Swift/Sabrina Carpenter superfans who will occasionally cover other artists, then you can have a good time. I do, personally. I think that Nathan and Nora are both brilliant and think deeply about music. When it comes to a couple of key artists, the bias overshadows the criticism. They’re at their best when discussing ones that they’re not as “in the foxhole” for (eg Chappell, Lorde and Charli XCX eps are among my favorite). To Ringer/Production, please consider featuring more artists of color.

Nathan’s understanding of music and the industry makes this postcast so enjoyable. Makes it worth sitting through Nora’s awful (wanna be hot) takes, that are inconsistent and annoying, bearable.

Nora and Nathan will convince me I want something in an album (like a break from Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff) and then complain when we get exactly that. I feel like they hated the last two albums when they were great so I don’t love tuning in for all the hate. I also feel like a lot of takes were off so I will be interested to see if anything changes as they listen to the new album more.

I love this show. I look forward to every episode that comes out. I love Nathan’s perspective, insight & ability to connect songs to other songs. He has the ear for music I really wish I had! Nora is also fantastic. Very fun & a pop girlie. They’ve helped me learn so much music & im forever grateful for that. Thanks you two ! Definitely check out this pod!!!!!! FYI Not being paid or anything. Every single album every single day please ;)

Woah, the vibes on the review of Life of a Showgirl were way off. I will admit that this wasn’t my favorite album by any means, but I felt that the conversation focused primarily on Taylor’s life decisions and her role as some sort of symbol and less about the music. I find it bizarre that Nora seems to be purposefully misinterpreting the lyrics and taking the most negative view of them. For instance, saying that the line “want the whole block looking like you” means Taylor Swift wants to live in a homogenous neighborhood is a pretty cynical misreading. I thought she was saying she just wants a bunch of kids that look like Travis. That’s it. Also, I find it strange to see Nora critiquing this woman’s decision to get married and want kids because she is supposed to be some feminist icon when feminism is all about respecting the decisions women make for themselves. The Cancelled! discussion also managed to just talk about the idea of cancel culture without talking about the song at all. I’m just a little bummed this seemed to be a conversation about an album that seemed to barely talk about the music.

I’m confused, is this a pop music podcast or a Taylor Swift simp podcast?

This review isn’t going to age well. Also, their opinion on Travis really seems to skew their opinion on her songs. They seem to be so bothered by unexpected lyrics they can’t see past it.

I really liked the old structure of the pod where they went through all the categories. They still do this for some other artists but have lost the ability to do this for taylor swift albums. They talk so little about the music at this point and just discuss optics and perception. You don’t have to love every Taylor album but would like to actually hear about the music. It’s over a 2 hour pod yet I think there’s maybe 30 minutes on the actual music

Take a shot every time Nathan: -pretentiously interrupts Nora and attempts to incorrectly finish her sentence -talks about Taylor’s biological clock and how she needs to have babies -acts like he has inside information from Taylor’s team and confidently says something will or will not happen, only to be proven wrong shortly after the podcast airs

Nora, seriously, what is with you? Why do you talk about Taylor and her obviously very happy relationship with such disgust and disdain? Wondering how bad the vibe is going to be when we hear how you feel about their engagement. Nathan is trying his hardest to keep the vibes positive and the snark from Nora makes this feel like a Taylor hate podcast.. just bizarre.

The constant over talk and the insufferable pretentiousness is off putting at a level I haven’t found in other pods. The way they try hard to be snarking or cooler than the artists they review is a gross over estimate on the part of 2 aging Caucasian’s with tunnel vision.

Nora’s vibe is so bad.

I’ve never felt inspired to write a podcast review before but this most recent episode was so hard to listen to. I feel like these people claim to like and know Taylor as well as other fans do, but the way Nora talked about Travis was seriously painful to listen to. Dripping with elitism and distain. Taylor is clearly over the moon so why do you have to hate on this kind man SO cruelly? Idk if I’ll be able to come back and I’ve been listening for years.

I used to love this podcast when Nora and Nathan were first going through Taylor’s discography. They were so insightful about the context of each album and illuminated why Taylor’s albums are so meaningful to her fans. Now in 2025, for two hosts who claim to love Taylor Swift, I’m hearing snarky criticism and unnecessary judgement. I’m going elsewhere for my Taylor Swift content.

I know that some amount of crosstalk is normal and expected on a pod like this, but I just listened to Nora trying to make a single point for about 5 minutes, and Nathan kept interrupting and derailing her. I was screaming “Dude, let her finish her sentence!” at my phone by the end! Don’t be that guy.

I’m so disappointed that Nora wasn’t more excited about the new album drop and all of the fun of experiencing Taylor on a podcast. I was so excited to share in the excitement of Max Martin and the 1989+Folklore vibes of it all but instead was met with so much complaining about Travis and confusing dialogue about not knowing what’s real/what’s an act.

i look forward to thursday afternoons when these two drop; their in-depth takes are so informative and really connect me to musical pop culture. YOU NEEES TO LISTEN

It’s so refreshing to hear people that dive deeper into the albums, but also the meanings and context that maybe similar podcasts might have missed. A great listen.