Taylor Swift's 'The Life of a Showgirl' is an immaculate act of damage control

"That earlier LP, which contained 16 tracks before Swift expanded it with 15 more, was perhaps the most divisive of the singer's two-decade-long career; it racked up bonkers sales and streaming numbers, of course - at this point, she's truly too big to fail - but its mixed reception among tastemakers and even some fans seemed to rattle Swift, who for all her alertness to the brutality of being a woman in the public eye has become accustomed to a certain level of idolatry."

"So here's "Showgirl," her 12th studio LP, for which she reteamed with Max Martin and Shellback, the two hit-making Swedish producer-songwriters who helped her transition cleanly from country to pop in the mid-2010s with blockbuster albums like "Red" and "1989." Swift has said she made the new album while roaming around Europe in the summer of 2024 on her record-obliterating Eras tour, which explains the title even as it begs all sorts of questions about her psychotic work ethic."

"And let's be clear: These three can craft a hook as neatly and as skillfully - as deviously, really - as anyone in the business. In contrast with the bleary "Tortured Poets," which yielded only one pop-radio monster in the Hot 100-topping "Fortnight," "Showgirl" is likely to spin off several, not least the album's lead single, "The Fate of Ophelia," which rides an irresistible new wave groove that evokes the veteran hookmeisters of Eurythmics. (Look 'em up, kids.)"

Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl is a 12-song pop album that reunites her with producers Max Martin and Shellback and emphasizes concise, hook-driven songwriting. The record was made while she toured Europe during the summer 2024 Eras tour and channels streamlined popcraft after the sprawling, expanded and emotionally volatile The Tortured Poets Department. The prior album achieved enormous sales and streaming but provoked mixed critical and fan responses that appeared to unsettle her. The new album foregrounds polished, radio-ready hooks, and its lead single, "The Fate of Ophelia," channels a new-wave groove likely to generate multiple pop hits.

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