Taylor Swift addressed fans and listeners who have polarizing views of her newest album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”
Photo: Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott
In an Apple Music interview, Taylor said that she respects people’s opinion about her new album, which has received mixed reviews from fans and critics for its simpler lyricism and distinct sound compared to her previous albums.
“I welcome the chaos. The rule of show business is if it’s the first week of my album release, and you are saying either my name or my album title, you’re helping,” she told host Zane Lowe.
“I have a lot of respect for people’s subjective opinions on art. I’m not the art police. Everybody is allowed to feel exactly how they want,” she added.
While her newest album carries a “funnier” and more “mischievous” personality—contrasting the brooding and melancholic tone and lyricism of her previous record, “The Tortured Poets Department”—the Grammy Award-winning singer is optimistic that more listeners will come to relate to it at a different stage in their lives.
“Oftentimes, an album is a really, really wild way to look at yourself. What you’re going through with your life is going to affect whether you relate to the music that I’m putting out at any given moment,” she said. “What I often love seeing my fans say is, ‘I used to be someone who didn’t relate to ‘Reputation,’ and now that I’ve been through some other things in my life, that’s my favorite album.’”
The 35-year-old singer-songwriter also shared that this album allowed her to express something deeply personal while embracing the love and joy she’s experiencing at this stage of her life.
“Making this album was really something I’ve been wanting to do for my entire career because I’ve always wanted to have fun in this type of way—to have fun, to exhibit mischief, be flirty and fun, and make jokes, and get to have that side of my personality,” she said.
“I’m really known for a lot of my sad songs, my cathartic songs, or breakup songs because I love to write those things, but that’s not the place I’m in my life. So, what I have left behind is something that really exhibits who I am in this moment. [It] pays homage to the most important moment of my life, which was the exuberance and electricity of the Eras Tour.”
“The Life of a Showgirl” follows the release of “The Tortured Poets Department,” which came out in April 2024 while Taylor Swift was touring worldwide for the “Eras Tour.”
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