Whether you sought it out or were unwillingly subjected to it, if you have been on the internet this past week, you’ve likely heard about Taylor Swift’s new album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” However, unlike her usual releases, this album was not met with the usual response of adoration and unwavering support; instead, public reception has been predominantly negative, including an overwhelming amount of dedicated fans. So, what about this album in particular sparked such discourse?
I have personally been a fan of Taylor Swift since the release of her “Red” album in 2012. However, following the release of “The Tortured Poets Department,” I have felt myself slowly distancing from both her and her music. While I enjoyed a significant number of tracks from TTPD, I found it really hard to connect with several of them. Some felt repetitive and unnecessary, while others felt out of touch and off-putting. However, I brushed these off, considering the album in total consisted of 31 songs.
However, upon the release of “The Life of a Showgirl,” it seems clear that Swift is continuing on this downward trajectory of lyricism and production. In all honesty, on my first listen through of “The Life of a Showgirl,” I was incredibly disappointed and likely would have written a much stronger-worded review then. While most of my opinions remain the same now, a few days later, I have gotten the chance to re-listen to several of the tracks and sit with some that I had not originally enjoyed.
The opening track, “The Fate of Ophelia,” is arguably the most popular and well-received. On my first listen, I was not very impressed. I could very well just be biased as someone who is not a fan of Travis Kelce, but I found the lyrics uninspiring, especially considering my high expectations upon learning the track title. I will admit that the song has since grown on me and stands as one of, if not my favorite, on the album for production alone.
My opinions on “Elizabeth Taylor,” “Opalite,” “Wi$h Li$t” and “Honey” have unfortunately remained the same since my first listen in that they are incredibly forgettable both lyrically and production-wise, leaving me feeling indifferent.
However, what truly upset me about this album was the distinct lack of lyrical quality that has been present in all of her previous albums. Specifically, in “Father Figure” and “Eldest Daughter,” I found myself repeatedly cringing at several lazy and shallow lyrics. I had expected my favorite on the album to be “Eldest Daughter,” but was instead presented with the opening line, “Everybody’s so punk on the internet.”
Despite my criticism of the songwriting and production, I think the main source of disappointment from fans, including me, was some of the off-putting comments made consistently throughout the album, but particularly in “Actually Romantic” and “CANCELLED!” In “Actually Romantic,” Swift references a long-standing feud, presumably between her and Charli XCX. While I am somewhat apathetic about the actual details of their conflict, I thought the song itself was in incredibly poor taste. Swift, who, since her “Lover” album, has neglected to use her platform to speak on significant issues, uses “Actually Romantic” as a way to diss Charli XCX while making queer love the butt of her jokes. Furthermore, “CANCELLED!” was particularly disappointing as someone who had already been struggling with the idea of supporting a billionaire who willingly associates with questionable people. In addition, her repeated use of the word “b*tch” and condescending descriptions of women, despite considering herself a feminist, is simply disheartening.
After sitting with the album for a week now, I have definitely become more forgiving of several of the tracks, but I am still unsatisfied with the album as a whole. It’s a difficult feeling to be disappointed by an artist whose music you have consistently enjoyed and defended for years and I am certainly curious to see how others’ thoughts on the album develop now that a week has passed since its release.
