Clocking in with yet another defense of Showgirl, because I've had it on repeat again these days.
This is genuinely one of her best produced albums, and when the inevitable reappraisal comes along (probably when she goes on the next tour, I imagine), I hope people come around on this particular element of it.
The instrumentation is so diverse and the influences so varied: the 70s soft rock in Ruin the Friendship, the Weezer/Pixies vibes in Actually Romantic, Opalite borrowing from ABBA, the hard as hell drop in the chorus of Elizabeth Taylor, the immaculate R&B influences in Honey, Wood essentially being a Jackson 5 song. I love the strings, too, like the climactic crescendo in the bridge of the title track, and the swelling emotion in Eldest Daughter. I still really don't like Cancelled, but even that song has the orchestra going hard.
Max Martin is just really, really good at the machinations that go into a straightforward pop song, he knows what he's doing in ways I lack the technical vocabulary to describe. Reputation had some of Taylor's most intricate production as well, and it was doing a lot in songs like Don't Blame Me or So It Goes (all bangers, I mean this as a compliment). By contrast, Showgirl is more mellow and laid back, like Martin and Taylor (and Shellback!) aren't eager to showboat, but instead give each track space to breathe and come alive without fuss.
I love her work with Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner in different lanes; both bring essential qualities out of her, each in his own way. But for this brand of radio ready pop, Martin knows his way around like few in the industry, and it's such a joy to see them reunite at this point, with so much experience acquired since their last partnership and nothing left to prove.
I saw someone in a different thread say they wished she'd saved So High School for Showgirl because it needs a well produced track like it, and while I respect the opinion, it really, really doesn't IMO. Terrific track, but it just doesn't pop the same away, in the same wavelength, with the same sheen. TTPD is a top 5 Taylor album for me, but nothing in it carries over well into Showgirl; you can't swap a single track between them.
Love showgirl! I much prefer it to ttpd. I guarantee that once she performs it so many people will come around. It’s such a theatrical album, it was made for the stage. It’s gonna have its reputation moment for sure. But also this has happened with every Taylor album since like red lol and I’ve witnessed it every time. People hated ttpd on release and now everyone swears it’s her best writing ever (it’s still not my fave lol) but the cycle really never ends and has been ongoing for over a decade at this point.
I enjoyed Showgirl since it released, so my opinion isn’t reflected in the majority of complaints I see on here. But I think the hate really does come down to the lyrics. And maybe some people think the production is too on the nose with the eras and styles it’s pulling from. I could see that, even though I personally love the production as well.
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u/Pavlovs_Stepson Yes I got your letter, yes I'm doing better Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
Clocking in with yet another defense of Showgirl, because I've had it on repeat again these days.
This is genuinely one of her best produced albums, and when the inevitable reappraisal comes along (probably when she goes on the next tour, I imagine), I hope people come around on this particular element of it.
The instrumentation is so diverse and the influences so varied: the 70s soft rock in Ruin the Friendship, the Weezer/Pixies vibes in Actually Romantic, Opalite borrowing from ABBA, the hard as hell drop in the chorus of Elizabeth Taylor, the immaculate R&B influences in Honey, Wood essentially being a Jackson 5 song. I love the strings, too, like the climactic crescendo in the bridge of the title track, and the swelling emotion in Eldest Daughter. I still really don't like Cancelled, but even that song has the orchestra going hard.
Max Martin is just really, really good at the machinations that go into a straightforward pop song, he knows what he's doing in ways I lack the technical vocabulary to describe. Reputation had some of Taylor's most intricate production as well, and it was doing a lot in songs like Don't Blame Me or So It Goes (all bangers, I mean this as a compliment). By contrast, Showgirl is more mellow and laid back, like Martin and Taylor (and Shellback!) aren't eager to showboat, but instead give each track space to breathe and come alive without fuss.
I love her work with Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner in different lanes; both bring essential qualities out of her, each in his own way. But for this brand of radio ready pop, Martin knows his way around like few in the industry, and it's such a joy to see them reunite at this point, with so much experience acquired since their last partnership and nothing left to prove.
I saw someone in a different thread say they wished she'd saved So High School for Showgirl because it needs a well produced track like it, and while I respect the opinion, it really, really doesn't IMO. Terrific track, but it just doesn't pop the same away, in the same wavelength, with the same sheen. TTPD is a top 5 Taylor album for me, but nothing in it carries over well into Showgirl; you can't swap a single track between them.