Review: Taylor Swift’s “Life of a Showgirl”
Fun fact, my first concert was Taylor Swift’s “Speak Now World Tour” when I was two years old, and I’ve been hooked ever since. All these years later, I still consider myself a Mega-Swiftie. I love the easter egg searches, the friendship bracelet trading, and just jamming out to the songs whenever I can, so of course I was ecstatic to hear that Taylor Swift was dropping her twelfth studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl”, barely ten months after her two-and-a-half-year-long tour ended. And of course, us Swifties are some of the most opinionated people out there, so I was thrilled to take on an album review.
I rated each track on “The Life of a Showgirl” with certain qualities in mind: musical composition, lyrics, vocals, emotion it’s trying to invoke and the success of it, and Swiftie Service (a little hint of something added just to make us Swifties lose our minds). I put that all together to make a total score out of 10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest.
“The Fate of Ophelia” is the lead single and, so far, the only song on the album with a music video. Very much a bop and a dancing out a scene in your kitchen kind of vibe. Swift loves her Shakespeare, and snuck in a lot of clever Hamlet references in the song and music video. I love the lyrics and the backing beats in this song, but my favorite part is Swift’s vocals. Specifically during the chorus, where she sings “All that time. I sat alone in my tower. You were just honing your powers. Now I can see it all” She’s mastered her lower range and I’m obsessed with how clear and warmly she sings that part. 8.8/10
I immediately loved “Elizabeth Taylor”. The shock of the transition from mellow beginning to hard hitting synth beats in the chorus had my jaw on the ground. I could go on and on about that chorus, I love how cleverly written it is. “Be my NY when Hollywood hates me. You’re only as hot as your last hit baby. Been number one, but I never had two. And I can’t have fun if I can’t have you.” There’s an intensity to this song that I’m never getting over, specifically how she masterfully delivers the emotion of worrying that the social pressure on you will rip the person you love away forever. Probably my #2 on the album. 9/10
“Opalite” is where I started to get mixed feelings. I’ll be upfront, happy songs aren’t usually my thing. I don’t know why, I know that says a lot about my mental state, but I’m much more drawn to dramatic songs with a lot of powerful instrumentals in the back. Opalite is not that. It’s not bad, it’s just simple and sweet. The meaning is way more complex, however. Swift described the song’s writing process in her “Release Party of a Showgirl” that came to theaters during the release weekend. She explained how, since Opalite is a man-made gem, she wanted to use it as a metaphor for making your own happiness. She accomplishes this well with an uplifting love song that’s very clearly based around her and Travis Kelce finding joy together. It’s catchy, and it’s overflowing with Swiftie Service. I really want to like it more, but it’s just not my thing. 7.56/10.
Where to start with “Father Figure”. Musically, it’s ok. Vocally, most of it is at the top of Swift’s range, and she doesn’t sing it badly by any means, but compared to songs like Fate of Ophelia that perfectly show off her alto-talent, the high notes are breathy. This is a song that I think identifies my main issue with my least favorite tracks on the album; awestriking lyrics, not as impressive composition. I could gush over lines like “You’ll be sleeping with the fishes before you know you’re drowning,” but I think I would’ve enjoyed a darker arrangement to go with the references to mafia hierarchies. It’s fun, but it could have been better. 6.2/10.
From what I’m seeing, “Eldest Daughter” is getting the most backlash for uncreative lyrics. I think that criticism is too harsh. The song is undoubtedly about the frustration of having to carry burdens without showing emotions, whether that be with your internet presence, or maybe dealing with the weight of family issues, especially as an older child. That’s a theme I don’t need a complicated poem about. Taylor’s keeping it simple because she wants people to completely and wholeheartedly understand the message. If she wants to take a break from the carefully crafted metaphors, she’s just as entitled to do so as any other artist. As for me, I’ve been half thrown into a borderline identity crisis because I can’t decide if I can qualify as an eldest daughter since I’m an only child. All jokes aside, I still like the lyrics, I like the composition way better than the other songs, and Taylor’s voice sounds angelic. It’s just too slow for me. 7/10.
“Ruin the Friendship” in my mind is the “Holy f***ing airball” trend as a song. For most of the song, it’s about regretting not ruining that one friendship in high school that you wanted to be more. Then the bridge hits, and it’s revealed that this guy Swift wanted to confess to actually ended his own life after high school, and then showcases her grieving him. I. Was. Left. Speechless the first time I heard that part. I love this song for what it is, I’m glad she’s addressing these topics in her music, especially because she can portray them respectfully and impactfully. I’m just disappointed that I can’t listen to this when I’m in a good mood, because it’s the prettiest sounding of the album’s chiller songs in my mind. 8/10.
“Actually Romantic” was actually awesome. It fits right in with past songs like “thanK you aIMee” and “closure”, which discuss learning from past conflicts and moving on. But I like that it takes a more humorous approach, much like Lover’s “I Forgot That You Existed” with a lot of tongue-and-cheek lines. She addresses a character who’s dead set on constantly bringing Swift down and responds with sarcastic jokes like “You think I’m tacky, baby. Stop talking dirty to me.” It’s catchy and goofy, and has so much personality. 8.84/10.
In her interview with Capital FM, Swift stated that “Wi$h Li$t” might be her favorite off the album, and it’s pretty obvious why. As a Swiftie for so many years, it’s so heartwarming hearing her write about how happy she is and that she’s looking forward to her future; in this case, with her fiance Travis Kelce. The love she put into this song is infectious. But while I love the lyrics, this is another song where she’s showcasing a lot of her head voice and higher register, and it doesn’t quite hit for me. The music composition’s also a little too simplistic for my case, BUT to be fair, those jazzier chords she threw into the second verse are so captivating and definitely raised this song up a few points on my ratings. 6.7/10.
Ahh yes, “Wood”. The song that’s been the talk of the town lately. Some lyrics are sticking out to people more than others, which is a shame to me because this song is more than people give it credit for. I appreciate all the lyrics about well known superstitions that Swift put in; it’s a really clever element. And out of all the upbeat love songs on this album, this is the one I find myself wanting to dance to the most. It’s short, it’s sweet, it’s an earworm, and the more you think about it, the cuter it is (although I think Swifties can agree that that’s more the case for the clean version). 8.4/10.
MY PRECIOUS “CANCELLED!”! I’m in love. This beat is way more my speed. It’s angsty and edgy, has a sharp quality to it, and provokes the thirst to take down the patriarchy. It has so much impactful writing, like “Did you make a joke only a man could?. Were you just too smug for your own good?. Or bring a tiny violin to a knife fight?. Baby, that all ends tonight”. I’ve seen a lot of Swifties compare it to tracks on the album “reputation” which I’d agree with, but unlike the clear rageful undertones of those songs, “Cancelled!” gives a more controlled, wiser perspective on anger and hurt. I simply can’t pick my favorite lyric. Maybe “I salute you if you’re much too much to handle.” 9.6/10.
I thought “Honey” was kind of forgettable at first, but I take it back. I liked Wood for the danceability, but this is hands down my favorite of the love songs. It’s gentler without being boring, and it brings you joy for reasons more complex than “it’s upbeat and about love so it made me happy,”. It’s about redefining words that were used to insult you, but are now used to show you love. “And when anyone called me ‘lovely’. They were finding ways not to praise me. But you say it like you’re in awe of me. And you stay until the morning. Honey.” How adorable is that?! Plus, this shows me how healthy her and Kelce are together, and I couldn’t be more excited for them. 8/10.
For my last act, the title track. “The Life of a Showgirl”. Swift brought in her friend and former tour opener, Sabrina Carpenter, to be featured on this song. This choice was clearly more than just a cash grab from both sets of fans; the two artists worked magnificently together. Their voices blend seamlessly, and I love the messages of this song. It’s the song that makes the aesthetics and ties the album together for me. I’m drawn to the softness and sophistication of it. It’s a perfect title track, perfect ending, and has very unique qualities from the rest of Swift’s discography. 8.8/10
And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the overall album score. All of my song scores average out to an 8.075/10. I’d say that’s accurate for me. Now that the album’s been out for two weeks or so, the criticism has settled down, and the skeptics are liking it more the more they listen. I’m glad to see it. The album may not be my top Taylor Swift album ever, but I’m still very impressed with it and her. Plus, my top songs off it will definitely be blasting on repeat in my car for a while.
At least once a week, I walk the hallways and hear someone talking about Taylor Swift. When I watched Super Bowl LVIII, the running joke was how many times Taylor Swift was going to show up on TV. It was 10 times. When news that Taylor Swift was dropping her twelfth album, “The Life of a Showgirl, I decided to give it a shot. Okay, that’s not true. My editors asked “is anyone here not a Taylor Swift fan?” and I foolishly raised my hand. I was volunteered. But still, I came to this with an open mind.
She starts off with “The Fate Of Ophelia” which has interesting vocals and a catchy beat. She talks about how someone “Saved her heart from the fate of Ophelia,” which is a direct reference to Ophelia from the play “Hamlet.” Ophelia was a woman who didn’t have any freedom from the men in her life which drove her crazy and eventually drowned herself. So that’s interesting. The softness of her voice makes it feel like being immersed in a story, but I don’t really like the vibe of the song beyond the lyrics. Also, the title of the song reminds me of “Ophelia” by The Lumineers, a band I like, so she might have lost points because of that.
The next two songs are “Elizabeth Taylor” & “Opalite.” The beats were good and I liked how she used a lot of instruments. I liked these songs, and the three combined made for a very strong start to the album. Am I a Taylor swift fan?
Nope.
I didn’t like any of the next five songs. “Father Figure”, “Eldest Daughter”, “Ruin The Friendship”, “Actually Romantic”, & “Wi$h Li$t” were songs that I thought to be average, with “Father Figure” being my most disliked song on the album. I get the point of these songs as telling her life throughout as a ‘showgirl’ but they were just bland.
The last four songs of the album, “Wood”, “CANCELLED”, “Honey”, & “The Life Of A Showgirl”, were ok but I didn’t enjoy the beat of the music and the lyricism dropped off in comparison to the strong start. The exception was “CANCELLED”, which is one of my favorites on the album. The music, lyrics and pacing were all very good.
I don’t know Taylor Swift lore, and I wonder if that hurts my experience. Do you have to know all about her at this point to like her music? As I scrolled TikTok and Instagram, I started to see ‘Swifties’ start to say the deep meaning behind each song, which was annoying, because I didn’t get it. In my opinion, this album was like a disappointing rollercoaster. It started off with the first hill and exciting drop, but then is just straight and flat for the rest of the ride. Will I keep listening to more of her music? Maybe. Will I listen to every song just to find the meaning to it? Hell no!
