“Babylon” Re-emerges to Save Taylor Swift
Wandering these forgotten gardens, Swift remembered why we love her. by Josh Tan B’30published October 20th, 2026
Wandering these forgotten gardens, Swift remembered why we love her. by Josh Tan B’30published October 20th, 2026
Let’s face it. Taylor Swift’s latest project was a show-stopping disaster. An extension to an already polarising work, The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore is a deluxe album featuring four brand-new songs. Among these tracks, an intriguing dichotomy stands.
Two tracks after what may be Swift’s career low (“Cleveland!”; read Pitchfork’s critique for more insight) sits a mellow, mid-tempo country pop song, largely reminiscent of her earlier albums. Listeners are immediately thrust back into the version of Swift they fell in love with: the girl with the guitar and the dreams.
“Babylon” opens with a clear guitar line set against gentle atmospheric sounds. It’s a warm welcome back into the lush, green world Swift has previously explored in tracks like “cowboy like me” and “I Hate It Here.”
Swift’s vocal delivery stands distinct from the other deluxe tracks. No longer harsh and direct, she is breathy and light; her volume reduced to almost a whisper. “Babylon” is intimate.
The song’s rich confessional writing underscores this intimacy. Dreaming of escaping enclosure, Swift crones, “Those electric fences buzz / The stallion flees the stable / And that small town looks even smaller now in your rear view.”
Although a remarkable improvement from the rest of TLOAS: The Encore, “Babylon” still leaves much to be desired. Swift’s pen loses the characteristic degree of specificity of her diaristic style. Bloated jargon alienates her audience and muddles her message.
Nonetheless, “Babylon” still may be indicative of a return to form. Positioned as the closing number on the record, one can hope that this is the backdoor pilot to TS13.
Should Swift take notice of fan reception to “Babylon” and critical acclaim of her preceding release “I Knew It, I Knew You,” TS13 may reinforce her legacy as one of the best artists in history and, more importantly, win back her fans’ hearts.