The anticipation is over: Taylor Swift’s long-awaited album, The Life of a Showgirl, is out now. This project marks Swift’s twelfth studio album, and after only nine hours since its release, multiple tracks have already rocketed to #1 on Apple Music. It’s easy to get sucked up by the hype and excitement of the album, but underneath the glitter and catchy beats, is The Life of a Showgirl just another cash grab for the music industry?
As a promotion for the album, Swift has released over 5 variants of The Life of a Showgirl. The excessive amount of copies has sparked major backlash on social media, even from her own fans. This comes as a shock since Swifties, Swift’s widely known fanbase, are known for their deep devotion and commitment to Taylor and her work. Her fanbase is unlike any other, with fans going to extreme lengths and turning any criticism into personal shots against her just to defend Swift. There has been speculation online about the multiple album variants being used as a cash grab to exploit these seriously dedicated fans. Fans have even gone as far as to accuse Swift of “milking them for every dime.” Although some fans defend the excessive variants and their high costs, if the only people defending them are her dedicated and deeply devoted fans, it just goes to show how Swift’s marketing is working, and she knows her audience. Many also suspect that the album was manufactured solely for the benefit of the music industry, to keep Taylor’s name relevant and continue her career in the spotlight. Although there’s no solid proof of this and the multiple variants have always gone hand in hand with Taylor’s albums, it is seemingly true that The Life of a Showgirl was created to exploit fans and keep Swift relevant in the music industry.
Recently, the music industry has rapidly grown with new artists such as Sombr, Audrey Hobert, Olivia Dean, Lola Young, and many more emerging into the scene. With Swift’s elongated and highly praised Era’s Tour coming to an end last October, as well as the release of her other most recent album, The Tortured Poets Department, there has not been as much publicity around Swift. This could be a motive for The Life of a Showgirl being manufactured for the music industry. The album’s very sudden release with little to no teasers or easter eggs, which Swifties are known to pick up on, as well as the excessive amount of variants, contribute to how The Life of a Showgirl is an extremely different and less engaging experience for fans. The usual Taylor Swift releases unite Swift and her fanbase and help her fans feel more personal and deeply connected to her work. This includes weekly livestreams, interactive games, and events on her website, and even meet and greet parties where fans can celebrate the album by hearing exclusive tracks before they are released with Taylor herself present. For The Life of a Showgirl, there was barely any promotion besides the multiple vinyls and album cover variations, which were all very costly. The promotion for the album seems like an attempt to maximize sales and profit rather than creative appreciation and innovation. These high prices also angered Swifties, who wanted to be a part of the album’s experience but weren’t able to afford five different copies of the same exact album. The disconnect between Swift and her fanbase as of late shows how separated The Life of a Showgirl is from other Taylor Swift projects.
The album itself is very fun, catchy, and bubbly. Each song has a unique beat that’s easy to get attached to and get stuck in your head. Although The Life of a Showgirl is a fun pop album, the lyrics seem to lack originality and creativity. This wouldn’t be as dramatic if it weren’t for Swift’s extensive background, being known for her poetic and relatable lyricism. The dullness and predictability of each track provide more reasoning on why the album doesn’t feel personal or special at all. The magic of a Taylor Swift album is just missing this time, and fans are left with reproduced songs lacking any new sounds. It seems that Swift is exploiting her fanbase without much creative process or deep meanings behind her songs.
The Life of a Showgirl feels less like an artistic milestone and more like a perfectly produced product designed to attract Swift’s audience and take advantage of her wide fanbase. The heavy reliance on marketing and producing material items is when it starts to look less like creativity and more like a cash grab. The Life of a Showgirl’s marketing overshadows the album itself, which shifts the focus to Swift’s popularity rather than her current ability to create worthy content. No matter what your opinion on Swift is, it is clear that even the most genuine and sincere album can be packaged and sold as a product rather than an art.
