It is undeniable the power that Taylor Swift has on her fanbase. The Swifties are a dedicated bunch and now they are all listening to The Life of a Showgirl on repeat. And probably making Swift millions in the meantime.
One song in particularly has people talking and that is “Wood,” the song allegedly about Travis Kelce’s….well, use your brain cells. Not only do I not want to think about what he’s packing but the song is also seemingly sampling a Jackson 5 song so the whole thing is making my brain hurt a little bit. But the song is actually quite tame.
The lyric that I can see as the most “scandalous” of them goes “Forgive me, it sounds cocky/He ah-matized me and opened my еyes/Redwood tree, it ain’t hard to see/His love was thе key that opened my thighs.” In comparison, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Tears” has the lyric “Tears run down my thighs.”
To be fair, Swift has not been known to be explicit in her songs. She’s not one to have overtly sexual tones in her songs, that does go to Carpenter’s discography. Swift does mention his “manhood” and his “magic wand” in the song and so yes, for some fans of Swift, it is shocking to hear their fave singing so openly about what is seemingly Travis Kelce’s package.
I have something to say about The Life of a Showgirl
I am someone who does like Swift’s music. There was a time in my life (in high school) where I listened to “The Way I Loved You” every single morning before school and pretended like it related to me and my crush. I wouldn’t say I’m a Swiftie but I know her music well enough. So when I say that The Life of a Showgirl just didn’t do it for me on the first listen, it is coming from someone who does enjoy Swift’s music from time to time.
Part of my issue is that I feel like some songs are a bit too “mean girl” for my taste and maybe that’s just a personal thing. I could come back around on the album yet. All I did was listen to it straight through at midnight so who knows where I’ll stand later on. But I do think that Tortured Poets Department is a stronger album overall.
The theme of a “showgirl” isn’t really present in any of the songs and a lot of them to sound like other songs. She does intentionally sample the song “Father Figure” by George Michaels and did get in his estate’s approval. Many have pointed out that songs like the title track sounds a lot like “Cool” by the Jonas Brothers. Whether it is a nod to “Cool” or just happens to sound similar, we don’t know but it is interesting, especially given the Olivia Rodrigo of it all.
I hope that my feelings change on the album. There’s nothing I love more than listening to Swift’s music and having an emotional connection to it but right now, “Wood” isn’t really begging me to relisten to it and I kind of love “Father Figure” most but we shall see what the future holds.
(featured image: Taylor Swift)
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