The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of The University of Scranton.
The Life of a Showgirl made its premiere this past week, but for some people, its contents are not as dazzling as they might’ve hoped. Even though the album broke records, coming in at Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day this year, fans have mixed opinions on the quality of her latest release. With individuals questioning her supposed “fall-off,” and others claiming that the occasional questionable lyrics were merely a statement—it begs the question: Have we forgotten how to respectfully criticize the media we consume?
I think it’s easy for people to forget that art is, first and foremost, for the artist. Sure, it’s nice when we create something that can be easily shared and understood by a wide range of people, and better yet, when this understanding can be monetized, but art exists as a way for us to authentically express ourselves. This idea of creating for the sake of creating has been lost in the incessant pursuit of monetizing every hobby, and because of this, we’ve lost that authenticity that true art can bring. Art should create connections between individuals with similar lived experiences. That is what true art is, not some corporate cash grab under the pretense of relatability. It’s incredibly difficult to find that balance between creating art for a living and living to create art. In a consumer driven society, it’s expected that you’ll cater your creativity to be profitable, but at a certain point, if your art strays too far from the vision that first captivated audiences, they will end up feeling betrayed, even if it’s unwarranted. Logically, we know that artists like Taylor Swift know nothing about us, and yet, we still expect her to act with our opinions in mind. We exist in a parasocial relationship where we feel that due to our long-lasting support for her career, she owes us music that we enjoy.
With the increasing divides among people on the Internet, each topic has brought about an all-or-nothing stance, cutting out any chance of a nuanced perspective. The Taylor Swift topic is no different. Although there are some peoplewho are able to equally weigh the good and the bad, they are few and far between. It tends to either be blind, unconditional support or irrevocable, deep-rooted hatred. Every post on my Instagram feed swings between these two extremes, and neither side is willing to hear the other out.
Honestly, this wasn’t my favorite album, and I’m saying this as someone who’s been a Taylor Swift fan since Reputation. This album brought forth a lot of high energy beats, but personally, I prefer her more lyrically driven songs, such as those from The Tortured Poets Department and Folklore, because I’ve always been able to see myself within those lyrics.
As a result of this differing vibe, TLOAS didn’t have that same impact on me. It was catchy and fun, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t music that truly resonated with me, and I feel like a lot of other fans agree. It wasn’t an awful album; it was simply that the jump from lyrical poetry to rich hyperpop songs was jarring and confused a lot of people.
I’ve heard the theories: she purposefully made parts of it worse to mimic the backlash a showgirl would receive, that she wanted to make one last flashy hurrah before settling into domesticity, or even the crueler ones suggesting that she lost her best muse and that her newfound bliss reflects poorly into her music.
At the end of the day, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but this wide range of theories only proves the point that it is much more difficult nowadays for people to analyze media in a nuanced way. If we can’t have a civil discussion on something as trivial as an album, how will we be able to find common ground on other, more pressing issues?