On Friday, Oct. 3, Taylor Swift released a new album titled “The Life of a Showgirl.” It has broken Apple Music, Amazon Music and Spotify’s ‘most streams in 24 hours’ record and several others.
However, its smashing success has come with major controversies, with some claiming the music is ‘immature’ or ‘cringe’ or ‘the lowest her music has ever been.’ While every time she releases a new album, especially one with a major genre shift, there is a large hate train, the sheer amount of hate for “The Life of a Showgirl” is a level that hasn’t been seen since the release of “Reputation” in 2017.
Junior Alekhya Makineni, who has been repeatedly listening to “The Life of a Showgirl” said, “It’s really nice how [the album] is more positive now compared to her sad [songs]. While I do like the sad ones, it’s the start of a new era.”
She shared that she had seen the large dispute over numerous tracks, especially the fifth track, “Eldest Daughter.”
The song “Eldest Daughter” contains many slang words and internet terms including ‘fire,’ ‘hot take’ and ‘trolling.’
“I’ve seen how [the internet] said that a woman her age shouldn’t be writing that. I disagree because I think it’s very mature,” said Makineni. “As an ‘eldest daughter’ myself, I really like what she’s implying in that we kind of have to make everyone like us. It’s just relatable, so I don’t see the criticisms of it.”
Another largely controversial track is “Actually Romantic,” which is theorized to be about artist Charli XCX, who released a song in 2024 where she sang she hoped Taylor’s then-boyfriend, Matty Healy, broke up with her.
There has been a lot of outrage over the song online, saying it was ‘petty’ and ‘immature.’
Makineni shared that she finds the song funny, and that Taylor’s songs are personal to her.
“Her songs are kind of like her diary, her inner thoughts. I think [“Acutally Romantic”] is valid,” she said.
Another issue many have with “The Life of a Showgirl” is the risque approach Swift took with it. Some people are upset due to the fact that a large portion of her fanbase are children or young teens. Others think that it’s okay for a 35-year-old woman to write and perform explicit songs.
Makineni said, “Obviously, she’s growing up. [Explicit songs] are going to happen. Her life influences her songwriting, so I can see a correlation there. I think I like the direction she’s going, and she’s still retaining her songwriting abilities.”
Despite differing opinions, the success of “The Life of a Showgirl” is undeniable, as is its impact on fans.
