Stanisland Magazine

Taylor Swift returns with more of the same baseline music — “The Life of a Showgirl” is pop, but its the burst kind

Taylor Swift remains as relevant as ever, but not because of her music. She has become part of the machine – one that churns the bedrock of pop into a sanitised stage where tickets are sold for a high price as a safe bet.

Album Review

Alas, her latest work “The Life of a Showgirl” is more of the same. The same imprint of songwriting, production, poses and marketing plays — a tepid show from the confines of branded pop. 

For much of the album, she’s going through the motions, something we catch on to quickly from The Fate of Ophelia. From then on, it’s another generic delivery supported by familiar harmonies, bass lines and a panorama of songwriting inched forward by repetition. It’s every pop artist in a nutshell, with a pinch of cursing for edge. Sometimes there are glimmers of hope like on Eldest Daughter and Wish List, songs that make you stand up, only to lose interest again.

The Verdict

There’s little to nothing of interest on her latest project; components of each song throw threads of interest, but they’re duds.

While there’s a mix of music on offer, it’s a tawdry playlist fit for another dance around H&M with your partner. It’s a sound that gets you to buy, not to enjoy. 

It’s a short burst of basic Taylor Swift — it won’t go down in history as her best work, but it will tide Swifties over. Like most of her music, it’s blasé — and the best part of it? Her publicist.