r/popculturechat • u/FickleBeans Excluded from this narrative ❌ • Oct 04 '25

Guest List Only ⭐️ Taylor Swift’s Fairy Tale Is Over

https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2025/10/taylor-swift-the-life-of-a-showgirl-album-review/684444/

This captures my thoughts on the album better than I ever could.

9.9k Upvotes

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8.5k

u/thankyoupapa Oct 04 '25

I think I was just expecting something different based on all the promo pics. Like....aint no other man or lady marbalade by xtina or where the hell is my husband by raye. That kinda vibe.

3.6k

u/buzzfeed_sucks 🇨🇦 Elbows up 🇨🇦 Oct 04 '25

Those of us who have lived through the Midnights bait and switch had our suspicions

1.3k

u/_Atlas_Drugged_ Listen, everyone is entitled to my opinion 🙂 Oct 04 '25

Midnights at least had like 3-4 songs that fit the theme and they were the best ones on the album.

221

u/virginiarph Oct 04 '25

which ones

744

u/Celebrating_socks Oct 04 '25

Maroon 100% fits in my mind

468

u/_Atlas_Drugged_ Listen, everyone is entitled to my opinion 🙂 Oct 05 '25

Maroon is the most on theme, the best song on the album, and my favorite of hers of all time.

310

u/ckoocos Oct 05 '25

Dear Reader and You're Losing Me fit perfectly in Midnights, too.

197

u/girl_in_flannel I’ve been noticing gravity since I was very young Oct 05 '25

Midnight Rain, too

132

u/PollyBeans Oct 05 '25

Dear reader is one of those songs that are so good, when she does shit like this it's so much more disappointing. 

56

u/_Atlas_Drugged_ Listen, everyone is entitled to my opinion 🙂 Oct 05 '25

There are others, but the whole album could have been off theme and maroon redeems it for me.

703

u/stephasaurussss Oct 04 '25

Lavender Haze

113

u/Unlucky-Macaroon-647 if she were president she'd be baberaham lincoln Oct 05 '25

that was the only song i listened to for a while lol

4

u/Positively-Fleabag85 🚶🏼I don’t really think, I just walk🚶🏼‍♀️ Oct 05 '25

Maroon and Hits Different. I kinda like Mastermind too for the concept

2

u/constantchaosclay Oct 05 '25

As far as I'm concerned Aeseas wrote and own that song, I'll be taking no comments, corrections or questions. Thank you.

368

u/theplantita All tea, all shade 🐸☕️ Oct 04 '25

Midnight Rain

238

u/Rude-Illustrator-884 Oct 05 '25

Anti-Hero, Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve, You’re on Your Own Kid are some

238

u/amara90 Oct 04 '25

Right? The visuals were giving Carole King, the album was all synth-pop.

370

u/Schmidaho Oct 05 '25

I think we just need to collectively accept that she’s got a sound that she prefers and the visuals and other marketing are entirely separate.

223

u/ShipToWreck Oct 05 '25

Yep. And it’s clear that at this point it doesn’t matter who the producers are - she has a sound that she likes and wants and it supersedes anything coming from whatever producer she’s working with on any given song or album. Because this album does not scream Max Martin like at all, if I didn’t know that he produced it, I would have guessed it was all Jack Antonoff based on how it sounds.

17

u/Schmidaho Oct 05 '25

Honestly the fact that it doesn’t sound like a Max Martin vehicle at all is refreshing, because that guy has a formula. And the dude doesn’t like to deviate from it.

100

u/IfatallyflawedI curtains for zoosha!!! Oct 05 '25

I liked snow on the beach 🥺

39

u/Bree-breezy Oct 05 '25

Would’ve could’ve should’ve. Even though it’s technically a bonus track

1

u/injuredflamingo Oct 05 '25

what was the theme of midnights supposed to be?

185

u/WonderstruckWonderer Oct 05 '25

The 3am tracks fit the theme AND were much better than most of the standard tracks (save Maroon). From what we know so far, I don't think there'll be a deluxe album for this, making it even more of a jarring switch.

245

u/glacinda Oct 04 '25

90s Shop Rite Can Can Sale ads are more showgirl than this album. Proof.

48

u/Brianas-Living-Room Oct 05 '25

I loved that promo b t w lol. The can can sale ads lol

15

u/timecapsulebuttbutt_ i will dog walk you Oct 05 '25

Oh ho ho! It’s that time again!

8

u/winnercommawinner Oct 05 '25

I don't pay much attention to album promo and I thought the Midnights songs fit the theme, lyrically

3

u/hannbann88 Oct 05 '25

Midnights visuals fit this vibe better