2/10
A year after Taylor Swift released her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, she’s back with four new songs: an Encore. Though the original release was critically panned, more recent releases, like Toy Story 5’s “I Knew It, I Knew You,” and major life events, like Swift’s marriage to football player Travis Kelce, sparked hope of a revitalization of the old Swift sound. The Encore isn’t that.
When Swift announces new music, the countdown should start immediately. Everyone should be waiting desperately for midnight to hit and new songs to drop. But that didn’t happen. We honestly both forgot about it.
And after the first few listens, we wish we could go back in time and forget it all again.
The Encore is a glorified four-track deluxe focusing on Swift’s marriage (a little bit), and Swift’s lingering feelings toward her ex-boyfriends (a lot more). What are we doing?
“Patient Zero,” the Encore’s opening track and lead single, follows Swift as a disgruntled ex-girlfriend, lending a helping hand to her ex’s new girl. “When the toxins take their hold, you’d rather die than let it go / But if you’re sick of him, I got you, I was patient zero,” she sings, in a chorus that sounds remarkably similar to The 1975’s “Somebody Else.” Awkward. Though the song could be a relatable storyline, remarking on relationship deja vu, it isn’t special. The instrumentation is reminiscent of an Old Navy ad, and the song’s focus is cliche and lazy.
The track’s music video, which premiered at this year’s VMAs, however, is a welcome return to Swift’s video roots. It’s well directed, smartly written, and has some quintessential jaw-dropping moments. It’s just so Taylor.
Through Swift’s career, she’s set up shop in Nashville, New York, the woods, and London. God, “Cleveland!” is a horrible destination. The Encore’s second track is probably the worst of Swift’s career. It makes some of Swift’s biggest misses (“Wood,” “ME!,” and “Karma feat. Ice Spice”) sound playable. “Cleveland!,” the album’s only song about her marriage to Kelce, is painfully cringy. Sonically, it’s reminiscent of Christmas, and lyrically, it’s reminiscent of preschool. “My baby likes what he likes / He already took me to Cleveland / And showed me the heights / So hate all you like,” Swift sings. Don’t worry, we will.
The song’s bridge is the low light of Swift’s entire career. After 20-years of rooting for Swift happily ever after, the fact that she’s celebrating her marriage via spoken word PSA is a major letdown. It is the most unconvincing portrayal of love in her entire career. “You just have to find one person who doesn’t find you completely insufferable / And good news, I found mine,” Swift brags. Well, we’re glad you think you found your one. After this, the rest of us beg to differ.
The Encore’s third track, “Pink Clouding,” is simply forgettable. The song, seemingly about ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn, feels like a cut Lover track. It’s breezy and light, but cheap. “I was pink clouding from the thrill of it / Skydiving as you wrapped your arms around my body,” she sings. It feels unsophisticated. Maybe Swift should shift to writing insurance jingles.
“Babylon” is the only Encore track that feels like a Taylor Swift song. The chorus is catchy, an acoustic moment is appreciated, and the song is in both Swift’s key and character. It sounds like her. “But you love this song / You wake up on the train with your headphones gone / Then that melody is all you want,” she sings. However, the song only stands out next to some of Swift’s worst songs. If this were on any other Swift album, it would be mediocre at best. The lyrics are redundant and overly complex (“a liberated libertine,” really?), and the track’s nostalgic themes have been done better by Swift herself, earlier in her career.
The Encore isn’t just bad, it’s tragic. It seems like now, nobody can tell Taylor Swift no. The result of all this sycophancy is an unneeded, unedited mess. It’s uncanny. Swift needs to figure this out, quick. Her next album is lucky number 13, a number she’s associated with throughout her career. The pressure is on.
