From boom to backlash: has Taylor Swift lost her touch? – podcast | Music

She’s the biggest pop star in the world by every measure, which makes her ability to maintain her relatable charm all the more impressive. But this week, Taylor Swift appears to have made a rare misstep.

For decades, fans have watched him grow from a young country star to a globally recognized billionaire, and he’s taken them along with him thanks to his sharp lyrics about growing up, relationships, and heartbreak. But it’s not just about the music. The Guardian’s deputy music editor explains that she forms a unique bond with her Swifties, leaving clues in her music and content and encouraging them to solve them: Laura Snapes. And it paid off. The Eras tour boosted the UK economy by £1bn.

The excitement was intense when he released The Life of a Showgirl a week ago. But something seemed wrong. The Guardian’s chief pop and rock critic, Alexis Petridis, gave it a two-star review, and many fans expressed disappointment. It wasn’t just an overwhelming music release either. Suddenly his carefully crafted brand was attacked, Noshen Iqbal from its feuds with other artists to its business model of offering extensive bonus content alongside the usual album releases. So is this really about Swift or a change in the music industry?