Taylor Swift has addressed the mixed reactions surrounding her latest album The Life of a Showgirl, stating she “welcomes the chaos” that comes with public discourse about her music.
Speaking to Zane Lowe in an interview that aired on Tuesday (as per Rolling Stone), Swift embraced the controversy. “The rule of show business is if it’s the first week of my album release and you are saying either my name or my album title, you’re helping,” she explained. “And art, I have a lot of respect for people’s subjective opinions on art. I’m not the art police. It’s like everybody is allowed to feel exactly how they want.”
Swift positioned herself and other entertainers as mirrors for their audiences, suggesting that listeners’ reactions often reflect their personal circumstances rather than the music itself. “What you’re going through in your life is going to affect whether you relate to the music that I’m putting out at any given moment,” she noted.
Swift highlighted how fan preferences evolve alongside life experiences, referencing how supporters often shift their allegiances between her various albums. “What I often love seeing my fans say is, ‘I used to be someone who didn’t relate to Reputation. And now that I’ve been through some other things in my life, that’s my favourite album.’ Or, ‘I used to be a Fearless girlie, now I’m obsessed with Evermore,'” Swift observed.
Despite polarised responses from critics and fans, The Life of a Showgirl has achieved remarkable commercial success, accumulating over 3 million sales across the US. The album’s performance has been bolstered by an extensive marketing strategy featuring 28 different physical versions of the release, with additional variants continuing to emerge.
Swift described the creative process behind The Life of a Showgirl as fulfilling a long-held artistic ambition. “Making this album was really something I’ve been wanting to do for my entire career, because I have always wanted to have fun in this type of way,” she told Lowe. “To have fun, to exhibit mischief and be flirty, and fun, and make jokes, and get to have that side of my personality. That’s a huge part of my personality.”
Swift concluded her remarks by emphasising her long-term artistic vision, stating: “We’re doing this thing for keeps. I have such an eye on legacy when I’m making my music.”
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