Taylor Swift‘s The Life of a Showgirl is already on track to be her biggest album yet — but it also might be her most polarizing.
While many fans are absolutely loving the new project — which has already cleared 3 million traditional sales in just a few days — others have criticized Showgirl for its simplistic, playful lyricism on certain tracks. But as Swift said in an interview with Apple Music 1 posted Tuesday (Oct. 7), she welcomes it all.
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“The rule of show business is if it’s the first week of my album release, and you are saying either my name or my album title, you’re helping,” she told host Zane Lowe with a smile. “I have a lot of respect for people’s subjective opinions on art. I’m not the art police. Everybody is allowed to feel exactly how they want.”
Swift went on to explain that whether people realize it or not, a lot of the modern buzzwords she employs on Showgirl — such as “I’m not a bad b—h, and this isn’t savage” on “Eldest Daughter” or “Did you girl-boss too close to the sun?” on “Cancelled!” — were very intentional. “This album by personality was a funnier album,” she told Lowe, comparing Showgirl to her much more melancholy Billboard 200-topper The Tortured Poets Department.
“The character attributes I was highlighting in that writing process were much more serious and sensitive and introspective, and oftentimes more earnest and stoic — the characteristics of a poet,” Swift continued. “This one was like, showgirls are mischievous, fun, scandalous, sexy, fun, flirty, hilarious … I’m so proud of this song craft. I’m so proud of these melodies and these lyrics and these stories, and going in and out of character and kind of playing with your style speak.”
Regardless of people’s personal feelings on Showgirl, one thing everyone can probably agree is how different it is to Tortured Poets — or any of the 14-time Grammy winner’s past albums, really. Reviews for the new project have fallen all across the board, with some hailing it as peak Swift genius and others panning it altogether. (Check out Billboard‘s review.)
But, as Swift explained to Lowe, she thinks more people will come around to Showgirl down the road. “What you’re going through in your life is going to affect whether you relate to the music that I’m putting out at any given moment,” she said. “What I often love seeing my fans say is, ‘I used to be someone who didn’t relate to Reputation, and now that I’ve been through some other things in my life, that’s my favorite album.’”
“We’re doing this thing for keeps,” she added. “I have such an eye on legacy when I’m making my music. I know what I made. I know I adore it, and I know that on the theme of what the showgirl is, all of this is part of it.”
Watch Swift’s full interview with Zane Lowe above.
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