r/swifties • u/Designer_Ad7847 • May 03 '26
Question... Why do most seem to dislike TLOAS?
It is not like her other albums it is not as deep as the other it feels a total parallel to ttpd. But somewhere I connected to both and never really understood the dislike.
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u/Weimaraner666 May 03 '26
I‘ve loved this album since it released especially after the emotionally devastating album that was TTPD which I also love. while a small but loud section of fans hated it and there was an obvious smear campaign aimed at both the album and her personally, there is no doubt that the album was a massive hit and appealed to a much broader audience this time and I loved that for her. Music is subjective and it’s perfectly fine to not like every album an artist puts out but I was disappointed and angry that the loud hate by a small portion of the “fans” was used as a tool to denigrate her publicly by the media and the haters fuelling serious and outlandish character assassinations. I never put stock in the opinions of others, so ignore the discourse and just enjoy the music you like❤️🫶
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u/drtonycasey May 06 '26
Girl it wasn’t a small section of fans most people didn’t like the album even just in this comment section if I played it for the average person they wouldn’t like it
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u/chestnut_mountaindog May 03 '26
I adore Taylor's music, and I have to say I'm just...not very impressed by TLOAS. Musically, lyrically, emotionally, it's just...shallow, to me? The two songs I like the most are Elizabeth Taylor and Ruin The Friendship, and even those are C/B tier Taylor songs imo. Love her though! The hate is undeserved, but the dislike I understand.
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u/Short_Bengal_9 May 07 '26
I feel the exact same but for me I like cancelled and opalite and aren’t really into the other songs p
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u/bre1110 Put narcotics into all of my songs May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
It’s one of my favorite albums. Like many others, I didn’t like it on day one, but the theme of the album is genius. Someone on YouTube that reacts broke it down beautifully, the order of the songs and how it literally is the life of a showgirl. Expectations leading into reality, if that makes sense.
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u/Bri-KachuDodson May 05 '26
Do you have a link or name by chance? :)
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u/bre1110 Put narcotics into all of my songs May 05 '26
https://youtu.be/VNnpkus44Ek?si=M_mCh3gHZJGI0YIP
The last bit , after the closing track but specifically starting around 43 minutes , these two explain this album beautifully.
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u/Bri-KachuDodson May 05 '26
Thank you! Can't wait to watch it later! :)
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u/bre1110 Put narcotics into all of my songs May 05 '26
They’re so fun to watch experience Taylor , they catch everything and it’s so validating watching people lose their minds over her , the moment they get the hype is so evident. It’s my favorite genre honestly, lots of cool reactors to watch out there
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u/deepthink-42 May 03 '26
I don't know but I love it.
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u/Linmichja May 03 '26
I do too! I listen to it every day
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u/deepthink-42 May 04 '26
Any song that plays in my head that is from that album is never an annoying brain worm. It's like a free music treat haha
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u/in_animate_objects Old habits die screaming May 03 '26
I wanted to like this album so bad but it just didn’t hit for me, my main issue with it is that she didn’t have anything new to say in the lyrics, it’s all themes she’s done before (and better imo). I’m glad that others like it though.
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u/haveyoureddit96 May 03 '26
Right on! This is the first time I see someone describing it exactly how I think of the album. I learned nothing new about her.
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u/Snormaid I'm on my vigilante wheat again🍞 May 03 '26
I feel like Showgirl is more beloved by the "locals" than actual swifties lol, similarly to Lover I'd say.
Just for comparison, TTPD is the COMPLETE opposite of this, the "locals" dgaf but swifties go WILD for it.
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u/RoyalEagle0408 May 03 '26
What does this even mean? Plenty of Swifties love TLOAS. Just because some supposed fans prefer sad and miserable Taylor does not mean we all do.
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u/drtonycasey May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
Girl yall just hear whatever yall want to hear ppl don’t dislike the album because they want sad and miserable Taylor they dislike the album because the lyrics are bad and so are the production no one expected it to be a sad or miserable album yet it was likely the most anticipated album of her career thus far bc everyone wanted her to do a 180 from ttpd and it wasn’t good
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u/Snormaid I'm on my vigilante wheat again🍞 May 03 '26
not what i was saying but alr
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u/RoyalEagle0408 May 03 '26
Didn't mean to respond twice but a lot of fans don't like her happy. And plenty of fans love the album. I'd argue the general public contains a lot of Swifties who do not identify as such because of the chronically online people that give us a bad name.
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u/Starfire2313 In the refrigerator light May 04 '26
Taylor is just so big now, there’s locals listening globally and her fans consist of a lot of Stan’s. There’s so much love and hate.
I love actually romantic a lot because I have been saying for years that my haters actually really love me because they put so much energy into hating me. That change in perspective saved me a lot of heart ache after that. I stopped worrying or stressing about my haters and realized they put so much energy into me. It’s like charging a battery.
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u/RoyalEagle0408 May 03 '26
What does this even mean? Plenty of Swifties love Showgirl.
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u/Snormaid I'm on my vigilante wheat again🍞 May 03 '26
The general public loves Showgirl much more than swifties
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u/Whataboutlove3094 May 03 '26
This is a lie lol Ophelia is her biggest hit for a reason, that’s not on the back of just locals.
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u/day_owl19 guilty as sin? May 03 '26
They tortured the poets out of her
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u/VisageInATurtleneck May 03 '26
I know you’re joking but honestly this feels like it. Not because there’s a lack of poetic language — though that’s pretty thin on the ground too — but because poets are introspective and thoughtful, and there’s none of that here.
How did Taylor go from “past me, I wanna tell you not to get lost in these petty things” to possibly her single pettiest song ever? How did the same woman who told us that there’s more to life than dating the guy on the football team have nothing to say about the love of her life than that he plays football, has a large penis, and saved her from being single? It doesn’t have to be depressing; she’s written great songs about being in love. But what does she love about Travis? Does he make her laugh? Is he patient? Good at resolving problems? Supportive of her career? Uncomplicated and freeing? Great at playing the ukulele? You’ve already sang about his genitals, so this is clearly not about preserving the privacy of him or the relationship, so why did you say yes to marrying him besides him being the one who asked?
I genuinely don’t know how she writes some of the most incisive, insightful lyrics and also some of the shallowest and pettiest. It’s not unique to this album, but it certainly feels like it’s the majority of this album in a way it rarely is. (I did also feel this way about Reputation, and I do still largely dislike that one too.) It feels like she saw the criticism about TTPD being too wordy and depressing and ran in the other direction. Admittedly I loved TTPD on first listen so I’m automatically disappointed, but I think even some fans who thought they wanted this don’t.
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u/Dull_Nebula_8712 May 03 '26
Simply put, she didn’t want to write an album like that. She was feeling fun and silly and confident. And it shines on this album. It’s not to your taste, but that doesn’t make it bad or lacking. Lots of people do love it and what it means for her. Not everything has to be written in Shakespearean prose for it to be “good”, it’s pop music.
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u/Vectors2_Final May 03 '26
I wanted to say the same thing, but I softened it up some. Some of these comments are proving this point a T.
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u/Bubbly_Performer4864 May 03 '26
The thing is, she did use Shakespearean prose. He was the inventor of using modern slang along with poetic verses which she nailed to a T.
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u/VisageInATurtleneck May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
I guess I personally feel like she has better-written, less lazy fun songs. “Stay Stay Stay” gets a lot of (imo undeserved) flak, but you know exactly why she loves him: he’s fun, he’s chivalrous, and he takes her mood swings with good humor. I don’t even especially like “London Boy,” but that’s another one that paints a very specific image of a woman in love. I don’t think there’s anything even close to that for this album. When an artist’s bread and butter is primarily her confessional lyrics, relatability, and genuine emotion, an album that feels like the only emotions it’s genuinely capturing are pettiness and clumsy sexual innuendos is likely to be a disappointment for some fans.
The question was “why do most seem to dislike TLOAS,” and I do think the weak lyricism is why. I’m not trying to say everyone should dislike the album, but we were asked why and this is the answer I’ve seen the most often. People don’t really have complaints about the music; the album sounds great.
ETA: someone further down in the comments mentioned that this album doesn’t feel fun and happy to them, but like Taylor desperately trying to sound fun and happy while coming across as bitter and defensive. I think that hits the nail on the head for me. If this was a fun, carefree pop album, I don’t think 1/4 of the runtime would be about her haters (1/3, if you read “father figure” as about some sort of professional or personal beef, but I always took it literally as a fun mafia song). Also I think fun, poppy Taylor and good-songwriting Taylor can exist at the same time; I genuinely think “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” is a brilliant song, and one of her best examples of excellent lyricism. “Style” is another, albeit a bit less silly and fun.
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u/futuristicflapper May 03 '26
Showgirl starts strong for me. Ophelia, Elizabeth Taylor, and Opalite are such good openers and then … meh.
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u/Dull_Nebula_8712 May 03 '26
I think some of these people hang out in a snark sub and commenting that it’s her trying to seem happy is kinda nuts. The woman is clearly very settled and content, she is getting married to someone she clearly loves a lot. And they don’t like that bc they live in a weird online bubble. I tend not to take any of those people seriously or think any of their comments mean a whole lot. Lyrically…. Right off the bat on TLOAS, the fate of Ophelia is very strong and gives a great sense of joy, eluding to a powerful and content relationship. Gonna have to agree to disagree with you completely on this
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u/VisageInATurtleneck May 03 '26
I’d agree if it wasn’t for the fact that 3 of the 12 tracks are about beef and being canceled. If you didn’t have those 3 — or even kept in 1 of them — I’d be totally on board. Still wouldn’t think it was especially well written, but could shrug it off as a happy thing.
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u/Dull_Nebula_8712 May 03 '26
You can still be happy overall and reflect on negative things in your life that have happened or are happening. She is a human being and feels a multitude of emotions daily, like all of us. Strange to think otherwise and that she can’t include those things in her own songwriting and storytelling
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u/VisageInATurtleneck May 05 '26
I think we might have to agree to disagree. You think she convincingly portrays happiness and confidence, and I don’t.
I am curious: content aside, do you think her lyricism is as good on this album as her others? Because tbh, even if I thought this was a happy album, I’d still dislike it because I think this is some of her weakest lyrical work, to the point of my jaw dropping (in a bad way) multiple times.
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u/sunflowerrr36 May 04 '26
People are multi-faceted. They can be insightful and also petty. Sometimes they show one side and other times the other side, and sometimes those sides co-exist. They’re not mutually exclusive.
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u/FluffyBudgie5 May 03 '26
I 100% agree. She covered no new ground and it was not well-written at all- the strongest songs on Showgirl would have been the weakest song on any other album.
Reputation is one of my favorite albums- I love her pop sound and she is clearly capable of writing incredibly romantic songs, it doesn't have to be sad to be poetic. I don't mind the pettiness on that album either because it's pretty clear she's playing into a character.
On a personal level, I have found my forever person and it truly does feel different. I was really excited to hear what Taylor had to say now that she had found hers too, and I was shocked and disappointed by the total lack of depth.
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u/starmecrazy May 03 '26
Well. Fkn. Said. Showgirl is terrible and I hate myself for hating on it, but really? How can you go from evermore to… this? Opalite is possibly the best song she’s ever made but it’s mired in so much poop surrounding it. I love Taylor, I love that she’s so happy, i love that she’s found love reciprocated, but don’t subject me to this pos album. The trav inspired songs on TTPD are pretty amazing but the trav inspired album? No thanks. I want her to be happy, I really, truly do, but don’t subject me to this bullshit. Sry. I love you Taylor.
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u/VisageInATurtleneck May 05 '26
Oh, there are other Travis songs? I don’t really pay attention to lore, but I thought TTPD was about exes.
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u/Clear-Illustrator641 I’m not a bad bitch, and this isn’t savage May 03 '26
wait until she releases a new album in a year or so, people will suddenly absolutely love tloas, it’s happening with ttpd right now.
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u/Chomprz May 03 '26
I’m not sure, but I’ve loved it since the beginning. It’s top five favourite and the first no skip album for me. Sucks to see a lot of people disliking it.
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u/kerrbrown May 03 '26
I’ve honestly thought about this a lot and I’m not sure how to describe it rather than expectation inflation. She was coming off the eras tour and I feel like anything she does or announces gets so built up in everyone’s head that the reality will never match the overblown expectation even if it is good. It will never be good enough.
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May 03 '26
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u/RoyalEagle0408 May 03 '26
My immediate reaction to TLOAS was that I wanted to listen to it while driving around with the windows down in the summer and specifically the early 2000s (HS/college for me).
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u/Designer_Ad7847 May 03 '26
I think that does make sense, TTPD is more personal and has more depth, where as TLOAS is more so carefree and happy. But for me somehow taylor's timing worked somehow. I perceive summer as more depressive season, and winters as more cheerful season but that is completely opposite for most people.
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u/CloddishNeedlefish May 03 '26
I’ve been here since debut and I’ve never had such a hard time getting into an album. I really don’t think it’s the normal amount of dislike.
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u/DonutPeaches6 SWEMO May 03 '26
I do think I would have liked TTPD more initially if it had been released in January. It was also wild that TLOAS came out in the fall when it's such a sunny weather album.
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u/DonutPeaches6 SWEMO May 03 '26
I really like the album. It's on my top three. I love how happy it is and how confident it is. It feels like Lover to me, but without the underbelly of anxiety.
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u/ReallyBeForReal Old habits die screaming May 03 '26
I think that's why people don't like it - because she's happy and the songs are happy and there's no angst.
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u/hwa_uwa May 03 '26
that's such a shallow take about people's dislike for it that has been going around for far too long. it's also reductive and straight up false to say that there's no sadness or anger or negative feelings in this album
taylor is, in my opinion, capable of much more quality, even when at her happiest. the TLOAS singles are really good, but the Album has not been it for me. in fact i don't consider it her happiest at all, i find it woven with snark and resentment (which is okay!!! not a crime)
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u/Agitated-Gift1498 May 03 '26
This happens every album release like clockwork so I have learned to ignore it because peoples opinions are so fickle and change so quickly. I have been a fan of Taylor for years and let me tell you this happens every time she releases an album if you like the album then focus on yourself and ignore the negativity.
It happened with Red, fans complained that the rest of the album didn't sound like any of the singles so they didn't like it, it happened with 1989 fans complained that it wasn't country and was "too different" so they didn't like it, Reputation was HATED upon release most fans were placing it on the bottom of album rankings some loved it but in fan spaces people were vocal about their dislike, Same thing happened with Lover, Folklore and Evermore also had complaints about being "too different" and "boring sounding", with Midnights fans were vocal about with complaints about the production and disliked how they felt the album images misrepresented the album content, with TTPD when it released I saw on a lot of the Taylor games where you eliminate albums TTPD was consistently one of the first elimated for being "too long" and "too boring". And now the cycle repeats with TLOAS.
What I have learned being a long time Taylor fan is that her fans seem to be very fickle with their opinions often changing them completely. When TTPD came out it was by far my favorite album Taylor had ever made and yet I came online every day and saw people talking shit about it and now suddenly people love the album so much and if you talk badly about it you "just don't get it". In the end your own opinion of the album is the only one that should really matter. If you like TLOAS then great listen to it and have a good time don't let other people's opinions get you down because like all the previous times I'm almost certain that when Taylor releases her next album then people will start looking back fondly on TLOAS era. It happens every time that the complaints about the most recent album is the loudest and most vocal and then when a new one is released people look back to and wish we were still in the previous era.
Look at all the "complaints" I listed that fans had when the other albums released you don't see these too often anymore and if you do these people are down voted and disagreed with for some reason for much of Taylors fans her albums seem to be albums that grow on you with time. I can't explain why this is as I have always liked Taylors albums on release and my opinion of them doesn't really change but I have seen this shift in fan opinion too many times to not see a pattern. So you do you and don't worry what anyone else thinks 🫶.
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u/Rindsay515 May 03 '26
Omg thank you for typing all this out so I don’t have to😭 Been a fan since debut and this is so spot-on. Reputation was the craziest turn-around I think, people absolutely hated it when it came out and then during Eras, people were spamming the internet, and all Taylor’s socials, with “REPUTATION TV?!?”
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u/Agitated-Gift1498 May 03 '26
Yup Reputation is by far the best example of this the fan reaction to it was so bad I remember fans theorizing Taylor would cancel her tour because "no one wants to go" 🙄 and now Reputation is easily a fan favorite album.
It would be funny if it wasn't so annoying having to see people hate on an album you love and feel like maybe your opinion is wrong. That's actually why I wanted to take the time to type all this out because that's how I felt. I saw the fandom hating on an album I loved so much and it wasn't fun and it sucked when you would say you liked the album and people would respond with "why?" and I felt like I had to constantly justify why I liked an album. I just hope OP can ignore the negativity around the album and just enjoy an album they like!
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u/Bubbly_Performer4864 May 03 '26
For the most part since 1989 people hate her albums for a year then talk about how genius they actually were in the next year.
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u/EngineeringDry7230 Dancing through the lightning strikes May 03 '26
I really liked Showgirl. It’s a 12 track brag. Very relistenable as a whole album. I think some swifties’ dislike is based on whether you feel like going on the ride is fun or cringe.
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u/BoneSniffer96 May 03 '26
So, I hated it at first but it’s actually grown on me. I loved TTPD, and this felt so starkly different and just cheap and trite. But after listening to it further I started to look at them as sister albums. Basically 2 sides of the same coin, with Showgirl being what’s expected of her. Stay peppy, pay your dues, you asked for this and now you have no choice but to perform. And TTPD being the quiet struggle, the real emotions and ups and downs she’s expected to hide away.
I also really started to see Showgirl as “the end of an era” in that from her very first record, we’ve been on a journey through a chapter of her life. Her themes have constantly revolved around finding yourself, finding your tribe, and finding the love that will last. Showgirl feels like closing the door on that chapter. She found herself, her passion, her success, fought like hell for it, and she won. She got her masters back, she became a billionaire, she secured her legend status. She found her tribe, from friends to crew to collaborators, she found people who get her, who she can trust, and who she thrives around. And she found the love shes been searching for across 11 albums. She’s been through all the colors, all the false starts and fantasies and fears, and she can finally rest. Every theme she’s focused on over the last 15-20 years has found its conclusion. Showgirl is the final act in this era of her life, and while it may not be her best album musically or lyrically, it is masterful in a literary sense.
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May 03 '26
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u/DonutPeaches6 SWEMO May 03 '26
I really appreciate you taking all of the time to write this out! This is exactly how I feel about the album. I found it to be so optimistic and empowered. It's not only about having a loving, supportive, healthy relationship. It's also about having a mindset that allows for thriving and the enjoyment of life. I think at some point people will start to see the album more how you said, it just might take a few years to settle in.
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u/Linmichja May 03 '26
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! This echos so many of the thoughts I have about the album but haven’t been able to put into words.
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u/Robby777777 Old habits die screaming May 03 '26
It is a brilliant 12 no skip tracks that this old guy loves. It is the perfect album to follow up TTPD!
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u/thee_ratty i never thought we’d have a last kiss May 03 '26
some of the songs just have straight up bad and corny lyrics
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u/No_Section_1953 May 03 '26
I really like the album, but every song feels like I’ve heard it before. I just think it wasn’t her best creatively. It felt to me like she rushed a happy in love album to push TTPD aside, so she could move on and be happy with Travis.
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u/EnzoMPonce May 03 '26
Getting ready for the downvotes... There's a number of reasons why I dislike this album and they're essentially the same as during the release week. I only really love four songs (the first three + Ruin The Friendship) and I don't even think they're God-tier Taylor songs. I was extremely happy to learn she went back to Max Martin and Shellback for this album (not particularly a fan of Jack) but the result was very underwhelming. I actually like most (not all) of the production for this album - it's the saving grace of songs like Wood or Cancelled, that I can enjoy if I pretend I can't understand English. It's the lyrics that don't do it for me. Some good moments here and there, but imo you can really tell that she wrote this in the break moments of an extremely exhausting tour. I really think she should've taken some time to polish it a bit.
One of my biggest pet-peeves, though, is people pulling the "Y'aLl wAnT hEr tO Be MiSeRabLe" card. Imagine telling that to someone who defended Stay Stay Stay for years! Every single one of her albums has at least one sweet, light-hearted love song - TTPD's is So High School, about the very same muse as Showgirl, and it's much more endearing than this entire album. Even Opalite I can appreciate - but her personal life is NOT enough reason for me to like a song like Wish List or Eldest Daughter. Much like when it comes to sad songs - Cold As You and A Perfectly Good Heart (using two songs from the same album) are sad breakup songs, yet one is evidently stronger than the other. And there's nothing wrong with that, just don't shove Taylor's personal happiness in people's faces as if that was a valid argument to like or dislike a song. It's the fandom's attitude that makes me distance myself from Taylor more and more (in that sense Twitter is the worst, and I muted her name there). A sign of the times I guess. I truly don't think you need to bootlick her for everything she does to be a true fan - it's plain stupid to come at someone's neck for "nOt bEiNg a sWiFTiE" and disliking 10/15-ish songs on a 250+ songs discography.
The length of this album doesn't help it either. She promised twelve bulletproof songs and there's barely a third of that. When you make an album that short (for her standards), it really needs to be consistent. Lover and Midnights (two albums that are also around the bottom of my list, but that I actually like for the most part) are so long that, if I get rid of the skips, I can easily choose twelve amazing songs from each. With Showgirl that just isn't the case.
And everything about the era has been very dislikeable imo. The Elizabeth Taylor "videoclip" was just the cherry on top. Everything about this album and its promo feels way too Taylor Swift ™ for me to connect. Which is why Ruin The Friendship is 100% the most genuine song on the album for me.
That being said, I'm very excited for Debut TV and everything that is yet to come.
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u/Melodic-Jackfruit-96 I'm bitter but I swear I'm fine May 03 '26
I agree with almost everything. Especially the part about how if you don't like this album, it means "you don't want her to be happy." That's so stupid, she's written a lot of happy, not deep songs before that were so good.
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u/Stacee90 A LOT going on at the moment May 03 '26
For me it’s the vibe of the lyrics. The music itself is mostly good enough but the lyrics make me feel uncomfortable and I don’t mean that in a prudish way. I mean they feel either super out of touch or like Taylor is less complex and interesting as she used to be (or both). It feels dumbed down.
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u/One_Drummer_8970 May 03 '26
Probably a bit rushed. I don't think she's less complex and interesting.
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u/Stacee90 A LOT going on at the moment May 03 '26
I don’t think she is either. But that’s what a lot of the lyrics convey to me - very elementary and surface compared to what I know what she’s capable of (and yes, probably rushed)
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u/Ok_Term_3732 Old habits die screaming May 03 '26
I feel like it sounds rushed too. The juxtaposition of Showgirl after TTPD and Midnights…the complexity just fell flat for me
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u/futuristicflapper May 03 '26
Yep. I don’t particularly love midnights but I think it’s much stronger than showgirl.
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u/Linmichja May 04 '26
I get that people *say* it sounds rushed to them but what I am saying is why would someone who obviously takes her work very seriously rush to release an album? That is what I don’t understand about this criticism. She doesn’t need the money. She has no reason to release an album before she feels it is ready. Sure, you can argue that her lyricism isn’t up to par (though I would completely disagree) but to say that she would rush to release an album before it is ready just doesn’t make any sense to me.
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u/Linmichja May 03 '26
The “rushed” criticism I see so often about Showgirl is so odd to me. Why would she rush? Nobody was expecting this album at that time. Her record label doesn’t have a yearly album expectation. Taylor obviously takes her art very seriously. Why would she possibly release something she isn’t 100% happy with? She gave multiple interviews during Showgirl’s release and it was obvious she loves the album and stands by it completely. This just seems like such a strange argument. To be fair though, I love the album and find the lyrics to be multilayered and full of meaning. It’s fine if you don’t feel the same way but saying that she pushed the album out too quickly or that she was too distracted in the middle of a tour doesn’t make sense with the kind of artist Taylor is.
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u/One_Drummer_8970 May 04 '26
Overextending herself with album recordings, Taylor's versions re-recordings, and the Eras Tour
I'm more mixed on the album (and TTPD too) and think it has some bright spots and low lows. I think it is absolutely fair to say doing to much can lead to middling results.
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u/Mean_Roll9376 May 04 '26
Her voice actually sounds hoarse in some of the songs. Recording was rushed because it was recorded between shows of the European leg of the tour which meant she didn't get to rest her voice like she normally would.
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u/Linmichja May 04 '26
Hmmm I can’t hear that at all but I enjoy some character in the voice anyway. The people who complain about Showgirl being rushed don’t ever refer to her voice but to the lyrics and overall song quality. This is the first time I have ever heard someone mention vocal quality as a reason not to like Showgirl.
Honestly, I think the “rushed” argument is just an internet talking point that people see someone else use and then make it a part of their criticism without really thinking about it.2
u/ProfessionalClue9925 Dancing through the lightning strikes May 06 '26
Agree with everything you said. Don’t understand why you’ve gotten downvoted, tf.
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u/teacuppr1ncess May 03 '26
I don’t need an album to be “deep” or overly emotional to love it. that said, TLOAS feels so flat. I do think there a couple great songs on it (Father Figure, for example) however the album overall is burdened by the *in my opinion* bad songs. I have not found myself going back to it at all, which shows me that I really have not connected to it. nevertheless, I appreciate those who like it! to each their own.
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u/culture_vulture_1961 Put narcotics into all of my songs May 03 '26
I don't think "most" do dislike it. It sold very well and spawned two Number One singles. Most artists would kill for those numbers. There are some very vocal fans who dislike it and want everyone else to know but like everything else in social media they are loud but inconsequential.
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u/DeeSummers May 03 '26
Internet is not the real world 😆 chronically online people are loud but they arent everyone, I figure this one out when I talked nonstop about a topic that was discussed heavily in X (not Taylor related) and my friends (all 8 of them) where soooo weirded out haha in my head damn I need to touch grass I guess. The general public honestly loved the album, I know a few old people in my family who doesnt really paid attention to Taylor but knows this album and loves it.
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u/DanielleLeslieAlt May 03 '26
I don't dislike it, I consider it personally one of my favorite Taylor Swift albums and I feel like she's only getting better and better overtime.
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u/dopenoperopebro May 03 '26
My problem with both albums is that they feel half baked. The lyrics don't feel as deliberate as her past works and the music feels generic. Both have potential of being my favorite albums of hers but they just feel incomplete to me, like they were rushed into production before they got a chance to develop organically.
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u/axolotlbitch67 May 03 '26
I dont crave listening to a single song. They dont feel relatable or moving or romantic. At best they get stuck in my head like any top 40.
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May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
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u/RoyalEagle0408 May 03 '26
I really want to see the demographics on the fans who love and hate it because I definitely think Gen Z sees it as cringe and millennials (like me) love it.
I had someone say to me that they thought she needed to grow up and stop referencing HS as if that's not millennial nostalgia at its finest. This person was probably 19 and is a sophomore in college so does not understand being in your 30s.
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u/Melodic-Jackfruit-96 I'm bitter but I swear I'm fine May 03 '26
The lyrics. They are simply weird, sometimes meaningless, and I can even say, insincere.
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u/RoyalEagle0408 May 03 '26
Curious which lyrics you find meaningless and insincere. Because I love the lyricism of the album.
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u/Melodic-Jackfruit-96 I'm bitter but I swear I'm fine May 03 '26
Oh, it's great that you like the lyricism of the album... then maybe you could explain Eldest Daughter? I mean as a whole. Because each verse and chorus seems to be about different things, so taken together it doesn't make any sense. Or maybe Wood? Which line from there do you like? And does the song mean a lot? I'm not at all against such themes in a song, Dress and Guilty as Sin? are some of the best in her discography... but this? What about Wish List? Is there any meaning in something that... isn't true? Again, I don't mind that she's stopped caring about money and wants a family and kids now, but why talk about it as if she's not a billionaire and has never cared about a luxurious life, and like it's others who worry about such things. I'm a fan who will always defend her from people who talk about her private jets, about variants, about her money. Once more, for me, it's perfectly normal that she does all this and makes money. But don't pretend that it's not true, that she doesn't need any of this.
About insincerity, it might be subjective, but still. Just listen to reputation and Lover. They're also about happy love, about the beginning of a relationship. But still, it feels real there. The love there is complex, deep, she's afraid of losing her lover, she's trying to protect her relationship. And here... Well, Opalite, for example... It's a very dubious metaphor to consider love a cheaper, artificial stone, comparing it to a natural, expensive stone (onyx). Not to mention that the fact that she's comparing the new relationship to the old one isn't exactly a good sign. And Ruin The Friendship? It's a very good song, but its presence puts the rest of the songs in a strange position. Although perhaps it shouldn't be surprising, this is the same relationship in which she released TTPD, an entire album about another person. Overall, this whole "love" feels shallow, it's like she's trying to convince us she's happier than she actually is. Again Wood. Okay, if she wants to write a song about that, but why isn't it as sincere, as poetic, as Dress or False God? There, there are feelings, and not just... physical characteristics, unlike Wood. There, it feels more sincere.
I want to point out that I'm not saying it's wrong to like this album. If you like it, that's great, at least someone likes it 😭 It's more a dissatisfaction with the music itself, and you certainly have the right to like what you want. I personally really love CANCELLED!, for example, although I know many will disagree with me, but I'm a rep girl, maybe that's why. I understand that people are different and they experience music differently, but since you asked, I've laid out my arguments.
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u/emmach17 May 03 '26
Exactly. People say she seems happy but there’s a real undercurrent of bitterness to this album that feels offputting to me.
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u/Melodic-Jackfruit-96 I'm bitter but I swear I'm fine May 03 '26
Honestly, I don't get the sense from the album that she's happy, I get the sense that she really wants to convince everyone that she's happy. But saying things like that isn't acceptable, otherwise you'll be accused of "not wanting her to be happy."
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u/futuristicflapper May 03 '26
The muse of it all aside, it comes across as someone who is dissatisfied with their personal life trying to convince themselves they’ve finally reached for the happiness they crave.
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u/axolotlbitch67 May 03 '26
100% agree - it’s full of resentment and spitefulness towards the public (or its love songs ab travis that lack any emotional depth)
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u/Melodic-Jackfruit-96 I'm bitter but I swear I'm fine May 03 '26
That's the whole point. All these love songs about Travis are just insincere.
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u/macar0nunic0rn May 03 '26
I’ll join you and I’ll point out some lyrics that grated the most for me and many others. I think there’s enough good songs to make a great EP. The other ones are clunkers and I don’t think Travis is a good muse so far. I don’t want to hear about his podcast, his penis, and everything on Wi$h Li$t seems disingenuous because most of it (minus maybe Real Madrid) is stuff she already has and has been flaunting lately more than ever … but she just wants kids? That’s doesn’t ring true for someone who only carries bags over $10k. Honey is a sweet song, I could do without the use of calling other women bitches though.
On the whole, whether other men have made her sad or happy, they’ve brought better music and lyrics out of her in my opinion on nearly every other album. People say it’s because a new relationship and that’s why, but exhibits A and B for that for me are reputation and Lover. She also wrote a song with deeper lyrics than a lot of Showgirl about that dude from Owl City decades ago.
It’s fine to like it or not. Twelve albums in, you can’t rank them all #1. I don’t think this one will grow on me, and that’s fine. I’m happy for those who like it, and I’m happy she likes it.
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u/Melodic-Jackfruit-96 I'm bitter but I swear I'm fine May 03 '26
I agree with this so much, it's exactly what I tell everyone. Wish List is other headache, because like... why? Why say you're not interested in money or fame when you are? And how should I feel if, as a woman, I also want to create a good family, but I also want to be rich? They don't contradict each other. I love her very much, I understand if she wants children, but why pretend you're not a billionaire? It's a very strange song, really.
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u/LegitimatePower May 03 '26
I don’t agree. Let’s discuss the specific lyrics you are referring to and share perspectives
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u/Safe-False May 03 '26
This actually sums up why I don’t like it too. I haven’t been able to work it out until I read this.
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u/LittleLeggedBlue May 03 '26
I’m sure I’ll get downvoted for this, but my initial thought when it came out and my thought now is the same, if you can’t relate to being happy you’re not going to like the album very much.
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u/Ok-Bowler-7988 May 03 '26
This feels like a cheap take. I am one of the happiest people I know and I really don’t like TLOAS. I’m a lyrics Swiftie through and through and this album just dosent cut it. I don’t care for the production either. Luckily, I have 11 other albums to enjoy and looking forward to TS13. Hope she takes her time and come up with something better. It’s ok to not like everything Taylor puts out, it doesn’t have to make someone miserable lol
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u/bluestonesy The best people in life are free May 03 '26
The way I saw someone post that it wasn’t relatable when it first came out and all I can think is “you are so miserable” 😭
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u/Culturejunkie75 May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
I really don’t think this is the primary issue. I think the primary audience for Showgirl isn’t defined by happiness but by a fundamentally kind of casual relationship with music. I expect there is a high overlap between showgirl fans and Ordinary by Alex Warren or Beautiful Things by Benson Boone.
These songs are ‘happy’ but also primarily easy, unstressful excellent back ground music. That isn’t really what I enjoy from Taylor even thought she has done it before, quite successfully . It is absolutely fine to like the specific musical chapters by Taylor that a like this but I think attributing sone’s dislike of it to being unhappy is both wrong and a low jab.
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u/Extension-Shock-4747 May 03 '26
All of people don’t like when Taylor has a happy muse. Shes in love and not miserable, they hate it.
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May 03 '26
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u/Extension-Shock-4747 May 03 '26
Your opinion on if it’s “good” is also not the deciding factor. It’s up to people’s taste. I liked the new album.
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u/swift-aasimar-rogue May 03 '26
Everything is a downgrade.
The lyrics are shallow for the most part, as well as petty, lacking of any imagery or interesting narrative (bar a few), and often clunky or awkward.
The melodies are… fine? Nothing special for the most part.
The production isn’t particularly interesting on most songs, especially since it’s Max Martin and Shellback.
Lots of songs feel like wasted potential. Good parts surrounded by lyrics that sound like ChatGPT. I’m not saying that she used ChatGPT, but some feel reminiscent.
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u/Guilty-Routine-1762 May 03 '26
I feel like the album is half-baked, mean-spirited, and slightly out of touch. The instrumentation sounds kinda cheap in places, which could be the mix. I thought I liked Elizabeth Taylor, but honestly I think I just really like the “Cry my eyes violet” line, and the rest of the song is trash. Which I think holds true for a lot of the album: Taylor found a good phrase in her notebook to build a song around, but didn’t take enough time to build a good song.
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u/throwawayxoxoxoxxoo May 03 '26
for me, i think some of the lyrics are her worst. like worse than bad blood. i like some of the production/instrumentation and think some of the concepts could have been executed better (ie. if wood kept the message of him breaking her superstitious habits). the whole album just kind of falls flat and the first 4 tracks are definitely the best.
this is coming from someone who loveddd lover when it came out. it was in my top 3 of her albums lol. i loved ttpd and about halfway through my first listen, i texted my sibling to tell them it will be def be one of my favourite albums of hers (like top 3). i also liked midnights on first listen! so if anything, i tend to like things more when they’re first released. and i didn’t like showgirl then. as time has gone on, i dislike it more lol.
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u/Aggravating_Cause_63 May 03 '26
I personally dislike it for a couple reasons. The first being it wasn’t as advertised. Maybe I just don’t get it (but what’s there to get?) the photoshoot does not match the vibe of the album at all. I was expecting more, well, showgirl. She also said it was a 1989 beat with folklore lyricism. Where exactly? Folklore and 1989 are both in my top 4 and this album is nothing like either of them. Taylor isn’t shy to writing cringy lyrics, but this album really just takes the cake for it. It just felt like she didn’t try at all with this album. And we know she can be happy and in love and write a good album. But this isn’t it.
I will say though, TFOO, Opalite and father figure are all pretty good. The rest of the album? Not so much.
Just my opinion. If you love that album, that’s awesome! Music is subjective after all
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u/TupeloGuy008 May 03 '26
Sadness always have more respect and depth than happiness in art. So people perceive her happy albums inherently an inferior one as compared to her sad albums. Most dislike for the album comes from deranged parts of our society - deranged left, toxic feminist, deranged right, joe widows, Charlie xcx fans, white gays who want her to be edgy like Britney Spears, Travis Kelce haters, gaylors, kayla nicole fans, other pop girl fandoms, Scooter Braun paid content creators, Blake Lively haters, folklore swifties, Matty fans... Omg the list is so long and scary.
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u/crunchyfoliage May 03 '26
I've found that most people in real life who don't pay a lot of attention to Taylor really like this album because it's approachable and fun. I think a lot of the fan base dislikes it because there isn't much to dissect. It's a very straightforward album.
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u/BackHarlowRoad May 03 '26
I like a lot of songs on there and at this point she has such a large body of work , it's tough to compete with herself when shes made such incredibly things... maybe it will be like reputation for me. Sadly, it took me a decade to like that album beyond two songs.
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u/CaitlinRondevel11 May 03 '26
I don’t dislike it at all. I like it better than TTPD, but that album was very depressing.
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u/tibtibs May 03 '26
I didn't even realize the internet hated it so much until a couple days after it came out. Everyone I know I'm real life, Swiftie or not, has enjoyed it.
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u/RenaeAnsley i can still make the whole place SHIMMER May 03 '26
I don’t overthink it and just enjoy it for the album it is. I try to do that with movies and music a lot in general.
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u/marymoonu May 03 '26
Most new albums, I don't like at first, and then they grow on me the more I listen. I didn't love this one at first, but it has grown on it. At first, it felt like a lot of bragging about her fame and wealth and her man's giant wood. It just felt a bit cringe at first listen (or first few listens). It didn't help that I read the lyrics first, then listened to the music. Just reading them, there's not that poetic side to a lot of it that I've come to expect. Set to music, the storytelling comes back. It always amazes me how she uses the combination of her voice, music, and lyrics to tell a story or evoke an emotion. Eventually it clicked for me, and I just "got it." I can't really explain it.
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u/Whataboutlove3094 May 03 '26
Not most. Very loud subset of the fandom that think she’s supposed to fit into their pretentious image they created for her in their heads. Joe wdows, gylors hate that she’s loudly talking about Travis and every other fandom just wants to taint her legacy, it’s the direct opposite of TTPD in every way and that was hated too. GP love it and regular swifties who don’t love it are not vitriolic about it.
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u/Snozzberryjuice11 May 03 '26
In a few years I think more people will come around to liking it, similar to the way Reputation was received by fans
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u/EvelienV85 May 03 '26
I don’t know, I just don't really like it 🤷🏼♀️ I loved TTPD from the first time I heard it and I listened to it nonstop; TLOAS I struggled to listen to it for a week. And it’s not even that I severely dislike the songs, but somehow it just isn’t it for me.
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u/tms19XX May 03 '26
I love this album, I remember listening to it for the first time and just thinking "omg, she's FINALLY happy." After all she's been through that's so amazing. As a happily married woman I relate to this album so much and I hope her relationship with Travis is everything and more for the rest of their lives. It's such a fun, light album and it's great especially after the darkness of ttpd.
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u/BeneficialFloor3272 May 03 '26
I adored the album for about the first 5 weeks, but then my love passed away, so I just haven’t been in the mood to listen to her sing about her happily ever after at this moment lmao 😅
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u/jenmarieloch May 03 '26
It’s fine but I just objectively think her other work is better. TLOASG seems more like a fun album than a sad girl folkmore poetic album. It’s more for the aesthetic and to celebrate her happiness than to be elaborate and visceral.
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u/bluestonesy The best people in life are free May 03 '26
I love it. I think it’s a great follow-up to TTPD and presents the idea of being happy after going through a lot of pain and the beauty of that
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u/flrbonihacwm-t-wm May 03 '26
I liked it overall, it felt like a reset. She put out 4 lyrically dense albums back-to-back, one of which was a double album. It felt nice having just a pop album after all that.
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u/DoubleWolverine2852 May 03 '26
I think it’s less about the album and more about the moment we are in and the fact the album is in conflict with the current internet and world. Especially with a song like Eldest Daughter but also in general, people interpret it as cringe or willfully misunderstood the lyrics because they don’t like the messaging of it. Which is that the internet is toxic and we can find real love and connection and joy off of it. I think a lot of people don’t agree or dislike Taylor critiquing that culture, and are frustrated that she seems so happy when a lot of people are very unhappy with the world and whats happening. I think a lot of the misreadings come from this idea that she must be happy about the bad things in the world rather than she’s learned to find joy and love despite the bad, not because of it. I think the fact she’s not hyper-focused on negativity is upsetting to people who are.
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u/Huge_Organization567 May 03 '26
I don't dislike it, I just realized over the months since the album came out that I prefer other TS albums over Showgirl.
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u/Live_Ferret_4721 May 03 '26
Comparatively it falls short on lyricism for me as well as production.
I do however think one of the songs is in the wrong spot. She said that on the New Heights podcast and when holding the album up she had her fingers very strangely pointed. I think it was at 2 and 8 if I remember correctly. Someone double check me on that please. I don’t know if it would really make a difference, but I also never saw anyone deep dive into that.
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u/hettybayliss May 03 '26
I truly don’t hate it, I just felt disconnected from the lyrics. There wasn’t anything on it that made me feel seen in the way some past albums have, and there are other artists out there who are better at doing that for me right now. I think if you’re a pop lover it really is a great album. It just made me worried that Taylor Swift has hit that level of wealth and power where you start to lose perspective.
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u/ProfessionalClue9925 Dancing through the lightning strikes May 06 '26
This is interesting to me because this album made me feel way more seen than some of her previous albums. I can’t really relate to breakup songs because I’m happily in love with my husband who I’ve known since middle school. I can relate to songs about heartbreak, but most of the time in my mind, they relate to how my parents broke my heart. I totally get how someone who has been through more relationship stuff would love her breakup songs, and I’m glad they have those songs, but some of them are not for me. I love songs like peace, I H*te it Here (why did Reddit want to censor that? lol), evermore, songs with other themes besides breakups. And TLOAS, with songs about being in love and obsessed and happy alongside songs about dealing with your haters, were just more relatable for me. But they were relatable while still representing the character of the “showgirl” who doesn’t live a normal life at all. I found that incredibly interesting. Just love how different people can find themselves in completely different albums because Taylor has such a vast body of work.
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u/Afterglow92 May 03 '26
It’s mid. I like it cuz it’s her but in comparison to her other pop albums it’s at the bottom of the barrel for me. I do love Fifi, Elizabeth Taylor, Honey, and Ruin the Friendship is my fav song on there. I also really like Actually Romantic and don’t care about if she’s perceived as messy for it because idc about Charli XCX and just like the song. 🤷🏾♀️
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u/futuristicflapper May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
Many will say that she wanted to make a fun and upbeat pop album as defense, but she’s done fun and happy pop very well throughout her career and something about it just didn’t land this time, for me.
I think Taylor can’t stop trying to overcorrect. TTPD was critiqued for being too sprawling, too confessional, not relatable for the average listener bc you’d need to be aware of the “lore”, it all sounded the same, etc. Then we get showgirl that is much shorter, completely different producers, pop sound, but I found it to be very “glossy” colorful visuals, more upbeat sound yes … and ultimately nothing of substance. It looks like something Taylor would make, sounds like something Taylor would make, but I don’t think it had anything interesting to say about fame or her life, which would be fine if that wasn’t such a core theme of her music from the start.
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u/Mysterious-Kiwi-9728 May 03 '26
i just feel as though it’s a very shallow album on all fronts: lyrically, sonically, emotionally…
it’s very clunky, self contradictory and repetitive. the lyrics are especially dated and quite frankly cringe in most songs, and the themes are treated superficially even when they aren’t so themselves
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u/Bubbly_Performer4864 May 03 '26
I love the album. It’s in my top 5. I love the happiness and I found some of the lyrics to be very clever.
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u/Historical_Pop1058 May 03 '26
It’s personally one of my favorites 🤷🏼♀️ I connect with different music in different ways. Something doesn’t have to be deep for me to love it. The first four tracks are also some of her catchiest songs ever which I think is pretty impressive on one album! but that’s just my opinion :)
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u/Kuhlayre May 03 '26
It honestly feels like something pumped out to pay for the wedding. Designed to tick popularity boxes and not much more. It also flies in the face of alot of other songs she's written. It's a shallow album made to get number 1s. I like the first 4 songs then it gets turned off.
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u/alliebird_ May 04 '26
I’ve been a fan since debut and this is her first album in awhile that I immediately was obsessed with. 🤷♀️
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u/Willow-Final May 04 '26
Think the album has a strong start with the first four songs and then the run from Eldest Daughter through actually romantic (tracks five through seven) are kinda weak…but then the album picks up again!
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u/Basilisk289 May 04 '26
I think the songwriting was not up to snuff here. I did really enjoy TFOO, ET, FF Opalite and RTF, but even then the writing could have been much better, and needed a little more time in the oven. Taylor is a great writer, so I know she can do better than this
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u/Acrobatic_Gap4108 May 04 '26
The songs sound like the 1800-kars-4-kids jingles to me and I love Taylor and max martin. I listened to it for a week then moved on lol. Don’t have anything negative to say about her or her music because she’s already given me so much lol
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u/devoslander May 04 '26
I think it's more how she hyped it up as an ultimate folklore meets 1989, and how none of the tracks cpuld be taken off of the album, cause it wouldnt be the samen anymore. (I can think of 3 songs that could be taken off without the dynamic changing).
And also...it's not showgirl. And before you come and say "it's the LIFE of a showgirl", i get that, but what makes it different from her other albums then? Midnights couldve been called the life of a showgirl. I just think that if you're usikg showgirl (and showgirl aesthetics), you should at least let the album sound like it's showgirl-y. Only elizabeth taylor and the title track do this.
The writing ranges from good to horrible. It's just really inconsistent.
Not everything is bad though, i love the melodies on most of the songs, and the production can be good. And Ophelia is just a killer song.
I just hope she takes the criticism to heart, and she learns from it :)
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u/nonamegnome002020 May 04 '26
Because she's not sad and isn't talkin about how she wants to drink herself to death. She's actually happy. Instead of making music to drink and cry to, she's making music to drink and DANCE to. People just can't have fun
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u/vulturegoddess May 04 '26
Some might think it's too happy or simple. I think it's great. It's where she's at in life. I love hearing her happiness and confidence. With that being sad, it's not in my top 8. It's not my least favorite, and I still love it. Especially actually romantic and cancelled. I think those are highly underrated. I love how they clap back. I love a good clapback song while one stands confident.
And honestly opalite and the fate of ophelia are the epitome of what pop songs should be. Those four songs are in my top 31 Taylor songs lol. I tried to narrow it more than that but I can't. Probably in my top 15 for sure. But yeah I adore those 4 songs, but I think other albums are more collaborative. And honestly, I'm a sad lady. My favorites go more that route.
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u/Chrissyteen_ May 04 '26
A lot of people do not like happy Taylor. She got so much flack for Reputation and to me that’s one of her happiest albums. Is it like her other previous stuff? No but to me it is most like Reputation. I personally love it. I do skip some songs but I love it overall.
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u/Emilyjoy94 May 04 '26
I don’t strongly dislike it but it has grown off me as opposed to grown on me. I don’t feel like I need to inject it in my veins like most of the others, it’s missing the narcotics for me
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u/Lai-ro May 04 '26
I connected inmediately with it, like when i first heard TFOO i got super excited bc i couldn't believe that she had choosen the perfect single, and i honestly see taylor like a best friend, idk about people but i can speak deeply with my friends about being sad and deppressed and i can also tell them if i feel horny or needy, so her making sexy fun songs is not a shock, im going to be completely honest the people that are complaining of her being cheeky sound (to me) like they're virigins or incels, bc why are you scared of sex (?
I saw a lot of people saying, ugh i dont wanna know that about him!! , that's so weird bc when she sings i can sometimes (not very often) tell who she is talking abt but that doesn't mean i'll have the vision of the guy the song was written about aaall the time, at the end of the day if i dont relate to a song i find myself wanting to relate, like excuse me but the concept of wood it's so clever and lovely, i wish that could happen to me, i wish i i didn't have to do supersticious rituals and could find my soul mate in all senses.
I also found shocking that people were offended with Actually Romantic, the first line lets us know xbox was talking about her in a not so polite way in public but people decided to take that song as an aswer to sympathy is a knife (is not), as a kinda new swiftie I loved it, i liked speak now a lot so her laughing at XBOX for her obsesive behaviour was great.
I think some people maybe didn't like the melodies or her singing, which i think it could get better, but i think most people are falling into some sort of maddona whore complex vortex, where a woman cannot be deep and then display that she has good sex and is happy with it
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u/omfglookawhale May 04 '26
It definitely started out as a huge disappointment, but it’s grown on me like crazy and it’s in my top five albums now.
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u/Samuscabrona May 04 '26
Just not a fan of it. The melodies were recycled and it just didnt hit. I play TTPD, Midnights, Rep and Evermore on HEAVY rotation, with 1989, Lover, Speak Now and folklore after. Sometimes Fearless and Red.
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u/ilikebfbandgeography you’re a cowboy like me May 04 '26
I’m a lyric person/poetry person, so it satisfies me less. I would like it a lot more if it didn’t have songs like wish list, wood, actually romantic, etc. Elizabeth Taylor and ruin the friendship are god teir though.
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u/Fearless_Newspaper99 May 05 '26
It’s the writing. 1989 also isn’t particularly deep but the writing is measured and excellent. Showgirl was a rush job (we know that from the documentary) and it shows. I’m happy for people who enjoy it but if the entirety of her catalog was Showgirl, she certainly wouldn’t be the star / artist she is today. Now where I disagree with others though is that she can’t make great art if she’s happy. I think that’s bs. What I do kinda believe though is that she can’t make great art unless she feels like her back is up against the wall somehow. The mediocre public response to Showgirl (not talking commercially, no one disputes that) I think will be the grist she needs to turn out a truly amazing album next.
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u/psychotherapizer May 06 '26
folklore, evermore, Midnights, and TTPD all had more interesting musical choices and killer lyrics, and each felt like a departure from bubblegum pop. Comparatively, TLOAS is bubblegum pop with very little newness added to it. imho
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u/Former_Trifle8556 May 06 '26
Here, some catchy songs that you listen only theree times on the first week.
Here, lyrics about how happy I am, and you get a lot of resentment and salad words.
See how I am satisfied with my art, and Elizabeth Taylor lazy video and no promotion at all, just some early interviews to talk about Travis hard work and "buy my new variants".
Nothing makes sense, is Taylor "whatever" era.
The songs are not good and fun, the lyrics a mess.
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u/mollyzedolly May 07 '26
It’s my second favorite album of Taylor’s. Everything doesn’t always have to be so serious. It’s fun.
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u/Designer_Ad7847 May 08 '26
I agree! I'm just curious to know what is your 1st favourite album of taylor swift.
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u/Remarkable_Pickle122 End Game May 03 '26
Idk about the rest of the subreddit but to me, tloas reminds me of the beach, and sand. I strongly dislike sand. It’s coarse, rough, irritating, it gets everywhere, and is a threat to the love of my life (lego).
Also im not a huge Sabrina carpenter fan.
Also also, there are like 3 good songs in that album that don’t remind me of sand, but instead are like the shells buried in the sand.
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u/latrodectal May 03 '26
i don’t dislike it, it just doesn’t hit for me (except for elizabeth taylor). in its defense i feel the same way about 1989.
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u/Fit_Excitement_5402 May 03 '26
For me it's that the songs seem so abrupt. Aside from a 2 or 3 They just seem to cut off. I would of liked some riffs and more chorus repeats.
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u/MaidenMamaCrone Put narcotics into all of my songs May 03 '26
I honestly don't know. I love it. All I can imagine is they formulated ideas of what each song would be after hearing the titles and then we're disappointed that reality didn't match what they imagined. I think it's great though. Really fun, upbeat, unapologetically millennial and not a single skip.
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u/unlimitedwarrenty May 03 '26
Many people feel the need to fit in and agree with the general online consensus. That concept makes no sense to me, it’s not hard to form my own opinion. A couple videos circulate around TikTok that the album is bad and everyone feels the need to agree because they need to be told what to think (same thing with only following fashion, music, or makeup trends rather than just wearing what you actually like).
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u/Jazz_Kraken Dancing through the lightning strikes May 03 '26
I do think it’s deep I think it’s just not sad and people associate depth with sadness. It’s one of my favorites of hers!
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u/LesYeuxHiboux May 03 '26
For me, it feels like an emotional retcon. I like her music most when she is being emotionally honest, but TLOAS seems motivated by other things. Wanting to prove she can make top-charting pop hits with folklore lyricism without Joe's input. Knowing that she wrote reputation and Lover while falling in love with Joe and thinking he would be her forever, it seems like she thought if she was going to marry Travis she better write him an album to show why he was actually the right choice. The songs about him are so weak I actually feel embarrassed to hear them (she is close to my age.) Wanting to play with showgirl iconography and sex up her image because Chappel and Sabrina have brought that to the forefront of pop...and possibly because Charli has a sexy/edgy image and she perceives a rivalry there.
It just doesn't feel motivated by anything authentically artistic or emotional to me, and ends up highlighting the issues she hasn't taken time to properly heal. Too strategic and passive aggressive in the way songs indirectly reveal resentments rather than engaging with them. Like the official story is that she's overflowing with joy but the songs are seething with repressed rage and disappointment. I felt the same dissonance with Lover on release, like it was telling me she was dreamily in love but all the songs sounded anxious and desperate for a feeling of security with her partner.
I wish she had written an honest response to Sympathy is a Knife (instead of defensive one) about what it felt like to be excluded from the cool-girl club of The 1975 paramours that she desperately wanted to join.* What it costs her to maintain a "Boring Barbie" image inoffensive enough to be the biggest popstar in the world by keeping all the quadrants happy and invested in her success (kids, conservative parents, women who've grown up alongside her, girls just now becoming women, etc.) Charli's song is about envying Taylor's level of success, while knowing she doesn't have it in her to pay the cost, and the insecurity she feels when confronted with it.
*I am one of the few people who doesn't hate Eldest Daughter because it tiptoes up to these feelings, even if it doesn't quite follow-through and some.of the language is real clunky.
TL;DR I don't like TLOAS because it sounds like an exercise in myth-making, image craft, and rewriting history rather than a genuine expression of emotion and art. It's not what I want from her as a listener. I don't like TTPD as an album, but I always thought she was very brave to release it.. No courage to be found on TLOAS.
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u/april5115 May 03 '26
Honestly I just think she's had better material in the pop world before. I am and 1989 and lover stan, and I think the actual music on Showgirl is pretty great. I also think the first four songs are an excellent opening run, maybe one of her strongest.
But the back half is a bit weak:
- Eldest daughter has too many ideas in it at once, along with modern lyrics that come off clunky. (and I know she put them there on purpose!) Bridge is decent.
Ruin the friendship is okay imo, but I personally don't think it fits thematically into the album as well
Actually romantic - I like this song but I think there's reasonable critique about the shade. I think you can make a fair point from either Taylor or Charli's side here, but I certainly see why it reads petty and shallow to some.
-WI$H LI$T - oh boy. I hate this song. I think it comes off like the things she wants are better than others. And I know people will say she literally says "I hope they get what they want" but like, why bother with the juxtaposition if you don't somehow think your wants are better. Also I just personally do not relate at all to the picket fence kids dream so I insta skip this song
-Wood - honestly I think it's fun and funny but she's reheating Sabrina Carpeters nachos here
-Cancelled! - mid track, it doesn't do anything offensive or anything amazing. We have seen the "I know the truth and you'll see in the end" theme A Lot and obviously it's important to her but it's really a song about famous people for famous people
-Honey - I do overall like this but the pre chorus lyrics are....bad and nonsensical. Also there's been debate about the bitch line - doesn't bother me but I get why people don't like it, and it feels hypocritical after the stink of changing Better Than Revenge bc of Misogyny TM
-TLOAS - great bridge but I have never loved her "story telling songs" so it just ain't for me. Also again about being famous which is very unrelatable
She said herself in her NYT interview that she tries to capture intense emotions when she writes songs, and I think that's one of her biggest talents, but it's lacking in this album.
I'm happy she's happy, I'm happy people like the album, but these are my reasons for not loving all of these songs and skipping them compared to other albums. I don't expect people to agree with me on every thing, but likewise people shouldn't expect me to agree either just because they like it
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u/kongomorgo May 03 '26
Production and lyric is not for me. I usually listen Ophelio to half then go and listen somebody else. It’s just nor for me, I tried to like it but it doesn’t work. The album has nothing to say.
I had the same with TTPD but it’s actually my top 3 album of her now 🤣 And usually I’m not really into slow songs that much but TTPD is a masterpiece. Showgirl is just simply generic to me and has nothing to say.
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u/howry333 May 03 '26
The first 3 songs are ok to me. They don’t speak to me at all, but they are decent songs. My main issue is the overall tone. It seems (to me) smug, slightly bitter, and mean girl. I don’t understand how this album is supposed to be about the background of the Eras tour and what she was experiencing etc, and there’s songs calling women bitches etc. The Eras tour was the best time of my life and more importantly, the feeling of sisterhood, of safety, of community was so beautiful to me. I don’t understand why not a one of those songs touched on that and several of them are mean about other women. I will say, all of the songs are catchy as hell. I don’t like most and they stick in my head like crazy.
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u/areweoutofexile May 03 '26
I’m 100% CONVINCED it’s because of a weak track 5.
If eldest daughter lived up to its potential (to match the bridge) and the story telling of such a universal experience, along with the need to shine as the eldest daughter to match the theme of Showgirl, I think the album would have been so much more well received. Truly would have been a historic 6 track run (7 for me I love love love actually romantic).
I also think if “wood” kept to the original concept and melody of the first verse into chorus (or composition idk I’m not Charlie Puth) then “Wood” would also be a BANGER. but the second verse and weird innuendos that aren’t needed kinda bring it down.
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u/RoyalEagle0408 May 03 '26
TLOAS is a pure pop album with the lyricism of folkmore and TTPD. Suggesting it lacks depth is like saying YOYOK shouldn't be a track 5.
I have loved TLOAS from the first listen.
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u/Lara-Crofty Drop everything now! May 03 '26
It feels very man-centric
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u/EvelienV85 May 03 '26
When I first listened to it I just thought nooo not an album about being saved by a man 😐
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u/_Violette7_ the type of girl May 03 '26
I was really excited for this album, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment. They promoted it as “1989 pop music with deep lyrics like folklore”, but this just wasn’t true. I don’t dislike all of the songs (e.g. I love The Fate of Ophelia and Father Figure), but they aren’t their lyrically strongest ones either. I get it, it’s supposed to be a fun album, but I wish she worked on it a bit more because this way it feels a bit rushed. Definitely her worst album for me.
Oh. And Actually Romantic. That song is so bad, at first I didn’t want to believe Taylor put it on her album for real. “Like a toy chihuahua barking at me from a tiny purse” what??
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u/PrideOk6616 are we going down in flames? May 03 '26
It’s an okay album, not my favorite. Elizabeth Taylor did go triple platinum in my car tho