Taylor Swift - The Life of a Showgirl (12th album)

The last few albums haven't really done it for me, and I think my main issue is that she's a) defaulted to navel-gazing and b) developed a tendency to over-write.

What was once would be "I left my red scarf there at your sister's house" becomes "I abandoned the crimson knit scarf at the town house in the Upper East Side you shared with your sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal, director of..." and it's like, Taylor, please, we don't need to hit RIGHT CLICK > FIND SYNONYMS on every line.
 
Pipo said:
how many times can Max recreate the Blank Space drum loop sample?
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Honesty Shea Coulee GIF by BuzzFeed
 
I love that pop girls are getting weird with their albums lately, and I even like Taylor circling back to Max without chasing a 1989 sequel, but this hasn't landed with me yet. If you told me Jack Antonoff produced this, I wouldn’t question it. The production is thin, lifeless, the same recycled vibe she’s been serving since Midnights and dialed up on Tortured Poets.

My issue with Taylor is that her writing feels stuck in high school. No growth, no bite, just the same recycled diary entries. And aesthetically, nothing about this screams SHOWGIRL!!! :confused: The visuals and the music are on two different planets. Meanwhile, Gaga dropped “How Bad Do U Want Me” this year and basically out-Swifted Taylor at her own game, proving that people would have given Taylor a chance, though this will be a hit regardless.

For now, I’m keeping “Ophelia,” “CANCELLED,” and maybe “Elizabeth Taylor.” The rest? Meh.
 
Out of the loop a little so don't kill me but she seemed to be getting a lot of hate elsewhere (e.g. Mrs Kicked the Bucket thread)... much behind that?

I think last time I wondered there was some rumour about her being white supremacist but didn't see much meat to it?
I quit Twitter a while ago so am not up to date on who's canceling who for what.
 
OK, if George Michael gets a credit for Father Figure then Frank Black should have one for Actually Romantic - it is the exact chord sequence of Where Is My Mind? and there's no claiming otherwise.
 
Wasn't this supposed to be all big pop bangers? I don't dislike Ophelia - it seems like a nice mood piece - but it's... not the big pop banger I was expecting.

Elizabeth Taylor is fun. Quite early Lana Del Rey.
 
God, you're all so DRAMATIC. The album is fine, not a masterpiece but because it didn't come 8th in a Eurovision heat in Cowspunkia in 1997, you're all awash with ennui and ambivalence.

I also think that the "Actually Romantic is a response to Sympathy Is A Knife" thing is bullshit. We seem to be forgetting that there were personal relationships that fell apart and the suggestion that one song begat the other with literally nothing else is just ridiculous.
 
One of the first songs sounds like she's going to burst into 'Domino' at any moment.

That's all for now.
 
Oh I was so excited that "Elizabeth Taylor" would be the Claire Maguire cover (the original is 13/10 magnificence) but alas, it's not.

 
And "Father Figure" not a cover either!

Stop TEASING ME Tay Tay!


Having a little FLICK now and sounds like she's reverted back to her Reputation era sound, no?
 
Was finding it all quite beige, but "Ruin The Friendship" is actually QUITE LOVELY
 
funky said:
And "Father Figure" not a cover either!

Stop TEASING ME Tay Tay!


Having a little FLICK now and sounds like she's reverted back to her Reputation era sound, no?
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Maybe she has a secret plan to rob George Michael, Claire Maguire and Bananarama of streams having matching song titles that will presumably mean hers come up first when searched for.

I can take or leave TS but this album sounds better than the last two to me after two listens, but yeah it’s also pretty bland.
 
funky said:
Oh I was so excited that "Elizabeth Taylor" would be the Claire Maguire cover (the original is 13/10 magnificence) but alas, it's not.

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Omg I haven't thought about Clare Maguire in about 14 years! :D was so convinced she was going to be the next big thing :D
 
Eew, did not like the second half of this album at all. A real hodge podge of sounds. Lyrically it seems like she had some things to say but the production was kinda all over the place. The Sabrina duet was actually ok though, and will probably be a huge hit.
 
I liked her on Graham Norton, not really paid attention to her being interviewed before.
 
It's one thing to dismiss that Katy Perry could have been right

But Denise Welch too?

This album will probably never be played again. Back to Midnights I think.
 
I’ve given this a second listen and it hasn’t really revealed any further charms, if anything it’s the opposite.

The songs are such a mismatch with the visual / promise and half the lyrics are at an all-time low. Yes, TTPD was miserable and overwrought but e.g. “So Long London” towers over everything on TLOAS.

It’s stunning that she thought her, Shellback and MM caught lightning in a bottle with this, when it’s all so mediocre. 🤷‍♂️
 
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"The Fate Of Ophelia" does need a play or two to get under your skin. As does "Opalite" which just sounded like she was trying to do Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" on first listen and maybe still does a bit.
 
Her monumental success has always baffled me. There are obviously a number of brilliant songs in her back catalogue, but a cursory listen to this just confirmed to me that - overall - Taylor is not that girl (for me).
 
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