Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” has proven itself to be a controversial album, with stones being thrown from every corner of the Internet. Amid this discourse, the song “Wood” has raised the eyebrows of many as one of Swift’s rare dips into the world of “sensual pop.” Today, the Life writers look at “Wood” and decide if it’s worth the hate.
Samantha Brody, Associate Life Editor, she/her/hers, sab23059@uconn.edu
I can’t believe I’m going to defend “Wood” after a good friend of mine explained all its flaws, but there’s something about the instrumental that makes it a bit of an earworm. Admittedly, it’s definitely a generic take on this brand of pop music, but I’m a sucker for a choppy rhythm guitar and an audible bass.
I’m not sure where the “lyrical genius” description of Taylor Swift came from. A lot of her older songs have very simple, straightforward lyrics. Lyrically, “Wood” follows in the footsteps of the great Sabrina Carpenter if you remove the aesthetic and cleverness. Honestly, I think I’d like it more if it wasn’t solely jokes about Travis Kelce’s you-know-what. He’s a very average man; Kelce just isn’t an interesting subject, and I don’t like how Swift gasps on the word “key.” For a type of pop song that Swift isn’t known for, “Wood” isn’t too bad of an effort, but it lacks creativity and depth.
Maleena Muzio, Staff Writer, she/her/hers maleena.muzio@uconn.edu
I would not call myself a Taylor Swift fan, but I am definitely no hater. That being said, “Wood” is not one of her songs that I see myself adding to any playlist.
Forget the lyrics (well, maybe not); The song is not good. It opens with instrumentals that remind me of The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” and then transitions into what sounds like some scrapped track off “1989.”
The song is not horrible, but it is so mid and generic that its bizarre lyrics are not justified. The lyrics are definitely not as raunchy as songs like Katy Perry’s “Peacock,” but “Wood” is much worse overall, so in my opinion, the “sexy” lyrics just sound uncomfortable.
Addison Riccoboni, Campus Correspondent, she/her/hers, dxl24003@uconn.edu
It’s two minutes and 30 seconds of poorly portrayed sex jokes that remind us that Taylor Swift truly is a millennial. I’m not typically a Swiftie, but I do know her superior from inferior songs. “I ain’t gotta knock on wood” and “his love was the key that opened my thighs” are drawn out and sad lines that stem too far from Swift’s usual lyrical abilities. It’s a shame, too, because the beat of this song is catchy; I’d definitely have a different opinion given different lyrics. This song had the potential to cleverly tie in themes of sexuality and intimacy as she does in other songs like “Dress,” but it simply fell short.
Michelle Pawlos, Campus Correspondent, she/her/hers, michelle.pawlos@uconn.edu
As someone who doesn’t listen to Taylor Swift, I first heard of “Wood” when people on TikTok were hating on it. Honestly, I thought people were being dramatic, as they usually are when it comes to Swift and her songs, so I just ignored the videos. I then started to see so many out-of-context TikToks about it that I decided to actually listen to the song and see for myself what the drama was about.
Now, compared to many sexual or intimate songs, I personally believe this was nothing. If we are hating on the lyrics rather than the song’s meaning, then this is where I agree with most people on the internet. If you’re going to be labeled as a “lyrical genius” by your fans, at least live up to that title.
Thaddeus Sawyer, Campus Correspondent, he/him/his thaddeus.sawyer@uconn.edu
Admittedly, I stopped listening to Taylor Swift consistently after “Lover.” I didn’t care for the production on “Reputation,” which has aged even worse, and didn’t listen to “Lover” after hearing lead single “ME!”
I probably wouldn’t have listened to “The Life of a Showgirl” had I not been hanging out with Swifties at the time of its release. Despite this, I actually really liked “Wood” upon hearing it for the first time. It was my favorite cut on the album, with the Motown-inspired opening guitar riff and drums.
Unfortunately, I am not one to listen to lyrics closely on the first go-through. After analyzing a bit closer, it went from a solid track to a missed opportunity. It’s the best instrumental track on the album, but it’s hard to take it seriously.