Album Review: "The Life of a Showgirl" - Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift The Life of a Showgirl via TaylorSwift.com

Taylor Swift just dropped her highly anticipated 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl. The new project is her first release since concluding her record-breaking The Eras Tour. Swift takes her audience on a lyrical journey through her time behind the scenes during the tour, her personal experiences, and how her life has changed. From meeting her future husband to buying back her masters, The Eras Tour accomplished more than just entertaining fans in the crowd. Throughout The Life of a Showgirl, Swift gives listeners a deeper insight into who she is and where she is going. When approaching this project, Swift revealed that she was very intentional behind the music - not just the lyrics. Which is why she brought back long-time collaborators, Max Martin and Shellback, to produce the LP. These producers were the masterminds behind some of Swift’s biggest hits, such as “Blank Space", “I Knew You Were Trouble”, “Bad Blood”, and “Don’t Blame Me”. Heading into the album, fans were excited to see just how fresh and vibrant this new album really is – and we were not disappointed. 

To make the album release even more special, I had fellow Pop Passion writer, Tessa Brainard, in town for another event. We were able to experience the album together, and I immediately had a Swiftie to share my thoughts and feelings with.

Track List

The Fate of Ophelia

Elizabeth Taylor

Opalite

Father Figure

Eldest Daughter

Ruin the Friendship

Actually Romantic

Wi$h Li$t

Wood

CANCELLED!

Honey

The Life of a Showgirl (feat. Sabrina Carpenter)

The Fate of Ophelia

Swift kicked off the album with the perfect opener. “The Fate of Ophelia” was my claim because Hamlet is my favorite Shakespeare play, so I had high expectations. From the very first note, I knew this track was going to be in my top favorites. I remember thinking, “I fear for the remainder of the album if this song is that good.” The track contains a catchy beat, glittery instrumentation, and flawless vocals. She rewrites the tragic ending of the infamous play, where Ophelia evades drowning and instead marries her love. This is the second song where Swift changes the ending of a Shakespeare story to be happy – the first being “Love Story.” The clever lyricism and infectious soundscape immediately drew me into the track and made me even more excited for the next 11 songs.

Elizabeth Taylor

The album takes a slight turn with “Elizabeth Taylor.” The intro contains a staggered piano followed up with a delicate violin and Swift’s haunting vocals singing the hook: “Elizabeth Taylor // Do you think it’s forever?” The verse continues with this instrumentation, providing a wistful, almost tragic element to the song. When the chorus hits, the listener is blown away by the heavy synth beats and dark-pop atmosphere. The lyrics share her love for her muse and warn them if they ever leave, she will “cry [her] eyes violet // Elizabeth Taylor.” This clever lyric depicts strong imagery, as the iconic namesake was well-known for her deep blue eyes that were often called “violet.” Swift has always shared a deep admiration for Elizabeth Taylor, even mentioning her in previous songs like “...Ready For It?” With the complex production and descriptive lyrics, the second track instantly became one of my favorites.

Opalite

“Opalite” is perhaps one of Swift’s cutest and most whimsical songs. Since the album’s release, it has been constantly playing on repeat in my head. The bright, cheerful track is about going through hardships and break-ups, but finding the light at the end of the tunnel. In the sweet hook, she sings: “Sleepless in the onyx night // But now the sky is opalite.” Swift has shared that she has always loved opals, which also happens to be her fiancé, Travis Kelce, (and my) birthstone! Furthermore, she found the concept of opalite fascinating, as it is man-made opal. So much like these unique gems can be made by man, so can happiness. She believes that you can forge your own joy if you can’t find it naturally. It is a sweet sentiment that is beautifully represented by this glittery song.

Father Figure

“Father Figure” is made for anyone who has ever been betrayed by someone they had once done anything for. The song begins with steady drums quickly met with a wavy keyboard melody, which sets the cool, mysterious vibe of the track. Swift credited George Michael as a songwriter in honor of his song of the same name. The lore behind why Swift chose this route, rather than interpolate, was most likely driven by Michael's fight for his own masters. By crediting him as a songwriter, his estate will receive royalties rather than the company that owns his music. To read more, click here.

Despite this interpolation, Swift and Michael's songs have an entirely different message. Instead, Swift is singing a young ingenue just starting in the industry. She takes them under her wing and promises to fight their battles for them, as evidenced by the lyrics: “I can make deals with the devil because my dicks bigger” and “Who covered up your scandals?” She tells them that she protects the family and will be there every step of the way. However, in the bridge, it is revealed that this person stabbed her in the back, attempting to stage a coup against her empire. But Swift still came out on top as she sees her once loyal mentee be the maker of their own downfall. Although there is also an interpretation that the song starts in Swift's "father-figure's" perspective, who turned out to betray her. But she flipped the script, re-recorded her music, and reclaimed her music. And her singing "I protect the family" six times represents the six albums she saved. With the clever lyricism and multiple possible meanings, “Father Figure” is another ingenious track that showcases the singer’s descriptive language and ability to make mental movies out of songs.

Eldest Daughter

Within Taylor Swift lore, track fives are known as the “emotionally vulnerable” song on the albums. This started as an accident, but around reputation, Swift began doing this intentionally. When going into “Eldest Daughter,” we all expected to be crushed, but instead, we were met with a different type of vulnerability. The song shares the singer’s struggle of wanting to fit in and be cool like her peers and colleagues, but she admits that is just not who she is. The soft, piano ballad turns from a melancholic track to a lovely ode to her fiancé. In the second verse, Tessa and I both audibly gasped when we heard the lyric: “When I said I don’t believe in marriage // That was a lie.” The dichotomy of the lyrics in Midnights to now is heartwarming. She had her heart shattered, was led on, and convinced herself that she never wanted to get married. But now, she’s engaged to a man who celebrates her. The bridge and final verse flip the song into a romantic love song to her fiancé, promising to stand by him forever. 

Ruin the Friendship

Swift reels the listener in with the fun, lighthearted reggae-inspired melody. She takes the audience back to high school, where she tells her muse she should’ve kissed them anyway. She looks back on the chances missed and wishes she could have a do-over. However, Swift suddenly took a turn in the third verse. She sings: “When I left school, I lost track of you // Abigail called me with the bad news // Goodbye, and we’ll never know why.” These lyrics connect to her Red (Taylor’s Version) vault track, “Forever Winter.” Both songs are about her school friend who passed away by suicide. Swift implores her listeners to take a leap of faith and “ruin the friendship” because you never know what might happen.

Actually Romantic

“Actually Romantic” is a witty tongue-in-cheek track with humorous lyrics and an alt-rock soundscape that Swift has rarely explored. The song begins with a muted guitar melody that emulates the 2000s punk style. Swift sings to the subject, revealing their malicious and petty behavior. However, she feels flattered because they are spending so much time and effort on hating her that it’s actually romantic. For me, the track feels like a sister song to Lover’s “I Forgot That You Existed.” In both, Swift brushes off her haters and turns it into a silly little joke.

Wi$h Li$t

In “Wi$h Li$t”, Swift shares what her deepest desire is: to settle down, marry, and have kids with her fiancé. In the verses, she lists the things that others want from fame and fortune, to good looks and adventure. And she hopes they get what they want. In the bridge, she confesses that she has made wishes on all the stars and prayed to God for a “best friend who [she thinks] is hot.” She then closes the bridge with “I hope I get what I want // ‘Cause I know what I want.” The sweetest part about the track is what we know behind the scenes. The day Swift and Kelce filmed the podcast episode where she announced the album, they got engaged. The song had already been written and produced before she knew she was receiving her wish list. The track evokes even deeper emotions when you consider the track “The Prophecy” from her last album. She went from pleading to anyone who listened to change her fate from heartbreak to love — and they did. 

Wood

There’s not much to say about the song “Wood” other than it’s a fun, energetic song that is bound to get the audience dancing. She even briefly references her fiancé by name-dropping his podcast, New Heights. I wouldn’t think too hard about the song’s meaning, though. Just take Swift's word: “‘Wood’ is a song about superstitions — very popular superstitions. Knocking on wood, black cats, stepping on a crack, and things like that.” It’s just a sweet, innocent song about luck. 

CANCELLED!

Immediately, I knew “CANCELLED!” was my favorite track on the album. Dark-pop and alt-rock are my favorite genres, and this song would fit perfectly on reputation or the future rock album I’m praying for. The song kicks off with a muted guitar that lulls the listener into the moody atmosphere. When Swift begins the verse, her voice drips with a fiery attitude that encapsulates the essence of the song. The guitar continues to lead the verse until the chorus hits, and the heavy beat and synth production are introduced. This matches the energy in the lyrics, where Swift reveals the villainess narrative where she prefers her friends to be “cancelled” and she welcomes them to her “underworld, where it gets quite dark.” Swift has been the subject of unjust public scrutiny and has become the person many celebrities reach out to when they have a PR crisis. Many people theorize who the song is about. While I don’t think it’s about one singular person, but an overall message about women being villainized for things a man would be praised for, I do hope that Sophie Turner is in the music video. 

Honey

Swift switches the album from the angsty mood to a cheerful track about her fiancé. The song begins with a sweet, staggered piano and light beat while her angelic vocals sing the hook: “You can call me honey if you want because I’m the one you want.” Then, the chorus begins with the catchy R&B-inspired beat. Swift reveals that anytime she was called “sweetheart”, “lovely”, or “honey”, they were being passive-aggressive or condescending. But her fiancé is allowed to call her these names because, from him, they are endearing. The song is a beautiful testament to the true love the couple shares.

The Life of a Showgirl (feat. Sabrina Carpenter)

The final song is a perfect closer to the project. Featuring one of my favorite artists and a big name in pop music, Sabrina Carpenter, Swift shares the truth about being in the limelight. The theatrical track stars a fictional character, Kitty, whom the singers idolized. But when they met her, she told them that the life of a showgirl is not as glamorous as it seems. Carpenter makes her entrance in the second verse, and throughout the remainder of the song, the two singers flawlessly harmonize. Their voices are a match made in heaven and have left me craving a collab album. In the bridge, the slow, steady soundscape switches to a fast-paced rhythm that mirrors musical theater — bringing the showgirl to life. Then, Swift closes out the track with live recordings from the last Eras Tour performance, where she thanks her band and the audience. It is a sentimental send-off that perfectly wraps up the album about this chapter of her career. “The Life of a Showgirl” may be Swift’s best title track yet. 

From the very first note, Swift captured her audience’s attention. Her mesmerizing production and her candid lyricism made The Life of a Showgirl stand out amongst her flawless discography. In the past five years, her albums felt more like a cathartic diary that Swift was compelled to write into existence – focusing more on the storylines. However, this album maintained the poetic language while providing the listener with something to dance to. Swift once again has outdone herself, something that continues to blow my mind after every release. The Life of a Showgirl by Taylor Swift is available on all streaming platforms now! 

Taylor Swift The Life of a Showgirl via TaylorSwift.com

Written By Karlee Skipper

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