Everything seems to be working out for Taylor Swift. The global pop sensation released her anticipated 12th album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” on Friday, Oct. 3, with lead single “The Fate of Ophelia” being one of her largest debuting songs on Spotify to date. However, the insane amount of streams doesn’t mean this album is of the same caliber as her past work.
I don’t consider myself to be a “Swifite” and am a rather casual fan. I like a lot of Swift’s large discography, but some of it leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Unfortunately, “The Life of a Showgirl” is by far my least favorite album she’s put out. It’s received mixed opinions from fans; taste, of course, is subjective, but the general population seems quite torn. As a Shakespeare lover, I couldn’t help but enjoy the reference in “The Fate of Ophelia” to “Hamlet,” but that alone isn’t what makes it the best song on the album. Swift delivers vocally, and sings along to a catchy beat with tasteful lyrics and instrumentals. It feels like a generic Taylor pop song, and that isn’t a bad thing; the success of albums like “1989,” “Red” and “Lover” proves that she dominates the genre and is capable of making enjoyable songs. While it doesn’t quite meet the lyrical quota of “folklore” and “evermore,” they work. That’s a lot to ask for from the rest of this album.
“Elizabeth Taylor” is catchy, but it is where the album truly begins to derail for me. There’s no doubt that Swift has an incredible voice, but it’s where the cringe in her lyrics begins. I prefer it to the majority of the rest of the album; it’s where she begins flexing her wealth and billionaire status, with niche references the average person won’t understand. She instantly loses the relatability that a lot of her past work has. Listeners can relate to sitting out by the water with a loved one, but not owning Cartier jewelry. The lyrics of “Opalite” are notably good compared to the rest of the album, but it follows the same formula as too many songs. Fans on TikTok have pointed out how similar it is to past collaborator Post Malone’s “Circles,” and with that in mind, my neutrality-leaning-dislike of the song makes sense. I wouldn’t be surprised if “Opalite” and “The Fate of Ophelia” are the two radio hits of the album, as they have the most lyrical and sonic appeal to the masses.
Next, we move to “Father Figure,” which I thought I would like more before hearing it for the first time. This song contains the first lyric that I truly dislike; Swift sings that “You made a deal with this devil, turns out my d*ck’s bigger.” It feels like it was written by an edgy teenage girl, and not a songwriter of her fame. “Eldest Daughter” keeps the theme of family members in song titles, and contains more lyrics that truly surprised me. I never thought I would hear the words “trolling,” “memes,” “bad b*tch” and “savage” in a song by her, and again, the song feels too edgy teenager for my taste. It isn’t interesting musically, and is a track I completely forgot the sound of after my first listen. “Ruin The Friendship” brings back a narrative that is intentionally teenage, as it is about Taylor’s experiences in high school. While it isn’t a song I’d put on my playlist, I understand its likability. It could easily be a mediocre track on one of her other albums, but it is a definite high point here.
Prior to Taylor Swift’s album releases, it is unfortunately normal for there to be leaks. Sometimes they’re simply A.I.-generated, but other times they are real. I hoped what I heard of “Actually Romantic” prior to Oct. 3 was A.I., but it’s the real deal. A direct “diss track” aimed at Charli xcx, she plays on the title of her song “Everything is Romantic” in her own, claims “the coke’s got you [Charli xcx] brave,” and makes sexual jokes about their apparent feud. There is nothing publicly displayed that indicates xcx has “beef” with Swift, but she alleges there are things going on behind the scenes. Still, “Actually Romantic” is interpreted as a direct response to xcx’s “Sympathy is a Knife,” where Charli notes how comparing herself to mega-celebrities, notably Swift, amps up her insecurities and self-image issues. Even if there are things going on behind the scenes, there was no reason for Taylor to take it public. I am confidently “Team Charli” on this one, as she not only made the better song, but provides a more nuanced message without the cringey lyrics. I want to note, the two wouldn’t be compared in this matter if Swift hadn’t targeted her in “Actually Romantic.”
Back to the main narrative of Taylor’s love life with Travis Kelce and putting aside her issues with other pop stars, “Wi$h Li$t” feels like the more boring cousin of her song “But Daddy I Love Him” off of “The Tortured Poets Department.” It’s forgettable at the least, and the instrumentals don’t match the impressive range her voice hits on this track. Moving on, I wish I could forget “Wood.” My review of this song is short: I predicted this would be about a certain thing—it is—and it makes me nothing short of uncomfortable with the sheer amount of sexual innuendos it contains. I feel like I walked in on something I wasn’t meant to see.
“CANCELLED!” gives the same vibe as “Midnights” track “Vigilante Sh*t,” but with my least favorite lyric (if we forget “Wood” exists). Swift actually sings, “Did you girlboss too close to the sun?” in the chorus of the song. I’m all for a pop culture reference, but that feels like too much. “Honey” was fairly forgettable after my first listen, but upon my second, it is one of the album’s highs. The lyrics are alright, the instrumentals match, and while I likely won’t revisit it, it wasn’t a bad listen. “The Life of a Showgirl” features sensation Sabrina Carpenter, and is the only song on the album to actually depict the “showgirl” aesthetic Swift and her team had built up before it was released. Their voices complement each other nicely, but it closes out with the pair thanking listeners “for an unforgettable night,” like the entire album had been a showgirl’s performance. Sorry, Taylor, but for the most part, the aesthetic fell short, and it feels more like a sibling to dreamy pop album “Lover” than the soundtrack to a flapper’s dance routine.
After listening multiple times, “The Life of a Showgirl” isn’t an album I plan on revisiting anytime soon. However, “The Fate of Ophelia” has rightfully earned its place in my playlist, and while it wasn’t my taste, it’s a “fun” album, and I understand why someone would like it. I don’t know if my expectations were simply too high, but I’ll happily return to “The Tortured Poets Department” and loop “The Black Dog” instead.
