“How much good music can one artist really produce?” This question was raised by a recent headline in The Guardian, regarding Taylor Swift’s new album. On October 3rd, Taylor Swift released The Life of a Showgirl. This new album sold 3.5 million album units in the first 5 days of its release. The impact of the album didn’t surprise anybody. But not all the reactions are positive. Confronted with criticism, Swift told The Independent, “I welcome the chaos.” In her opinion, negative attention is better than no attention. Swift’s new album shows a side of her that fans have not seen yet. Many of her adoring fans expressed enthusiasm for this new album that seems joyful and playful compared to her others. Were all these reviews and criticisms coming from high-brow, snobby critics? Or will this album be a turning point in Taylor Swift’s popularity?
Domino Ashbey, a sophomore, says, “I think the album is alright, I’ve heard some of it, but I don’t know why it’s getting so much hate.” Senior, Ainara Soto-Lopez says, “I’ve heard clips of the album and I don’t love it, I wouldn’t listen to it, but I like her old songs”. Many fans are critiquing the lyrics and messages presented in the songs, while others love the new and unique album. The division in responses shows the controversy of the new album. This album could be a reflection of Swift’s ever-changing popularity. According to Taylor Swift, “I know what I made. I know I adore it,” she told E! News. This tells us that Swift adheres to her intuition. Fans are also stirred by the song “It’s Actually Romantic,” which seems to be a direct response to another pop singer, Charli XCX. In her 2024 album, Brat, Charli XCX composed “Sympathy is a Knife,” which fans believe was directly targeted towards Swift.
In response, Swift’s “Actually Romantic” lyrics suggest the jabs are pointed towards Charli XCX. This caused a new discussion amongst fans about the conflict between artists.
