It's alright, but I feel like I've heard it a million times before from her.

She really needs a big musical switch-up at this point.

I was expecting THE ENCORE a big bang finale! Especially from the video teaser.

12 hours ago, Tafty said:

Y'all do realise she's a millenial, right? Growing up in the 00's, our fave artists were banging out a new album and campaign, EVERY YEAR (even with side projects - i.e. soundtrack singles - in between!)

Just some random examples - everything in green signals a re-recording/repackage/greatest hits:

Britney released consistently (less than 2 years between each release) up to 2005!

• Baby One More Time (1999)

• Oops...! I Did It Again (2000)

• Britney (2001)

• In The Zone (2003)

• Greatest Hits: My Prerogative (2004)

  ---

• Blackout (2007)

• Circus (2008)

• Singles Collection (2009)

• Femme Fatale (2011)

• Britney Jean (2013)

Rihanna literally had a new album every year from 2005 - 2012! Lmao.

• Music of the Sun (2005)

• A Girl Like Me (2006)

• Good Girl Gone Bad (2007)

• Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded (2008)

• Rated R (2009)

• Loud (2010)

• Talk That Talk (2011)

• Unapologetic (2012)

Girls Aloud were incredibly consistent too!

• Sound Of The Underground (2003)

• What Will The Neighbours Say? (2004)

• Chemistry (2005)

• Sound of Girls Aloud (2006)

• Tangled Up (2007)

• Out Of Control (2008)

Let's compare Taylor's releases:

• Taylor Swift (2006)

• Fearless (2008)

• Speak Now (2010)

• Red (2012)

• 1989 (2014)

  ---

• Reputation (2017)

• Lover (2019)

• folklore (2020)

• evermore (2020)

• Fearless TV (2021)

• Red TV (2021)

• Midnights (2022)

• Speak Now TV (2023)

• 1989 TV (2023)

• TTPD (2024)

• The Life Of A Showgirl (2025)

• The Life Of A Showgirl: The Encore (2026)

A new studio album every 2 years (not including folklore/evermore - but Covid times/releases are such an outlier in general). Re-recordings in 2021 & 2023/between the new albums (much like a greatest hits or a deluxe repackage imo - except to less fanfare. I think Red TV was the only one to get actual promotion with performances? - the last 2 TV's were just on the hype of ERA's tour)

She's said in so many interviews that she doesn't want to take breaks and that she just likes making music and releasing. If she's happy doing that as it's her job, that's perfectly fine, imo. A singer/performer's job is to perform, create and release music. They can go at whatever pace they're most comfortable with.

I still don't see the real issue tbh. I just think some people just don't like that she's been so successful at doing a rollout, for as long as she has been, with it. You're all too used to a quick fall from Grace and it's not happened when you've wanted/expected it.

I think the main criticism she gets currently, and why she's not really comparable to those artists, is that she's judged through the lens of being the definitive artist of her generation. A lot of those albums were really just middling vehicles for hits. If she was putting out back-to-back acclaimed records the framing would fall apart. But she's an album artist who makes hit singles, not the other way around

She's clearly hit a wall of diminishing returns and none of these four tracks suggest that's changing. I wouldn't say anyone should take a break for no reason, but it's hard not to look at Folklore and see the rare pause it gave her, forced as it was, and how that reshaped her entire career and how her art is viewed

What are we thinking this will do streaming numbers wise in the UK today?

Not sure about numbers but easy #1!

I feel like Taylor might kind of need to underperform to really make her switch stuff up though.

Lover didn’t underperform at all but the way people reacted to that era in a way spurred her creative spirit and we got folklore and evermore as a result (the pandemic played a part too!). Everything she releases and touches is going to insane numbers but the impact on pop culture / overall cultural appeal and the quality isn’t necessarily reflected by it. Like an album that pulled such huge figures and set records The Life of a Showgirl just doesn’t feel like an insanely huge album or one that has any references that feel iconic / historic if this makes sense.

Edited Friday at 08:231 day by Jordanlee1402

I love the new songs so much! I am currently listening for the third time.

20 minutes ago, Jordanlee1402 said:

Not sure about numbers but easy #1!

It should be given the market is somewhat dead atm. Even if she streams half of what she normally does, it would be an easy number 1.

After a few listens, the song is actually sounding really good. I just think people's expectations for Taylor are just ridiculously high that even a good song can sound meh or lifeless to them.

I think since her fans & even casual listeners all have different taste in what they want from her e.g. some want her to be country, some want her to do the upbeat happy pop (1989/lover), some want the darker electro pop like reputation & others want the more stripped back folklore/evermore sound, no one is going to be truly happy with what she releases going forward.

As she's now in a happy place with Travis & we all know she's much more creative & inspired when heartbroken, she needs to lean more on the fairytale style lyrics like she did on folklore. She can still use her life experiences as a platform but further expand by incorporating a false reality.

Why is this the single? Its nice enough but its also quite bland. I was bored a minute in and it went nowhere

Cleveland! Is laughably embarsssing she can’t be for real😭😭😭

1. Babylon. My fave.

2. Pink Clouding. Like this. Gives the most single energy.

3. Patient Zero. Just meh whatever.

4. Cleveland! Major cringe factor but hey at least it fits the showgirl album. Shame cuz I liked the production but the lyrics and her delivery never wanna hear that again.

Edited Friday at 09:211 day by Henessy Lake

I'm alarmed the response to this is muted? I'm glad I listened before I looked at the comments and heard about any of the reviews because I wanted a clear response and it's EASILY the better than the whole album bar maybe Actually Romantic which is an absolute banger in my eyes. It's such a bit of me and production wise a Showgirl cousin of Anti Hero.

I actively hated all of Showgirl but I love Patient Zero, its not reinventing anything but it's a cute fun bop!

1 hour ago, Doug said:

I'm alarmed the response to this is muted? I'm glad I listened before I looked at the comments and heard about any of the reviews because I wanted a clear response and it's EASILY the better than the whole album bar maybe Actually Romantic which is an absolute banger in my eyes. It's such a bit of me and production wise a Showgirl cousin of Anti Hero.

I thought the exact same as well, and thought I was the odd one compared to everyone else in the thread!

I really like it and its growing with every listen, i just thought it was a bold choice of single

After a few more listens, I am actually really liking the song, as well as the other 3 tracks. I think Pink Clouding s definitely the best & Cleveland! is certainly number 4 but all of them actually sound very good after repeated listens. I can see Patient Zero doing similarly to Fortnight! & Pink Clouding becoming a decent sized hit, similar to Karma or I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.

Patient zero is fairly good! It’s nothing special but it’s solid, not sold on the bridge and I’m a bit baffled as to why it’s the single.

Pink clouding is a major bop, immediately in the top 3 of showgirl

Babylon is very solid too, but Cleveland is AWFUL. Who told her it was a good idea to release it. She’s beating a dead horse but nothing good to add. Truly in the bottom 3 of her entire discography already

I really thought Me would be the last we saw of corny Taylor. As my sister texted me earlier 'Cleveland is giving 'spelling is fun''.

The other three sound decent and like growers.

I Knew It, I Knew You is actually my favourite UK No.1 single of the year, I feel it's so underrated and disappeared quite quickly, I prefer that direction to these songs.

I guess this was inevitable.

Queen!