The life of a showgirl and how to embrace cringe
- savannahdarby6
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
A Philosophical Approach to Analyzing How We Listen to Music
By: Savannah Darby
Credit: Taylor Swift / Apple Music
Taylor Swift dropped a new album, and I know we’ve all heard the reviews. What’s special about this one, though, isn’t the music itself, but rather the divide it’s drawing in listeners.
I'm no stranger to Taylor Swift, but make no mistake about it, I’m not a Swiftie either. I’m just a girl whose first concert was the Reputation tour in middle school and who cried to Folklore after her first high school heartbreak. So, of course, I listened to her new album to see firsthand what these reviews were all about and form my own opinions.
It wouldn’t be a Taylor Swift drop without controversy, and The Life of a Showgirl did not fall short. However, this isn’t just another album review; it’s a think-piece about how the ways we listen to music can serve as a mirror for self-reflection. More specifically, how this album’s backlash could indicate unresolved baggage among its audience.
It’s no secret that in Gen Z pop culture there's immense pressure to be deep and philosophical, yet nonchalant and unbothered. This “cool-girl” aesthetic that’s taken over social media is suffocating our sense of individuality and taking away from the whimsical ability to just “be.” Everyone is falling victim to the sameness epidemic and getting stifled in the process of trying to fit in -a paradox we completely set ourselves up for. Romanticizing our own pain and marketing it as an aesthetic as a way to cope has become so ingrained in daily life that you probably don’t even realize how often you’re doing it.
For example, Folklore and Evermore are the albums I see the most often compared lyrically to The Life of a Showgirl. But, we need to remember that they became as famous as they are because they were written in a very dark time in Swift’s life and streamed by a bunch of similarly heartbroken teenage girls. They fit right into this “cool girl” aesthetic, made for the girl with perfectly smudged eyeliner who reads alone in her local coffee shop and cries in her room every night.
Contrastingly, The Life of a Showgirl is being very harshly critiqued and deemed “cringe” and “millennial” for its lack of deep or meaningful lyrics by those fans who were expecting another rendition of Folklore or Evermore.
But, we need to first ask ourselves, what is cringe if not a way to make ourselves feel better about our own insecurities and by ridiculing others who don't share that sense of self-consciousness? We throw around these words as insults because deep down we all yearn to fit in, and while we might not have the confidence to be ourselves, we feel better about dimming our own spark by tearing down those who don’t fit the trends.
Now, don’t mistake this as unchecked praise for the album…because we all had to listen to Eldest Daughter, and those lyrics speak for themselves. However, regardless of how you feel about it, this album clearly comes from a place of happiness rather than pain, and strays away from the brooding cool-girl we all have been trying to turn ourselves into.
If we take into context what was going on in her life when she wrote each of her albums, this makes a lot of sense, given that she recently got the rights back to her music and is newly engaged, not going through the breakup of a six-year relationship.
Life is constantly changing, no matter who you are. While there is inevitable hardship, it is never permanent, nor is wallowing in it good for you - no matter how hard the sad-girl Tumblr fall aesthetic is coming back.
The best moments of your life didn't make you write deep poetry at 2 am, and even though you might still be at the restaurant, Taylor clearly isn’t. Maybe we should allow ourselves that same grace to move into a new era of life.
Just because you can only listen to depressing music doesn’t mean your favorite artists owe it to you to sacrifice their own feelings for the sake of a more “well-received” album. Songwriting is an ultimately self-serving, creative outlet for an artist, and as listeners, we are just along for the ride, whether we can relate or not.
The Life of a Showgirl is pop music in its purest form: lighthearted and catchy. Not all music has to be profound, and let’s face it, Sabrina and Tate’s aren’t, but we all loved their newest albums.
Sometimes, it’s more fun to just be present and enjoy the vibes than to read between the lines for a deeper meaning. Music is an amazingly multifaceted art form that can help us get through some of our worst moments, but that’s not its only purpose. Enjoy The Life of a Showgirl for what it is, a fun break from the seriousness of life, and fall back on your comfort albums when you need a good cry. The music isn’t going anywhere, and there will always be a song out there for every phase of life.
Reflect on what your opinions are on this album, among others, because it might have a lot to say about your broader outlook on life. Ask yourself what’s driving you to be a Tortured Poet rather than a Showgirl. When you find an answer, whatever it may be, try letting go of it and embracing the feeling of choosing happiness now, because you just might find that an Opalite sky is better than you ever could have imagined.
Savannah Darby is a sophomore majoring in Health Science and Art, and is an avid Spotify user… stalk her on airbuds if you dare. In her free time she enjoys making niche playlists and adding to her vinyl collection. Watch out for more philosophy inspired album reviews in the future!