{"id":330956,"date":"2025-10-25T06:39:33","date_gmt":"2025-10-25T06:39:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/330956\/"},"modified":"2025-10-25T06:39:33","modified_gmt":"2025-10-25T06:39:33","slug":"taylor-swifts-life-of-a-showgirl-had-a-huge-drop-off-that-tells-us-something","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/330956\/","title":{"rendered":"Taylor Swift\u2019s Life of a Showgirl had a huge drop-off. That tells us something."},"content":{"rendered":"

A couple of months ago, when we first heard about The Life of a Showgirl, Taylor Swift\u2019s heavily hyped 12th album of new material, on an episode of her fianc\u00e9 Travis Kelce\u2019s podcast<\/a>, we were told it contained all \u201cbangers<\/a>.\u201d This was interpreted to mean reliably catchy, super-accessible pop of the kind she did a decade ago on her blockbuster album 1989<\/a>, which would differentiate the LP from her recent<\/a>, more contemplative<\/a> output. I\u2019d like to trouble that thesis with a quick longitudinal study.<\/p>\n

So here goes: Eight of Swift\u2019s last nine studio albums led off with a No.\u00a01 hit on Billboard\u2019s Hot\u00a0100<\/a>. Let\u2019s consider these leadoff singles in two sets: the 2010s and the 2020s. (Though Swift has racked up further No.\u00a01s deeper into her album promotional campaigns, I\u2019m focusing on first singles.) Here\u2019s the first set, Taylor\u2019s album-leading No.\u00a01 hits of the 2010s:<\/p>\n

A footnote to the \u201910s list: In 2019, Swift would have scored another album-leading No.\u00a01\u2014Lover\u2019s \u201cME!<\/a>\u201d featuring Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco\u2014if it hadn\u2019t gotten stuck at No.\u00a02 behind the chart-conquering streamroller<\/a> that was Lil Nas X\u2019s 19-week No. 1 \u201cOld Town Road<\/a>.\u201d So, though \u201cME!\u201d is one of the least-loved Taylor hits<\/a>, let\u2019s tack it onto the above list as a not-so-honorable mention.<\/p>\n

Play those four 2010s smashes back-to-back, and a picture emerges of a young woman who loves frothy, peppy bops\u2014from the bordering-on-pop-punk verve of \u201cWe Are Never Ever Getting Back Together\u201d to the cheerleader chant of \u201cShake It Off.\u201d Even the spookiest, 2017\u2019s spiteful \u201cLook What You Made Me Do,\u201d is uptempo and sparkly, borrowing its chorus cadence from Right Said Fred\u2019s camp classic \u201cI\u2019m Too Sexy<\/a>.\u201d Bottom line, when Swift pivoted from country to pop, she went pop\u2014maximally, for most of a decade.<\/p>\n

Now, consider this other list. These are Swift\u2019s album-leading No. 1s of the 2020s. Notice anything different?<\/p>\n