Photo courtesy of Parade.webp
“Aretha Franklin, when asked her opinions on Taylor Swift, said, ‘Great gowns, beautiful gowns,’” said Mackenzie Protos ’27, “And I think that's how I feel about this album.”
On Friday, October 3, Swift released her twelfth studio album titled “The Life of a Showgirl.” I sat down with a few Swifties on campus to get their opinions on the new record-breaking album.
The girls shared a collective dislike for the decline in Taylor’s lyricism and the music's sound.
All three girls said the song, “Eldest Daughter,” was a let-down and had the most cringeworthy lyrics. “This is literally a track five, which to Swifties is supposed to be the most important, most serious song on the album. I think I can say with certainty this is her worst because there are so many bad lyrics,” said Protos.
“It was giving the ‘Greatest Showman’ but worse, and it encapsulated everything bad about current musical theater,” said Protos about the title track, “And it was the only showgirl element that I felt at all, and it wasn't a true showgirl sound.”
“I feel like this album came from a place of capitalism and not from a place of heart,” said Protos. She felt Swift made this album because she could, and for a “quick bag,” not because she was trying to express her creativity.
“Another thing I didn't love was that it was a very explicit album,” said Amanda Leighton ’28. She listened to the clean version of the album and enjoyed it a lot more. Leighton concluded that she added some of the songs to her playlist but did not love the album as a whole.
Even amongst the negativity, there were still positive elements about the album.
“I've learned to trust Taylor Swift,” said Autumn Harden ’27, “[I’m] giving it another chance because we know her for her lyrics before now is not a bad thing … even if it's shocking at first.” She disliked a few songs on the album but thought it was fun overall and great to dance to.
“It's not a masterpiece,” said Harden. “It's not her best body of work.” However, Harden liked it as a whole and plans to keep coming back.
Thumbnail photo courtesy of Parade.webp.