This is a deluxe edition for an album that is definitely the worst album from Taylor Swift for me. It had a couple of songs I liked, but I have never listened to the album all the way through again after the first attempt. It just didn't work for me. I have listened to every other Taylor album all the way through, some a huge amount of times, I own most of her albums on vinyl (Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, Reputation, Lover, Folklore, evermore, Midnights and the Tortured Poets Department - I was waiting for Debut TV for Debut!). I am never, ever getting this album on vinyl. It was bad. I'm apprehensive about this deluxe for that reason, especially with all the online hate it was getting. Was it deserved? Let's find out.
Patient Zero: The effects on the lyrics are mediocre. Not sure I fully like the choice of instruments here, and the flow of the lyrics is also meh. The chorus is decently catchy which is a salvagable part of the song and probably the best part. Meanwhile, that bridge is a disaster. The talking was not necessary and ruins everything, it just doesn't fit in the song. The production overall is mostly just boring, although there are some interesting parts in the chorus. Also not a fan of the end of the song either. On the bright side though, as mentioned, the chorus is decent! 5/10
Cleveland!: This sounds like a stupid ass commercial. I can't take it seriously from the start. The singing is goofy, the production is goofy. The pre-chorus and chorus both made me actually physically cringe they were that bad. It just sounds too loud and messy. Hey! Hey! Hey! Go away! It's just a massive lyrical mess overall too. It's a poor song about haters and how Taylor is totally secure in her relationship. She may well be, but this song does not paint that picture at all. Where's the love for Travis? I don't see it. And that talking again...STOP IT! Anyway, I saw this song was getting the most hate online and I honestly thought maybe people were overhating just a bit. Nope, they won't. It deserves more hate! Sorry, Taylor. 3/10
Pink Clouding: The start reminded me a bit of So Long, London or something like that. But then instantly not anymore. I'm more of a fan of this than the previous song at least, the production is a bit basic and still feels kinda empty but it has something more to it and isn't as grating. Stop the "p-p-promises" please. It doesn't really totally come together as a song for me. The chorus doesn't hit, and I don't really like the echo vocals and all either. It's repetitive in an uninteresting way. Also, I really have had enough of the talking and the EMPHASIS on certain WORDS. And the quiet part didn't work for me either. Anyway, this was a song. At least it was better than the last one! 4/10
Babylon: This one is definitely my favourite of out of all the songs here. Is it amazing? No. Is it even great? Also no. But it is decent, and honestly, I'll take that at this point. It reminded me a bit of If This Was a Movie at the start but that didn't last very long. The vocals are way nicer in this song, it doesn't totally come together with the production for me but it's still an improvement. Some of the lyrics made me cringe (liberated libertine). This song in general is more catchy, but some lyrics are clunky and are trying a bit too hard. There's too many words or some messy metaphors. And the end didn't quite work for me. But this is still the best song so far. After multiple terrible or mediocre songs, I'll take it. 6/10
Overall Verdict: Should this deluxe have even existed? I don't think so. I didn't like the original album, but there were at least a couple of highlights on the album (Elizabeth Taylor and The Fate of Ophelia). I'm not sure what these songs added to the theme or the album, unless it was just to add more mediocre-bad songs to a mediocre-bad album. This does nothing to change me from the view that The Life of a Showgirl is definitively Taylor's worst album so far. It was so bad it honestly played a part in why I'm no longer a 'Swiftie' like I used to be, and I'm out of the fandom spaces. Like I said though, even the album had a couple of highlights. Not really for this deluxe. Taylor Swift is capable of so much more, and has so many good songs. I'm not sure how she can go back to her heights but this clearly isn't it. Maybe a pivot back to country? Who knows. But I do know I'll never listen to these songs ever again, and I'll spin my 'old' Taylor records instead.