Just shy of one year after the release of her latest album “Life of a Showgirl,” Taylor Swift dropped “The Encore,” a deluxe album with four additional songs, on Friday, Sept. 25.
In classic Swift fashion, she began dropping easter eggs and leaving cryptic messages on Instagram, teasing fans just days before the release.
“The Encore” includes four pop songs: “Patient Zero,” “Cleveland!,” “Pink Clouding” and “Babylon.” These songs shy away from her traditional dark, poetic ballads and lean into upbeat pop melodies. The album exudes marital bliss, emotional stability and fun — a side of Swift we aren’t used to seeing.
The four extra tracks share a lot of similarities to their parent album, with recurring themes like stardom and marriage woven throughout.
Not even a week old, there has already been an abundance of discourse on social media about the album. Fans are calling the melodies bland, and say the lyrics are shallow. Already, Swift is being labeled as unrelatable, washed and separated from her audience. As Swift’s following has continued to grow, people have become increasingly critical of her output.
I think it is crucial for consumers to recognize that artists do not solely create music in an effort to appeal to fans. Music, like any other form of art, works as a creative outlet, something the artist should have fun creating and something that they should love and relate to themselves. As listeners, we have become far too selfish in our consumption, and in a sense, have detached ourselves from the purpose of music. You’re not supposed to relate to every artist, or every song and isn’t that the whole point?
Swift has spent decades pouring her personal tragedies into songs, becoming, for some, a modern-day Shakespeare. Wouldn’t it be greedy for us fans to want Swift to continue to endure heartbreak for the sake of relating to her audience?
Is this my favorite Taylor Swift album? No. Do I relate to all the songs? Also no. But I do recognize that although she has become one of the biggest pop stars in the world, she is still a human being who deserves creative freedom and personal expression.
It is also important to note that with almost every Swift album release, fans usually spend the first week ripping the work apart. They should spend time getting used to the lyrics and melodies and try to find relatable aspects before they decide their final thoughts. I expect that Swift’s notoriously loyal fanbase will take this next week to warm up to the new songs before fully embracing them.
Aside from all the controversial rhetoric surrounding the album, I do actually think this new side of Swift is uniquely refreshing for a historically melancholy discography. Although some of the new songs do not align with my personal taste, I appreciate Swift’s consistent willingness to explore foreign concepts and experiment with new approaches to songwriting.
Rating: 4/5