Taylor Swift released her 12th studio album titled The Life of a Showgirl on October 3rd. The album dropped during a career peak, following her record-breaking Eras Tour. Swift's previous album, The Tortured Poets Department, had a melancholy feel with songs about the pain and loneliness of a breakup. The Life of a Showgirl, on the other hand, has a vibrant and joyful vibe. Many are calling it a “glitter-gel-pen” album. 

After close listening, several of the songs stick out to us as winners, while others...not so much. Let's go through every track in order of best to worst. 

1. The Fate of Ophelia

The Fate of Ophelia earned the number one spot on our list because of its upbeat and vibrant feel. We immediately fell in love with the catchy lyrics. 

2. Actually Romantic 

Actually Romantic is surprisingly captivating. The line How many times does your boyfriend say, 'Why are we always talking about her?' illustrates Taylor's knack for clever lyrics. This song is saying it's "actually romantic” that a woman is obsessing over her (in a non-romantic way). Many fans believe this song is about Charli XCX. 

3. Elizabeth Taylor 

Similar to “Actually Romantic,” this song is also very unexpected. We anticipated a slow, melancholy song, but were shocked to hear the exciting beat drop that made the song reach our top 3. It reminds us of the music on Taylor's 2017 album, Reputation.

4. Opalite 

“Opalite” is about Taylor's fiancé, NFL star Travis Kelce. Its upbeat feel and chipper lyrics warm our hearts, making us love the couple even more. 

5. CANCELLED!

“CANCELLED!” reached a high spot on our list because, similar to “Elizabeth Taylor,” it offers the nostalgic feel of Taylor's older music. 

6. Wi$h Li$t

This song is super fun and energetic. The chorus is catchy and will instantly put you in a good mood. It feels like one of Taylor's old pop songs from 1989, which we're big fans of. 

7. Ruin the Friendship 

This one is more emotional than we expected it to be. We admire the honesty and vulnerability of the lyrics. As we listen more closely, we also appreciate the song's mournful tone.

8. Father Figure 

Although it has a catchy melody and clever lyrics, we struggle to understand Taylor's “Father Figure” analogy. The lyrics are also slightly cringeworthy, which is why it doesn't fit among the album's best despite being a good song. 

9. Wood 

The overall vibe of this song is good, but as we studied its lyrics, it became a hard listen. The melody is very upbeat and fun, but the innuendo of the lyrics is very un-Taylor-like. 

10. The Life of A Showgirl (feat. Sabrina Carpenter) 

With two of the biggest pop stars appearing on this track, expectations were high for this song. But, honestly, it doesn't live up to the hype. Our favorite part comes at the end, where Taylor features the outro to her famous Eras Tour. It really captures "the life of a showgirl." 

11. Eldest Daughter 

Before listening to the album, we expected “Eldest Daughter” to be a relatable, sad song that sounded like something from the album Folklore. Turns out it's nothing like that. The idea of the song is interesting, but the lyrics, which include the line I'm not a bad b*tch/I'm not a savage, remind us, quite frankly, that Taylor Swift is a millennial. 

12. Honey

This just doesn't fit with the other songs on the album. Neither the melody nor the repetitive lyrics stand out to us, earning it the last spot on the ranking. 

Verdict:

To be honest, we both struggled to find an emotional connection or immediate enjoyment at first listen. But after a period of adjustment and multiple listens, we fell in love with The Life of a Showgirl for what it is: cheerful and exciting.

8/10