So let’s get into it…
As of its unexpected announcement and release in late September, the consensus is split down the middle regarding Taylor Swift’s newest addition to her discography; The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore. Did Swift time this deluxe edition just in time to remind voters of Showgirl’s eligibility in the 2026 Grammys? The singer stated in an Instagram post, ‘I took a trip to Sweden […] with Max and Shellback, my two collaborators on this album’, in order to ‘reflect’ on the success of Showgirl – instead, she ended up writing four (and potentially more!) new songs. ‘I hope you love them’, she expands: ‘because they were born out of pure gratitude for your exuberance and celebration of the album […]’
This is an odd introductory statement for two reasons: firstly, during Showgirl’s initial release last year during an interview with her husband Travis Kelce and his brother Jason on their podcast ‘New Heights’, Swift made it clear that we would only be receiving twelve tracks on this album, and nothing else, including extended editions and bonus tracks.
Secondly, although her fans continue to spread love for this album, unfortunately, the critical reception of the first twelve tracks of Showgirl was anything but exuberant. As a Swiftie whose journey with Taylor began during her re-release of Red in 2021, I was sincerely hoping for a shift back into country that seemed to be on the horizon, along with a large percentage of the fandom. I was certainly not expecting a deluxe edition of Showgirl; but this isn’t to say I wasn’t excited for the possibilities.
Although Taylor has released previous albums centred around her relationship, instead of the quiet romance and wistfulness of ‘Lover’ or the passionate burning flame of ‘Red’, no detail is provided regarding Travis and Taylor’s relationship. This separates Showgirl from its sisters, as Taylor’s attention to detail provides us with the snippets of insights necessary to make her music feel personal. The little detail we are given is, in tracks such as Opalite, is ironically, opaque and lacklustre – ‘oh my lord, never met no one like you before’. Why? How is he different? This is not a speculation of the inner workings of Taylor’s relationship; but unfortunately, some of the sacrifice of being a confessional songwriter is the expectation to confess.
So, do the extended tracks offer a more insightful gaze into her life and the portrait of her muse? While I was hoping for clarity, The Encore offers none, and confuses the listener even more. The opening and new single from the extended Encore, ‘Patient Zero’ introduces the perspective of a narrator, offering her hand to the new lover of her old flame. This feels more like a cut Tortured Poets Track, with no contribution to the Showgirl theme other than the continued emphasis Taylor places on her singularity as a kind of omniscient narrator offering her listener advice. The music video featuring Dakota Johnson features a dark and lavish aesthetic and a Verity style plotline, with Swift acting as a ghost haunting her old lover’s new relationship, hence my opinion that this should have perhaps been a bonus track for TTPD.
‘Cleveland’ offers nothing new, presenting a shallow attempt to address criticisms Taylor hasn’t received (‘she was only a four, she was never a girl’s girl, she was just a…’), thus ignoring Showgirl’s biggest criticisms, and while ‘Pink Clouding’ and ‘Babylon’ have decent melodies and production, they feel more like previous album rejects than anything related to the theme of Showgirl. Overall, the Encore isn’t bad, but it adds nothing to our understanding of The Life of a Showgirl’s wider theme of performance and the shallow aestheticism of the entertainment industry, in contrast with the warm love of her muse. In the future, I hope we receive more songs like ‘Father Figure’ and ‘The Life of a Showgirl’, which centre on Taylor’s relationship with the media and her navigation of betrayal, fame and relationships. The Encore feels like a distraction; an attempt to shift the focus away from her private life by offering fans new perspectives on old stories.
Thus, the question must be asked: can we expect more confessional songwriting from Taylor in the future, or has she given up what she was originally known for and stepped back – and can we fault her for this?
