During her triumphant recent tour, The Eras Tour – which sold over 10 million tickets and grossed more than €1.7 billion in 2023 and 2024 – Taylor Swift revisited the distinct musical periods (or "eras") of her career. In particular, she highlighted the phase from 2012 to 2017, when three albums – Red, 1989 and Reputation – transformed the American country-folk pop singer into an international pop star. This metamorphosis was overseen by Swedish producer duo Max Martin and Shellback, with whom Swift reunites for her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, released on October 3.
Swift has typically charged forward in her career, rarely looking back. Her renewed partnership with these chart-topping producers and songwriters (who have scored 25 number-one hits in the United States, working with the likes of Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, Pink, Ariana Grande and The Weeknd) signals a desire to dive back into pop exuberance. This follows a series of more introspective, acoustically driven albums – folklore and evermore in 2020 – or more somber, electronic efforts – Midnights (2022) and The Tortured Poets Department (2022) – all influenced by producers Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner. When she was teasing the imminent release of the new album, Swift promised a series of "bangers" − slick tracks made for the dance floor.
Of course, the album's release has been accompanied by a major publicity drive, as befits a phenomenon of her stature. This weekend, a film titled The Official Release Party of a Showgirl hit theaters in more than 100 countries (including France), offering, among other things, a behind-the-scenes look at the album's creation. Yet, listening to this new album doesn't feel like being steamrolled by a pop juggernaut.
Sentimental freedom
During their initial collaboration, Martin and Shellback introduced the blonde Nashville heroine to the flamboyant hedonism of urban rhythms, with dancefloor-ready hits such as "Shake It Off," "22" and "Bad Blood." On these 12 new tracks, the former kings of eurodance (working with Ace of Base and Army of Lovers, among others) have put aside their flashiest beats and synthesizers. While they haven't sacrificed the effectiveness of catchy choruses, the producers and songwriters – alongside Swift, who co-wrote nearly the entire album – favor rhythmic freshness, stripped-back piano or guitar, clouds of strings and airy backing vocals, creating a radiance that matches the romantic mood of most of the lyrics.
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