Everyone knows her, many love her: Taylor Swift. She is probably the pinnacle of A-list celebrities because, whether you listen or not, there is no hiding that she is a mega pop star. Yet, the release of her new album “The Life of a Showgirl” received extremely valid harsh criticism from fans, critics and casual listeners alike. While Swifties say she is still at the height of her career, I believe her best works might be behind her.
In the past five years, Swift has released 10 albums, including re-recording her classic albums and a whopping five additional original albums. Songwriting and producing an album of any length takes time, even years for some artists. She embarked on her global Eras Tour, which reminded fans of the power of her discography and is responsible for her current massive following of dedicated fans. The rapid release of about two albums per year could make us forget a time when that was not the case.
In 2020, she released two of her best albums that fit into the alternative genre, “Folklore” and “Evermore.” The two albums had a storyline following a teenage love triangle and were both secretly recorded and released within 24 hours of their announcement. “Folklore” is jokingly called the forgotten album, but it is worth mentioning the lack of praise it received given how authentic its lyricism felt. The time and genuine passion that she spent on these projects shine through the lyrics and reflect her lifestyle at that time. Swift was a lot more vocal about her beliefs on social media in 2020 including calling out President Donald Trump, activating for LGBTQIA+ rights and endorsing Joe Biden during his presidential run. At the time, she was in the fourth year of her relationship with famously politically outspoken actor Joe Alwyn, so it begs the question: was the music of this era a reflection of who she truly was or just who she was dating at the time?
Since then, her release of “The Tortured Poets Department” was announced, she accepted a Grammy, had months of press tours and announced various vinyl pressings. “The Life of a Showgirl” was announced in a similar way on Jason and Travis Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast with a press junket to match. The difference in the rollouts of these albums shows a shift in her mentality of releasing content just to put things out, and not deliberately and carefully working on it to be good quality. Her work on these past two albums do not just reflect the person she has become, but the people she has surrounded herself with. The complete 180 from her incredibly private relationship with Alwyn to attending Kelce’s football games, publicly hanging out with his severely right-wing friends and her silence during Trump’s second term signify how much she adjusts to what will benefit her at that time.
As someone who used to be an avid listener of projects like “Folklore” and “Evermore,” this new album seems to fall flat in several categories, but most jarringly in the lyrics. In her new album there is a disappointing lack of imagery and connections, replaced with lyrics like those off the song “Wood” that put her life with her fiancé on display. When discussing her song “mirrorball” on “Folklore” in an interview, she explained the lyrics compare a person who feels that they need to put on a show for others like a shining disco ball. This is a connection that gay audiences made to them being in the closet or coming-out. While not necessarily queerbaiting, Swift has clearly shifted to resonate more with straight audiences since it is what is commercially received the best. It is sad to see that in the years-long battle between quality albums and monetary manifestations of success, she has picked the latter.
Maybe Swift has always been a sign of the times or maybe these two albums show that whoever she once was is long gone. Her legacy as an artist with undoubtable hits will live on, without putting out more subpar albums just to add them. I hope that more artists will choose authenticity over what sells and stay true to the people who got them that far and themselves.