Honest thoughts on TLOAS + Encore
With The Life of a Showgirl on its first year and the new Encore songs release, there were a lot of negative feedback on Taylor’s latest work/writing compared to her previous work. But a Swiftie would know her cringy/mababaw? happy fun style here is under her Glitter Gel songwriting style.
But to us who get it, what are your honest thoughts about the album and its songs, if assessed on its own without being compared to previous eras?
I honestly think the album is not the strongest, and its weakness comes from how disconnected the songs are, how they are not cohesive as one whole work. The Encore do not add much to strengthen it, it even confused it even more I think. It didn’t help that there was the “Showgirl” visual, and when you listen to the songs other than the titular track one would go “So is the Showgirl in the room with us?”
However…
There are bright spots in the album that are strong on its own while being influenced by other eras. “Pink Clouding” is a great Encore song that fits an 1989/Lover vibe. “Elizabeth Taylor” and “Babylon” are reminiscent of her style of storytelling through song either about small town aspirations or old Hollywood glamor. I know Travis Kelce may not be the best muse (but at least he makes her happy!) but “Opalite” “Wi$hlist” and “Honey” are good bops about him full of metaphor and details of domestic bliss and settled love, which was why I felt really put off by the straightforwardness of “Cleveland!” even though it has a great vibe.
The Encore songs suffered for me because of some cringy parts in the bridge and her recent attempt at…rapping? the bridge Haha when that part of the song was supposed to be her best lines! Instead I found the strong lyrics in the chorus or verse (Among my favorite are “I cry my eyes violet” *most of Fate of Ophelia’s writing “*Skydiving as you wrapped your arms around my body” “You’re using nostalgia as a weapon to hurt yourself”)
Anw what do you guys think? Has her songwriting suffered because she is now genuinely happy? Did you feel her infectious joy through her Glitter Pen songs?
I heard another fan say she is “reheating her nachos” with how her songs now hark back to previous eras.
Is she losing ideas or are we being too demanding (as a TTPD lyric said ‘Beauty is a beast that roars down on all fours demanding more”) that she cannot experiment as much?