Charlie Harding

Taylor Swift's latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, has only been out a week, and the discourse could not be more divided.

What if they're all wrong?

What if every Easter egg, every lyric, is just part of the performance?

I'm Charlie Harding from Switched on Pop.

Join us as we listen closely to reveal how the life of a showgirl isn't confession, it's craft.

Hear it on Switched on Pop, wherever you get podcasts.

Some critics are calling it fake and cringe, others are giving it five stars, but almost everyone assumes it's autobiography.

Beautiful.

Beautiful.

Beautiful.

It follows the essential songwriting rules established by Irving Berlin, the great 20th century songwriter, wrote 1,500 songs in his life, including songs like Puttin' on the Ritz, God Bless America, White Christmas. He had nine rules. We're not gonna go through all of them, but it hits on some of the most important ones. For example, the song has to have an average range that anybody can sing.

It follows the essential songwriting rules established by Irving Berlin, the great 20th century songwriter, wrote 1,500 songs in his life, including songs like Puttin' on the Ritz, God Bless America, White Christmas. He had nine rules. We're not gonna go through all of them, but it hits on some of the most important ones. For example, the song has to have an average range that anybody can sing.

It follows the essential songwriting rules established by Irving Berlin, the great 20th century songwriter, wrote 1,500 songs in his life, including songs like Puttin' on the Ritz, God Bless America, White Christmas. He had nine rules. We're not gonna go through all of them, but it hits on some of the most important ones. For example, the song has to have an average range that anybody can sing.

Anybody can sing Country Roads. Okay, the high note, sometimes not. Second, the title has to be planted in the song so you can't forget it. Berlin says that songs should have heart longing, and this song is fundamentally about heart longing. And finally, it just has to be a simple song, and Country Roads couldn't be more simple.

Anybody can sing Country Roads. Okay, the high note, sometimes not. Second, the title has to be planted in the song so you can't forget it. Berlin says that songs should have heart longing, and this song is fundamentally about heart longing. And finally, it just has to be a simple song, and Country Roads couldn't be more simple.

Anybody can sing Country Roads. Okay, the high note, sometimes not. Second, the title has to be planted in the song so you can't forget it. Berlin says that songs should have heart longing, and this song is fundamentally about heart longing. And finally, it just has to be a simple song, and Country Roads couldn't be more simple.

Which leads me to the second point, which is that Country Roads contains the most fundamental, most memorable melody ever. Mi, re, do. That is the whole structure of the chorus melody. Mi, re, do. Three blind mice. It is ingrained in our memory. In fact, the music theorist Heinrich Schenker called this the Ursatz melody, the fundamental melody which is underlying all Western music.

Which leads me to the second point, which is that Country Roads contains the most fundamental, most memorable melody ever. Mi, re, do. That is the whole structure of the chorus melody. Mi, re, do. Three blind mice. It is ingrained in our memory. In fact, the music theorist Heinrich Schenker called this the Ursatz melody, the fundamental melody which is underlying all Western music.

Which leads me to the second point, which is that Country Roads contains the most fundamental, most memorable melody ever. Mi, re, do. That is the whole structure of the chorus melody. Mi, re, do. Three blind mice. It is ingrained in our memory. In fact, the music theorist Heinrich Schenker called this the Ursatz melody, the fundamental melody which is underlying all Western music.

And so when we sing, country roads, me, take me home, re, to the place, do. Dough. Road, home, place, me, Ray, Doe, each of those words falling right on a downbeat on the most fundamental melody. It follows the simplest, easiest to sing melody that anybody can follow along with. It has this one high note who all the celebratory singers can go together. I belong.

And so when we sing, country roads, me, take me home, re, to the place, do. Dough. Road, home, place, me, Ray, Doe, each of those words falling right on a downbeat on the most fundamental melody. It follows the simplest, easiest to sing melody that anybody can follow along with. It has this one high note who all the celebratory singers can go together. I belong.

And so when we sing, country roads, me, take me home, re, to the place, do. Dough. Road, home, place, me, Ray, Doe, each of those words falling right on a downbeat on the most fundamental melody. It follows the simplest, easiest to sing melody that anybody can follow along with. It has this one high note who all the celebratory singers can go together. I belong.

You don't even have to hit the high note. And when you sing I belong, you are claiming your space in this song. This song is meant to be sung together in community all around the world.

You don't even have to hit the high note. And when you sing I belong, you are claiming your space in this song. This song is meant to be sung together in community all around the world.

You don't even have to hit the high note. And when you sing I belong, you are claiming your space in this song. This song is meant to be sung together in community all around the world.