Jemma Tonkin
Taylor Swift’s new sparkly pop album is her most controversial yet, dividing even the long-term die-hard Swifties (including myself). The most shocking aspect of the album that has taken social media by storm is the lyricism (or lack thereof), marking a dramatic 180 turn from her previous album: The Tortured Poets Department. Taylor has taken up a happy, fun sound, without much of the poetry or hard-hitting lyrics that have characterised her previous works, perhaps losing some of her self-proclaimed ‘terminal uniqueness’. An album that would appear to be heavily focused on her time on the Eras Tour and her life in the limelight seems to lack emotional depth, a surprising observation considering her previous album.
Perhaps the showgirl life does not resonate as well with today’s audience, or perhaps the album isn’t up to par
Showgirl’s opening three songs successfully set up the aesthetic of the album, in terms of their glitter gel pen pop sound, matching the cover art with a feeling that harkens back to Reputation. Undoubtedly, we know that Taylor Swift does pop extremely well, with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) breaking Spotify’s record in 2023 for the most streamed album in a single day. If her success was so big only two years ago then it asks the question: why are these numbers not being exceeded now? Her career and popularity have grown even since then. Perhaps the showgirl life does not resonate as well with today’s audience, or perhaps the album isn’t up to par. Currently, these are the top three most streamed tracks of the album due to their popularity on social media, particularly The Fate of Ophelia, which leads us to the album’s steady decline.
Track four, Father Figure, takes the album to a different place with seemingly more heartfelt themes. By crediting George Michael as a writer, this song had an incredible premise, but misses the mark; beyond the title, these two songs bear no resemblance. Swift’s track explores the power dynamic between her and Big Machine Records during her early career, her exploitation, and how this has been reversed with her recently owning her music again. But compared to ‘my tears ricochet’ which has the same themes, this new song does not contain nearly the same amount storytelling or poeticism. Many fans have responded to the hate by saying that Taylor is allowed to make a less sullen album compared to TTPD as she is in a happier place, but this song shows that even when writing about her past, something that she has previously done so well, lacks the same depth and maturity that she used to have.
Although Taylor has shown how she can constantly reinvent herself throughout her different eras, and not everything should be put down to comparison, one cannot help but think back to the masterpieces that some of her other track 5s are…
In a similar way, Eldest Daughter, a highly anticipated track 5 release is a cringey song to listen to, being one of the most divisive tracks on the album. Although the message of the song is to convey that there is pressure to be perceived as cool and strong, this is done through the use of outdated idioms and phrases, which just makes for a cringey listening experience. I never thought I would hear ‘I’m not a bad bitch / And this isn’t savage’ repeated in a track 5. Although Taylor has shown how she can constantly reinvent herself throughout her different eras, and not everything should be put down to comparison, one cannot help but think back to the masterpieces that some of her other track 5s are: Dear John, All Too Well, tolerate it, and You’re On Your Own Kid being memorable examples. Being one of the most divisive tracks on the album, some believe that her use of language to convey the meaning of the song is genius, whereas others find it clunky and difficult to listen to (and I can’t help but sympathise with the latter).
Another song gaining traction on social media is Wood, starting off with a catchy upbeat introduction. I believe Taylor is the Foolish One here by claiming that the song is about superstitions; she’s not kidding anyone with that: audiences audibly laughed at this claim during the cinema screenings. Going from love songs such as Call It What You Want, Dress, and Afterglow to talking about Travis Kelce’s… wood…? Let’s leave this to Sabrina Carpenter, shall we?
Talking of Sabrina—the ‘quintessential showgirl’, according to Taylor—is featured on the final track. This is a storytelling track about a showgirl called Kitty, disguising her pain but revelling in the perceived glamour of a showgirl, themes that Sabrina and Taylor both resonate with this. Taylor has written songs similar to this from towards the start of her career, such as Red’s The Lucky One, to which this song acts as an older sister. The Life of a Showgirl ends with a thank you to the fans through a recording from the outro of the last show of the Eras Tour, marking a tribute to what escalated Taylor’s and Sabrina’s careers. Surprisingly, this is one of the only obvious hints to the Eras Tour on the album, despite being recorded while she was on tour. The feel of the Eras Tour is not reciprocated in this album, as many fans anticipated.
What this album lacks is the balance between fun and vulnerability
Taylor never fails to keep us guessing,this album was not what fans expected. Although the songs are catchy pop tracks, they lack the new sound, depth, and relatability that made her other albums, particularly 1989, so successful. Instead, this sounds like Travis wrote most of it. Not all pop songs have to be deep (as proven with ME!, which also got its share of significant hate),what this album lacks is the balance between fun and vulnerability.
Overall, Taylor has put out a fun happy album that will undoubtedly be successful due to the legacy and reputation that she has created for herself, however, compared to her previous works, the lyricism, sound, and feel of this album does not compare. Taylor has recently done a PR interview claiming that as long as people are talking about her name and her album, this is all that matters. Perhaps this album just proves that this controversy is all part of the life of a showgirl.
Jemma Tonkin
Featured image courtesy of Clay Banks on Unsplash. Edited for Impact on Canva. No changes were made to this image.
For more content including uni news, reviews, entertainment, lifestyle, features and so much more, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to get involved.
If you can’t get enough of Impact Reviews, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and like our Facebook page for updates on our new articles
