I have often said the perfect length for a pop album is between 11 and 13 songs, lasting anywhere from 30 to 50 minutes.
My thesis is supported by plenty of recent evidence: Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next,” Beyoncé’s “B’Day,” Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia,” Olivia Rodrigo’s “Sour,” and Swift’s own “1989,” to name a few.
The challenge inherent in this method is that the shorter an album is, the more immaculate and incontestable each song needs to be.
Swift certainly believes she achieved this with “The Life of a Showgirl.”
“We knew that we had to bring the best ideas we’ve ever had,” she said of herself and her collaborators, Martin and Shellback, during her “New Heights” appearance. “I also know the pressure I’m putting on this record by saying that, but I don’t care, ’cause I love it that much.”
I certainly admire and applaud Swift for going full throttle and committing to her vision. “Showgirl” is the most brazenly pop-forward, melodically savvy, and structurally polished album that Swift has released in about a decade.
On the other hand, that decade has yielded some of Swift’s best and most beloved lyrical work. Even when telling her most intricate stories, she has never stopped being accessible. We know what she’s capable of. Songs like “The Fate of Ophelia,” “Elizabeth Taylor,” “Opalite,” and “Father Figure” demonstrate Swift’s ability to blend personal narrative with allegory, allusion, and vivid imagery, all without sacrificing a radio-friendly hook. If the rest of the tracklist met that high-water mark, “Showgirl” would be a pop masterpiece for the ages.
Play: “The Fate of Ophelia,” “Elizabeth Taylor,” “Opalite,” “Father Figure,” “Eldest Daughter,” “Honey,” “The Life of a Showgirl (featuring Sabrina Carpenter)”
Filler: “Ruin the Friendship”
Skip: “Actually Romantic,” “Wi$h Li$t,” “Wood,” “Cancelled!”
*Final album score based on songs per category (1 point for “Worth listening to,” .5 for “Background music,” 0 for “Press skip”).
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