Number 12
I’ll admit it. I’m happy for all the enthusiasm for Taylor Swift’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl. I’ll also admit that I’ve tried to dive into her music but came up short. I like Shake It Off and Electric Touch, but they’re really the only two songs I can name off the top of my head. I suppose it just makes me happy to see so many other people happy, especially when some of them are friends of mine. Maybe happiness is infectious.
Of course, now I’m thinking I should do a deeper, slower dive into her music and maybe start from the beginning, with album number one. If I could get that done before October and the release of Life of a Showgirl, I’d be better prepared to hear her music as a progression and part of a whole, just like I saw the music of Dylan and the Beatles. There were single songs for sure, but it was the oeuvre of their work that made the impression with me.
What I dread, of course, is the moment something mean and nasty will show up about Taylor, or her boyfriend, or her family. That seems to be the American penchant when it comes to famous people. Build them up. Knock them down. And powerful women seem particularly vulnerable to this. But so far so good. Taylor has adeptly navigated the perilous waters of fame, and I wish her all the luck, because I think we could use more of her love and kindness.