catharine I finally listened to Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl.
I. Was. Not prepared. Because I was expecting something that was like 1989, but more… shiny. I thought maybe she had cheapened her wit and was just… you know. Having fun.
😐
I mean, no dispresect to 1989 but she was so lost. I love plenty of songs from that album but. She was lost. in the woods.
anyway I’m trying to talk about the current album. It took me a really long time to find a moment that I could actually hear it.
To me, it is like she has minimized her communication to such a small level that she can package it in whatever sound she wants, so that the sound is now conveying a picture, rather than matching the words. I was most strongly struck by this on Father Figure, which I initially was not a fan of (as in 10 seconds in) but then was basically yelling at the song. It’s The Man except she isn’t even pretending to wear a costume, she isn’t trying to prove that she can. She isn’t proving anything anymore at all. She is George Clooney. She is Harrison Ford. She is smooth and toxic and does not distract from these facts with any attempts at apologizing or proporiety or even sonic variety. It’s elevator music and it’s disgusting. I hope it dies. What art!! “You know you remind me of a younger me, I saw potential” 🔥
I’m still unpacking Elizabeth Taylor. It’s definitely my favorite, sonically. It’s the only song that physically grabbed me at the level it did. I feel like it’s kind of like Dancing With Our Hands Tied except more unapologetic, and kind of angry. I’m still thinking about it. Something about it is so painful. I don’t know how to deal with it completely, if I’m honest. I don’t fully get this song yet.
Another song that really struck me was CANCELLED! It reminded me of some of the people I know who I have felt most free to be my honest self with. It’s wonderful to think of creating safety for people like that, where you no longer have to perform. I think that’s one of the reasons I’ve loved villains so much in stories; they are far more relatable than anyone else is.
Eldest Daughter is the most beautiful song to me. It practically blooms. The moment at 2:43 is my favorite in it I think.
anyway those are my initial impressions. This is silky, and she’s so in love, and it’s hilarious to me, like, the little gifts throughout her songs, like in Wood . Like. She is not trying to hide that they are little gifts. I really do love that for them. It’s so funny to me at the same time.
Oh and Opalite is delicious, fun, and something you can sing to yourself when you need the encouragement in it. It isn’t as deep as some of the others but it’s something that will stick, I think.
