By Olivia Turner | Arts & Life Editor
In this week’s Tunesday, I dive into the best song on “The Life of a Showgirl” and highlight other musical gems hidden in the shadow of Swift’s Friday release. Read up to expand your playlist with some of this weekend’s hit tracks and singles.
“Earthshaker” by Phantogram (Oct. 3)
Phantogram’s latest single is proof that the group is still serving the same good grunginess and edginess from their hit song “Black Out Days” in 2013. Heavy, clashing drums introduce the track, laden with bass string undertones and electronic chords weaving in and out of verses. Lead vocalist Sarah Barthel haunts the listener with her airy, aching lines, “‘Cause it’s too late / In my mind / I ain’t the diamond in your sky.”
Those who attended Austin City Limits Weekend One were lucky enough to see Phantogram live on Sunday at Beatbox Stage. “Memory Of A Day,” the group’s fifth studio album, will be released Oct. 18.
“Elizabeth Taylor” by Taylor Swift (Oct. 3)
In the second track on her twelfth studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” Swift shouts out the ‘50s English-American actress, her eight marriages throughout her lifetime and her eyes, which were famously “violet” under certain lighting.
Referencing the star, Swift sings of the struggle of dating when you’re in the spotlight. Some partners can handle the fame, and others can’t — “All the right guys / Promised they’d stay / Under bright lights / They withered away / But you bloom.”
Out of all the songs on this album, Swift best encapsulates the truth of the showgirl theme here. She shows the grit behind the glamour — being a showgirl, or a pop star by modern terms, isn’t all romance and fun. Best of all, her vocals shine through with a melody and piano riff that had me replaying this track again and again.
“Fascination in the Dark” by Vance Joy (Oct. 2)
Since the “Riptide” craze in 2013, Vance Joy has consistently been making bangers for over a decade now. This indie-folk track, the sister single to “Divine Feelings,” has a swelling production and a sing-along chorus that doesn’t take long to pick up on, and the brass notes are the cherry on top.
The lyrics tell of an intoxicating kind of love — one that seems almost like “salvation.” As one listens, it’s easy to picture the emotion Vance describes. Eyes lock through a gap in the crowd. The two slowly make their way toward each other across a dim-lit, smoky dance floor, drawn together by some invisible force. It’s almost tangible.
Considering this is the first time Vance Joy has released solo work since “In Our Own Sweet Time” in 2022, fans can only hope for more music after this brief taste.
