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Taylor Swift unexpectedly announced her new album, The Life of a Showgirl<\/em>, on her fianc\u00e9\u2019s podcast, \u2018New Heights\u2019, and this unusual announcement should have been a warning for how her album would be less about the heights and pitfalls of fame on such an extreme level, and instead be male-centred: focusing on her relationship with Travis Kelce, and taking unnecessary shots at her female contemporaries in the business.<\/p>\n The album, centred around the \u201cshowgirl\u201d aesthetic, from one of the biggest artists of our time, who had performed a 2-year tour of 149 shows across 51 cities, yet failed to deliver to its potential. Listeners were expecting an introspective insight into how Swift\u2019s navigates her life when everything she does is highly publicised, the pressures of the industry, and the truth behind the picture-perfect shows. However, the album served nothing but cringy lyrics over beats and melodies popularised by other artists \u2014 and lyrics so generic that it has faced ChatGPT accusations.<\/p>\n Lyrics so generic that it has faced ChatGPT accusations.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n The first look into Swift\u2019s new era was glitz and glamour, feathers and pearls. She drummed up suspense by not releasing any music videos or singles typical of an album release, but rather by asking fans to pay for 3-second teasers building up to\u2026 nothing.<\/p>\n The album itself is 12 songs, and none are particularly exceptional. \u2018The Fate of Ophelia\u2019 is a misunderstanding of Hamlet<\/em>\u2018s tragic heroine, Ophelia, and credits a man for \u201csaving\u201d her. \u2018Wood\u2019 is an innuendo for her being \u201cdickmatised\u201d by her man. \u2018The Life of a Showgirl\u2019 is a lament about \u201cpain hidden by lipstick and lace\u201d, saying that the life of her billionaire self is no fun. <\/p>\n A cash grab from an artist whose focus is no longer on her artistry, but accumulating wealth\u2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n Perhaps this is burnout from an artist who has released 12 albums over the last 14 years of her career. Or perhaps it is a cash grab from an artist whose focus is no longer on her artistry, but accumulating wealth. Swift releases albums more frequently than her peers, e.g. Lady Gaga and Beyonce, who are her contemporaries yet their influence in the music over the last two decades is undeniable. The quality of her sound dropping is evident over her last five releases.<\/p>\n As of writing this article, there are over 30 variants of The Life of a Showgirl<\/em>. Eight had dropped before the album had even been released. This relentless manufacturing questions her status as a chart topper, especially after the scandal of Swift\u2019s The Tortured Poets Department<\/em> blocking Charli XCX\u2019s Brat<\/em> from reaching No.1 on UK Charts.<\/p>\n \u201cBrat Summer\u201d was a cultural phenomenon and the peak of Charli XCX\u2019s career so far, to the point where neon green can no longer be looked at the same again. As well as the clever marketing, its popularity was driven by the originality of the album, bringing techno-pop rave music to the forefront of the music scene \u2014 sounds you can dance to accompanied by vulnerable lyrics about being in your mid 20\u2019s juggling career, family, friends and life. Fans coined the term \u201cBrat Summer\u201d and the Apple dance went viral on TikTok giving Charli more exposure.<\/p>\n During the height of this phenomenon, when Charli XCX was about to reach No.1 on the charts, Swift dropped an England exclusive variant of The Tortured Poets Department<\/em> receiving criticism from fans and music critics. This sabotage on the charts may have been motivated by Swift\u2019s personal feelings towards Charli XCX. The track, \u2018Sympathy is a Knife\u2019, on Brat<\/em>, is rumoured to be about Swift, and is a vulnerable song about feeling insecure in comparison to another\u2019s stardom and success \u2014 the unhealthy bitterness that stems from constant comparison of women in the music industry. <\/p>\n This sabotage on the charts may have been motivated by Swift\u2019s personal feelings towards Charli XCX.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n Swift\u2019s response in \u2018Actually Romantic\u2019, lacked Charli XCX\u2019s nuance but rather insulted her: \u2018I heard you call me boring Barbie when the coke\u2019s got you brave. High fived my ex, and then you said you\u2019re glad he ghosted me\u2019. This is a far cry from the Swift who once said, \u201cWe see you over there on the internet, comparing all the girls who are killing it\u2026 We\u2019ve all got crowns\u2019. The Guardian pointed out how Swift\u2019s diss track against Charli XCX \u2018underscores her tedious obsession with conflict\u2019.<\/p>\n Whether it be Katy Perry or Kim Kardashian or Charli XCX, Taylor is constantly provoking tensions with other women in the industry, which contradicts her self-description as a feminist. Taylor\u2019s unnecessary punching down at Charli XCX when she is already the most talked about artist in the world comes off as immature and completely unnecessary. In fact, Taylor\u2019s \u201cclap-back\u201d shows a tone-deafness to the premise of \u2018Sympathy is a knife.\u201d<\/p>\n The general consensus expressed by casual listeners and Swifties alike is that Taylor Swift needs a new sound. The repetitive love stories and girl fights that we have heard from Swift since the start of her career are becoming tired and if Swift wants to maintain her status, change is drastically needed.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Enjoyed reading this? You might also like:<\/p>\n Dating as a Feminist: Taylor Swift\u2019s New Relationship with Matty Healy<\/a><\/p>\n Single Review: Charli XCX \u2013 House featuring John Cale<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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