In this special bonus episode of On Brand: Taylor’s Version, now that The Life of a Showgirl is out in the world, we’re asking: what does this new era tell us about Taylor Swift? To explore, I’m joined by Joanna Weiss, editor of Harvard Magazine, journalist, and co-author of Taylor Swift: Album by Album, a deep dive into every era. Together, we’ll unpack how Showgirl fits into Taylor’s evolution and what this chapter reveals about her storytelling, strategy, and brand.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
How Life of a Showgirl fits into Taylor Swift’s evolution as an artist and storyteller
Why some fans are divided on this album — and what that says about the expectations Taylor sets with each new era
How Taylor balances real-life inspiration with fiction and character-driven songwriting
What her creative process and relentless work ethic reveal about brand storytelling and reinvention
Why Taylor’s storytelling genius is as much about community and connection as it is about the music
Episode Chapters
(00:00) Intro
(00:47) Welcome Joanna Weiss
(04:24) How the book Taylor Swift: Album by Album came together
(07:02) Early takes on Life of a Showgirl
(11:04) What makes an “era” — and how Showgirl fits in
(19:18) What Taylor’s saying with this album
(25:23) Her creative process and work ethic
(30:37) Money, power, and independence
(33:20) The Taylor song that makes Joanna smile
About Joanna Weiss
Joanna Weiss is the editor of Harvard Magazine, a contributing writer for Politico Magazine, and a former columnist for The Boston Globe. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, Slate, The Economist, and many other outlets. After chronicling her own Eras Tour experience for Boston’s NPR affiliate WBUR, Joanna dove deeper into the Swiftiverse as co-author of Taylor Swift: Album by Album (Quarto Books), which explores each of Taylor’s eras in detail. In addition to her journalism career, Joanna fronts a rock band she formed with five fellow moms — a story captured in her Boston Magazine feature “For Those Moms About to Rock,” now optioned for film by 20th Century Studios.
What Taylor Era Has Made Joanna Smile Recently?
When asked which Taylor song or era makes her smile, Joanna picked “Love Story.” Despite everything that has come since, she still returns to that song for its sheer emotional clarity — a bedroom-written, 20-minute burst of teenage storytelling that still captures the universal thrill of hope, love, and happily-ever-after energy that defines so much of Taylor’s work.
Resources & Links
Connect with Joanna on LinkedIn and her website
Check out her new book, Taylor Swift: Album by Album
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