Our Honest Review Of Taylor Swift’s Life Of A Showgirl: The Encore
Taylor Swift gave fans plenty to talk about this week when she announced a deluxe edition of The Life of a Showgirl, complete with four new tracks. Today, the wait finally ended. But do the new songs hold up to the rest of the album? Here’s our honest review.
Initial thoughts
The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore features four brand new songs, and after a first listen, I’m firmly on board. My love for Taylor’s music typically lies in the nostalgia of her early country albums, and more recently, her folky Evermore record. But her return to pop with The Life of a Showgirl is one I’ve fully embraced.
I’ll say this though, with Taylor and this genre, the songs always seem to take longer to grow on me, and I expect that’ll be the case here too. Do these four new tracks hold the same place in my heart as Illicit Affairs or Cowboy Like Me? Probably not. But they’re fun, upbeat and entertaining, growing catchier with every listen. I can already tell the bridge on Pink Clouding will be stuck in my head within days, whether I like it or not.
Do these four new tracks hold the same place in my heart as Illicit Affairs or Cowboy Like Me? Probably not. But they’re fun, upbeat and entertaining, growing catchier with every listen. I can already tell the bridge on Pink Clouding will be stuck in my head within days, whether I like it or not.
Amelia, Culture & Lifestyle Editor
The tracks
Patient Zero opens things up with a warning wrapped in a pep talk, Taylor offering herself up as the one who saw the red flags first so you don’t have to. Cleveland! is the most playful of the four, full title aside, a fun nod that fans have already linked to Travis’s hometown.
Then there’s Pink Clouding, which is currently coming in as my second favourite track. And finally, Babylon. This one’s taking top spot for me – a wistful look back at a relationship she didn’t appreciate until it was gone, tying back to imagery she’s used before on Cowboy Like Me.
The team reacts
Despite my enthusiasm on my first listen, it seems Taylor’s latest drop has divided The Handbook team. Here’s the verdict:
As a non-Swiftie, I didn’t have particularly high hopes for the new releases, but credit where it’s due, Taylor has a real craft for capturing music that feels like summer nostalgia, Babylon feels like driving with the windows down in the middle of August.
Sophia, Digital Content Creator
This isn’t my favourite Taylor music drop to date (I loved the first disc of The Life Of A Showgirl more), but I was really in the mood for it. The opening riff of ‘Patient Zero’ is so catchy, it will be playing on repeat in my head all week/month
Natasha, Digital Editor
To be honest (to me) this is some of the worst work Taylor Swift has ever put out. There’s nothing here that adds value to her already great discography. The only song that’s even somewhat redeemable to me is Babylon. It feels completely missable, and she should’ve kept it in the drafts. It’s not memorable whatsoever, especially compared to what we know she’s capable of.
Caitlin, Senior Campaign Success Manager
