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In the same way that morning dawns from the east and disappears in the west, devotees of the music superstar will respond to the invitation for fresh material. Well before the financially stimulating, paradigm-shifting international takeover of her Eras Tour, Swift had nurtured an exceptionally strong and intimate relationship with her audience, even within the reverential world of pop music. Such a bond, maintained via hidden clues, extended imagined relationships and possibly her personal universe, could be genuine and unique and nutritive, a steady raft through difficult times – I have experienced it. However, deep into her dominant period, Swift’s cyclical feeding of the fan base has started to seem less like a two-way dedication and increasingly manipulative, the many one-off re-releases and collector's LPs and exclusive retail releases like a billionaire’s tax on her dedicated fans.

The Latest Offering

The latest of these is the Showgirl film – or, more truthfully, a “launch event” film for her recent release Showgirl's Life, out this Friday. Marketed as the Premiere Event of a Showgirl, it includes of lyric explanations, filming glimpses and a single video (repeated once), casually compiled into a full cinematic session. These are the elements most performers would release online, but that Swift, having already asserted box office domination with her Eras Tour concert movie, chooses to release in cinemas from 3-5 October. With a projected $30m opening in the US, it will almost certainly be the most profitable release this week – unfortunately, since it hardly counts as a supplementary piece to the album, let alone one worthy of note in her extensive catalog of releases.

Cinematic Experience

When viewed in theaters, The Release Celebration for Showgirl at least mirrors the record it promotes – rote, tinnily light, with the lazy execution and first-draft quality typical of an artist up against a deadline. Further evidence of according to cultural analysis has termed Swift’s fatigue period. In a low-fi intro shot straight to audience, Swift, endearingly clumsy and downplaying typically, promotes the release as an informal trip of the creative influences” representing a dynamic, stimulating phase”.

Aside from a behind-the-scenes featurette on the Fate of Ophelia music video divided into brief parts, the event is predominantly videos that spell out lyrical content accompanied by a clip from said music video shoot in cycles. It's acceptable as background viewing during an event, but a problem as the central offering for a record that is best absorbed from a distance, its tepid soft-rock and hall-of-fame cringe lyrics meant to be experienced passively without deep analysis. Perhaps one needs to be drunk; except for one holler for the remarkably unaware that particular song, the audience was quiet during my alcohol-free afternoon showing.

Song Commentary

She includes each musical piece with a quick insight of her thought process – generally appreciated, even critics would argue it lacks appeal – however, they mostly consist of generalizations, professed enthusiasm and covering her bases (for instance, obtaining rights from the copyright holders to sample the song Father Figure). She traditionally remains vague about songs with clear subjects, but the ambiguity in this case seems particularly unnecessary. Absent is any discussion of the inspiration behind the record, her fiance Travis Kelce, despite being unusually open about their domestic bliss in recent media appearances lately. The frequently analyzed and badly executed Charli xcx diss in that particular track is explained as a romantic gesture toward an adversary. (Interestingly, a sharp line about attention and you’ve given me a whole lot of it”, exacerbates the issue.) The suggestive, wordplay-filled the song Wood, featuring a metaphorical tree, is promoted as a piece on rituals with one child-proof, implied expression to the camera.

Connection and Storytelling

She continues to excel at implying connection despite her fame within the industry; she’s a chatty and compelling narrator, even if sometimes misleading on her own music. (It isn't the energetic collection so advertised in other media.) That especially shines during professional moments; the film’s best moments, without doubt, are when she cedes space to her many collaborators – the choreographer, the choreographer, and the cinematographer, plus additional team members – and to the precise rhythm of filming process. These insider views – a moment of remote work, jokes with her dancers, improving a shot – are as fascinating as their limited duration and teasing. They reveal both the collective and the operation behind Taylor Swift industries, the true substance in the artist's world.

Final Thoughts

Perhaps assembling more, in a way both strategic and revealing, was an order too tall for Swift’s punishing schedule of decreasing benefits. Maybe loyal enthusiasts of the release – acknowledging their presence – will find something in this basic package of special extras worthwhile. Yet achieving financial success despite sparse content is not an artistic triumph. It becomes an additional revenue source in her business.

• Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl is out in cinemas now