Taylor Swift publishes a self-portrait of someone who knows she's a queen

BarcelonaThe queen of pop is back. Well, if she ever left at all. Taylor Swift has released this Friday the 12th studio album, The life of a showgirl, where the superstar aims to paint a portrait of what it means to be the most famous singer of the moment. Returning to the origins that gave her the crown, Swift seeks a reconciliation with her past in pop, with a more mature sound, but also fun and danceable. Although she explores an acoustic difference, she doesn't stray from her traditions: her fans can continue to search for the more or less hidden or transparent meaning of the lyrics, although this time the artist is much more direct. The intimate phrases of the album she released last year are long gone, The tortured poets department.

As expected, half the world was waiting for the release of this new album, based on the aesthetics of the cabarets of the 20s and which was already expected to be much more pop. Swift came from a gray and dramatic aesthetic, and the expectation was maximum for what the surprise of an album that explains life behind the scenes of theEras Tour, the tour that broke all records and took her to 150 concerts around the world.

The life of a showgirl, published at midnight Eastern Time (6 a.m. in Catalonia), begins with the first single from the disc, The fate of Ophelia. It is no coincidence that Swift chose the more intimate cover, where she is seen in the water, making reference to the song and the tragic heroine of HamletThe star speaks of how she escaped destiny, of Ophelia's prophecy, and of loneliness. The first notes recall the mythical Dreams, Fleetwood Mac, and from the beginning the one who at 25 years old made the music charts explode with the pop anthems of 1989 wants to show that yes, pop is coming back, but it will do so in its own way.

This is also why Swift has decided not to work with her producer and soul mate, Jack Antonoff, and instead to do so this time with the Swedes Max Martin and Shellback, who had already produced the albums years ago Grid, Reputation and 1989. In fact, some songs, like the second one on the list, Elizabeth Taylor, recall these eras of the singer. But she also opts for more funk and soft rock melodies and explores bubblegum pop to explain the loneliness and disappointments of show business life: "Sometimes it's not so glamorous being me," writes the singer in this track, which is surely the most promising on the album.

Despite the recurring theme of The life of a showgirl, There will always be room for romanticism. This is the case ofOpalite, the third track on the album, with a catchy and fun melody, one of the most danceable of this new era swiftie, who seeks to close romantic chapters and look back on the past with a certain grace. This is also the case with Ruin the friendship, which is reflected in the happy ending story of the megahit You belong with me but with a more adult perspective. And, obviously and as expected, Swift also dedicates herself to her partner, Travis Kelce, an American football player she got engaged to a few weeks ago and, as she explains in the song Wi$h le$t, I could give her the American nuclear life she desires: "I just want you. Have a couple of kids, make the whole building look like you." Because if there's one theme that has recurred in this showbiz woman's love songs, it's also marriage.

There will always be room for blood.

Although Swift also has time for introspection, in Eldesto daughter seeks to be strong despite the difficulties and loneliness that this entails in a more intimate and relaxed theme. Or as Father figure (a reference to George Michael). But here it seems that the star begins to pull out daggers that, certainly, are missing in some songs on the album. In this case, she refers to Scooter Braun, her former manager, who bought the rights to her first albums: "You made a deal with the devil, but it turns out my penis is bigger." It is surely one of the first times that Swift dares to be so direct and not dress up insults in the intelligent, poetic, and convoluted way to which we are accustomed. Out for Blood is in Actually romantic, full of darts that fans already assume are directed at the singer Charli XCX: "You called me boring Barbie when cake makes you brave. [...] It's actually adorable how much time you've been thinking about me."

A dangerous dare

The end of this new era is once again a woman and a young woman in a world that is not exactly pleasant or feminist, as in Honey and Cancelled!, which explore growing up in the society of social media, rumors, and public scrutiny at its peak. While the first one is more romantic, the second is more heartbreaking, recalling the most tense moments of Reputation, the revenge album (although it's much more romantic than we think).

To put the finishing touch on this cabaret, Taylor Swift reunites with the other pop star of the moment, Sabrina Carpenter. In fact, the same melody accompanies fans at the end of the show. Despite the common thread, the aesthetics and the plot make the music get lost in the middle (we miss those wonderful bridges to which fans are accustomed), and although she maintains the talent to explain a life that seems distant to us, such as that of a super-famous person, in a human way, it was quite daring (and perhaps dangerous) to take a risk.

But it was clear that the tortured poet needed it to reconcile herself with the past, with the trials she has been subjected to and the loves that have not ended well. And perhaps to summarize who she is and remember everyone who is in charge here.

Faced with a transitional album, it's easy to wonder what's next for Swift, and whether she'll finally unearth that dagger that is the pen, which she knows so well how to use, or whether she will opt from now on for a softer, calmer octopus, like perhaps this adult age she is living, stable and mature. This doesn't have to mean being boring: she has already shown that she can be much more direct than people would expect. swifties were expected. The question now is whether this is liked, or whether it is necessary to take a step back.