After the release of Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl”, fans have found themselves divided. Love it or hate it, there is no in-between.
On Oct. 3, Swift released her newest album, “The Life of a Showgirl”, containing 12 songs. After the album’s release, Swift also had a limited-time movie in select theaters. It included her music video for “The Fate of Ophelia”, lyric videos for each song, and explanations behind the meaning of each song. According to The Hollywood Reporter, her cinematic experience has an estimated weekend gross of $33 million. Early reactions were mixed, with some calling it a flop and others praising its risks across social media platforms like X and TikTok. However, it has only been out for a few days, and a lot of die-hard fans and supporters disagree – myself included.
First of all, Swift has never been able to catch a break. People complain she only sings breakup songs, or that she sings too much pop and not enough country. When her 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department”, was released, everyone had an issue with it, same as with “Midnights”. Fans went into the album expecting a certain vibe, leaving many disappointed. Yet, it happens every time, so is it really a bad album, or are listeners often zeroing in on a few lines, sometimes out of their song context?
A common issue people have had is with her lyrics, claiming that they don’t meet the standard that Swift has set as a proclaimed “poet”. To that, I ask, have you listened to and read all the lyrics, or have you simply picked the same three and run with it? The lyrics from her song “CANCELLED!”, “Did you, girlboss too close to the sun?” is one of many under fire from fans. Ironically, they call themselves fans, considering they are so quick to drag the lyrics without actually finding context … This is Taylor Swift; everything she writes has meaning beyond what meets the eye. The lyric takes inspiration from a video where Candace Owens, American political commentator and author, spoke against Swift, stating, “Girlbossed too close to the sun,” referring to Swift, which is arguably a direct connection considering the song title and meaning.
In her Official Release Party of a Showgirl film, Swift spoke about how she called on personal experiences to write “CANCELED!”.
“[Being canceled is] something everyone goes through now. It’s not just like a public figure type whatever, it’s like people gossiping about you in your town, negative comments you read on your Instagram. You can literally feel canceled by any sort of social backlash that you get. And I’ve been through a lot of discussion about everything that happens in my life and everything I do and everything I say (…) I kind of wanted to write a song about how you can become wiser for it, and you can become sharper, and I definitely judge people a lot less now that I’ve been kind of under the microscope for so long. I just judge people based on who I know them to be, their actions, not like some kind of general consensus where people are like, (…) ‘I’m going to do that if somebody proves that they’re not a good person,” Swift said.
Fans and haters always seem to find small issues with whatever she puts out. It goes to show the high expectations that are put upon her, but she is considered in the music industry, and fans should hold her accountable.
However, as a listener, I found that this album was one of her best. Not only were the visuals beautiful and matched the aesthetic perfectly, but almost all of the songs have an undeniably catchy beat and lyrics that stick with you, whether you hate them or love them. My favorites include: “The Fate of Ophelia”, “Actually Romantic”, “Wood”, and “Father Figure”. Can I say this is her best album, lyrically or visually? No. I don’t think that all the hate and backlash are necessary. As many people do not know certain things she’s referring to in her songs, and often many people take the things she says out of context to fit it into a box they have created. Which is why I always make sure to listen to Swift herself talk about the album and the lyrics before inferring what she’s singing about.
Following her recent engagement to the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce, it is safe to say that she is in a very happy place in her life right now, and I believe that this album reflects that. Is it nice to listen to her relatable breakup songs and poetic lyrics? Of course. But I am happy that she is happy, and I would give this album a solid 4 of 5 stars. Just like usual, the more you listen to it, the more you’ll find yourself hooked on the catchy colors and melodies.
No need to worry, fans, when asked about rumors that this would be her last album during an interview with BBC Radio 2’s Scott Mills, Swift replied graciously, laughing off the rumor.
“What? No. … That’s a shockingly offensive thing to say. That’s not why people get married — so they can quit their job,” Swift said.
The backlash has not gotten to Swift as she continues to promote and celebrate her newest album. She had a few talk shows and late-night appearances the week following her release. Safe to say she’s shaking it off.
