It’s been over a week since Taylor Swift released her 12th album, “Life of a Showgirl,” to mixed reviews. Some people loved it but others took issue with things like the “cringe” lyrics or derivative sounds. But it might take a while before fans warm to the album, as is often the case with Swift’s music. The pop star has had many different “eras” now, each one with a different sound and vibe, and it can take a while for fans to adjust, says Catherine Fairfield, a visiting teaching professor of English at Northeastern University who taught a course on Swift.
“This happens every time one of her albums comes out,” Fairfield says. “If we can look at recent ‘eras,’ every time there is a reaction (about) how this is not what I thought it would … and the reactions are very loud and very strong, especially in the first 72 hours.” But oftentimes, Fairfield says, the music grows on people over time and this will likely be the case with “The Life of a Showgirl” as people take time to digest the music and lyrics.
“The pause is very helpful because Taylor’s always doing something different and showing us something unexpected,” Fairfield says. “It’s natural to have a gut reaction when everyone has an expectation … (but) we have to have time to process that as listeners and make sense of it.”
