Stan Expectation & The Allure Of Cultural Clout: Why Has The Reaction To The Life Of A Showgirl Been So Heated?

On Saturday at 4am, I found myself en route to see Taylor Swift's The Official Release Party of a Showgirl cinematic experience. In all my years as a diehard fan, I wouldn’t say experiences like this are out of the ordinary. For example, in 2012, my friends and I were handpicked out of the crowd at the Red stadium tour by Andrea Swift to enter the VIP pit, where I was so close I was able to touch Taylor when she walked into the crowd. I was on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald for successfully buying Eras Tour tickets. I was there at the Speak Now, 1989 and Reputation tours. I weathered backlash during the great Kimye V. Taylor feud of 2016;  I held my head high during the ME! video premiere. In terms of being a Swiftie, I’ve seen it all. 

I truly adore Taylor Swift — I think she’s brilliant and truly one of the greatest songwriters of all time. I love her “brand” and the projection of what “Taylor Swift” signifies. Her records mean a lot to me, and I’ve loved studying every element of evolution, as I’ve grown up with her — in many ways, she is the older sister I never had. Her DNA is in the fabric of literally every single pop girl making waves right now (no matter how much certain ones try to deny it), and her impact on the music industry is historic. 

My drive to the cinema, however, was filled with mixed feelings, as less than 12 hours before, I’d had an extremely lukewarm reaction to Swift's 12th record, The Life of a Showgirl. I wasn’t the only one who’d picked up on a significant vibe shift and lack of…pizzazz that was promised from the Max Martin-produced record, marketed as a behind-the-curtain reflection on the pomp, grandiosity, chaos and confusion that comes with being a showgirl. 

Instead, the record reads more like an attempt at appearing nonchalant towards the negative noise, while simultaneously only focusing on it, sandwiched between a few peppy love songs. Unlike the defined sonic-directions of Swift's previous 11 records, there’s little through-line between the palette, and at times, the writing leaves little to the imagination. To me, there’s a distinct lack of yearning on this record — a defining trait in Swift’s lyricism.

It’s captured best in classic songs like White Horse, Mirrorball and Enchanted, to name a few. The characters she’s written about — whether fictional or real — have always been written from the point of view of an observer. Someone who’s invited to the party, but doesn’t fit in. An onlooker who romanticises historical figures as projections of her most idealised self. Now that Swift is the be-all and end-all of pop, are those days gone? Or, is her pen yet to catch up with the character she’s become?

Fans on TikTok are posting edits that watch like an obituary, grieving an actual old, “dead” version of Swift. Critics have called it dull and noted its lack of compelling songwriting in comparison to her previous material. Others have called out the boring marketing campaign based around flogging variants in order for Swift to finally beat the record for the biggest opening sales week for a female artist in history (currently held by Adele, which she is likely projected to break). 

So, why does this album feel so different? In a career so perfectly executed, where does a misfire like this come from? Is it billionaire arrogance? Is it the confidence that comes after exiting the most successful tour in music and successfully buying back your masters? Is her team currently full of yes-men high on her supply?

It’s hard not to compare Swift to other stadium-pop acts to gain perspective on where her career ‘should’ be placed at this stage. Bruce Springsteen’s twelfth album The Rising, released in the wake of 9/11, was considered by fans and critics to be somewhat of a return to form after a lengthy career break. Pitchfork referred to large chunks of Madonna’s 12th record, MDNA as “shockingly banal” and Paul McCartney’s 12th album, Driving Rain, was the lowest-selling of his career at the time. Swift’s most modern contemporary, Beyoncé, is only eight albums in, and frankly, most current groundbreaking artists probably won’t get to that stage in their career. 

Swift’s career has now spanned three decades. Where her millennial pop peers have failed to retain relevance, Swift has managed to manoeuvre through the popshere while rewriting the playbook of the genre. The catapulting of her already immense influence and popularity into something bigger began with the release of Folklore and Evermore in 2020. The luscious indie rock-inspired records captured hearts and minds everywhere amidst pandemic moodiness and capitalised on the bubbling underground of female-centric indie folk in the vein of Phoebe Bridgers and Big Thief. Then came the re-recordings of Fearless and Red, forcing critics (and haters) to reevaluate the impact of those records. A pivotal moment from this time was the release of All To Well (10 Minute Version) and it’s visually stunning music video directed and written by Swift. It proved her dominance as a multidisciplinary artist, and gave us a look into some of her non-musical inspirations, like the films of John Cassavetes. 

Then came the Eras tour and its endless parade of celebration and number-crunching. Her opening acts like beabadoobee, MUNA, Paramore, HAIM, Phoebe Bridgers and girl in red each represented different ways in which Swift’s oeuvre has touched different parts of the musical landscape, from fuzzed-out modern grunge, to bouncy 80s-inspired indie pop. Midnights once again showcased her effortless transition into moody and sultry lo-fi synth-pop and Tortured Poets may just go down as her most experimental album yet. 

These events all created a completely unexpected phenomenon (as a long-time fan) — it became cool to like Taylor Swift. Coolness, the most elusive, fleeting and important quality in this cultural zeitgeist to obtain.  Aside from that, it also firmly positioned Swift as both the most fully frontal influence and the carrier of the pop current frontier. Those made in her image — Olivia Rodrigo, Gracie Abrams, Sabrina Carpenter and others, have all begun forging careers that have followers wondering who the pop baton will be passed on to — if allowed. 

Swift has established herself as the ultimate Pop Imperialist. She has laid out the expectation that all of her eras are to be treated with the utmost significance and that each era would give a glimpse into her ever-developing taste and skill as a songwriter and sonic curator. Unfortunately, it seems like the fans have decided that The Life Of A Showgirl does not compete in this exact frontier she created. It’s clear she wanted to capitalise on the momentum of the last few years in an attempt to prove her all-encompassing influence. Between the album's hollow theme, mindless marketing and meh-worthy lyricism, it all feels just too tired. 

In any other genre, when the crown is passed to the next generation of greats, the legends can sit back and rest on their laurels and find their lifestyles through anniversary tours and middling albums that pass enough to justify a tour. As a lifelong fan of emo and pop punk, I know this game well. However, Swift has never been one to retire to the trophy room. Swift simply refuses to pass this baton, and her kung fu grip on pop’s crown handicapped this record and watered down her best qualities. In some ways, as a devotee of hers, I admire her delusion and chutzpah. On the other hand, it has led to this whole rollout feeling empty. 

In saying this, I do believe some of the criticisms being thrown at the album are genuinely unfair. Some have said that the track Wi$h Li$T (which features one of the album's best chorus top-lines), which thematically dives into wanting to get married and have kids, peddles a Republican ‘trad wife’ narrative. Personally, I think the supposed Charli XCX diss-track Actually Romantic is one of the better songs on the record. Is it a little corny? Yes. Is it supposed to be? I think so. There are also glimmers of beauty on the album — the bridge of Eldest Daughter is classic Swift-exuberance, the Fearless-esque bounce of Ruin The Friendship is pure whimsy, and the witty, playful lyricism of the title track are reminders of what we love most about her. 

Watching the music video and its behind-the-scenes content in cinemas was also so much fun. Seeing Swift at work directing the music video for The Fate of Ophelia likely just months after wrapping the Eras Tour encapsulates her second-to-none work ethic and boundless imagination. She also provides an explanation behind the inspiration of each track, giving fans a glimpse into her ever-awkward, cutesy and funny persona. However, during these explanations, at times, it did feel like even Swift was at a loss in describing themes and inspirations. It’s one of the more shallow reflections on her songwriting we’ve ever been given, in comparison to, say, the Long Pond Sessions.

Haters will use this moment as a “gotcha” to prove their thoughts that she’s “actually bad” and her fame is a “scam”. Obviously, this is inherently incorrect. Is this album a cultural misfire? Yes. Will it completely tarnish Swift’s legacy overall? No. 

Swift herself has said that there won’t be a tour off the back of this record (which should be terrifying news for economists everywhere, and thankful news to the wallets of fans). She also squashed the “deeply offensive” rumours that she’ll hang up the boots once she’s married. I am almost certain Swift’s 13th era will be her biggest yet — it just wouldn’t be right if it wasn’t. It is undeniable that culture is moving at a rapid and alarming rate. There is potential that Swift may not have the leverage to pull off numbers akin to the last few years by the time this rolls around. But, if there’s one thing Swift has proven through every cultural pivot, is that sharing the scariest and most raw parts of growing up and navigating the world is what truly connects — and there’ll be real fans waiting with excitement to see what the next era brings.