When it comes to critiquing Taylor Swift’s new album I would like to preface a couple things. I do not listen to Taylor Swift and I do not hold any specific thoughts, feelings, or knowledge towards who she is as a person. This is specifically based on music and the aspect of artistry.
With that being said, there are three songs that are ranked high out of a scale out of ten. Swift has a total of 12 songs on her new album, The Life of a Showgirl. After listening to the album five times, I have placed them in order from the best to worst song. For further explanation, these songs are ranked based on the blending of vocals and instruments and if they match its choice of tone, lyrics and overall vibe.
- The Fate of Ophelia 10/10
- Actually Romantic 10/10
- The Life of a Showgirl 9/10
- Opalite 8/10
- Ruin the friendship 6/10
- Honey 5.5/10
- Wood 5/10
- Wi$h Li$t 4/10
- Elizabeth Taylor 3/10
- Eldest Daughter 2/10
- Father Figure 1.5/10
- Cancelled! 1/10
After listening, there are only four songs I would genuinely listen to, however, only the top 3 I would not skip if they were to play through shuffle. With a possible rating of 10 for 12 songs, the score of the album will be out of 120. This puts Taylor Swift’s new album at a 65/120, and if you ask me, that’s a failing grade.
The first four songs encompass all aspects of a great song: Vocal layering and harmonization, the choice of vocal tone matches the music and the music compliments the lyrics and they encompass a catchy chorus. In her lower ranking songs there was something missing, lacking or not matching. Certain lyrics felt cheesy or cringy due to the type of track she chose for the song. There were songs that scored low yet had beautiful meanings portrayed through the verses, but the choice of vocal tone or choice of lyrics to portray this story could have been way better. There were others that had a catchy chorus but the bridges were off-putting. The intros and outros in the majority of her songs did not land and seemed off-putting to the rest of the song.
All in all, she had three really good songs that blended well in all these areas; the verse, chorus, bridge, intro, outro and pre-chorus. I will not be listening to any of the songs except maybe “The Fate of Ophelia” and “Actually Romantic”. I will say that I watched the music video for “The Fate of Ophelia” and I really enjoyed it as the music video is vibey. The fashion, dance, and theatrics of it I really enjoyed, and I am interested in what other songs she will make music videos for regarding this album. With the chorus of “The Fate of Ophelia” stuck in my head, I encourage you to listen to this song but avoid the rest of the tracks. This album was definitely not a hit and secures itself as a miss.
