Arts

After concluding her 2 year The Eras Tour, which won many awards, and announcing her engagement to football superstar, Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift released her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl. This album was released this past October and consists of 12 tracks, which is very brief compared to her previous 31 track album, The Tortured Poets Department. The Life of a Showgirl explores the life of Taylor Swift behind the stage lights. An album that tells the story of scandals, new love, grief, dealing with the music industry’s unrealistic standards, and more. Many fans are comparing The Tortured Poets Department’s melancholic and depressing themes to the whimsical vibe of The Life of a Showgirl. Some favor the slow instrumentals of The Tortured Poets Department while some enjoy Taylor going back to the loud and energetic sounds that are found in her Grammy winning albums such as 1989 and Midnights. Many claim the lyricism of her new album seems lazy compared to her poetic, clever writing in The Tortured Poets Department. Overall, this album has received mixed opinions and reviews. As a life-long swiftie, I do not believe this album is Taylor’s best. Some songs on this album I can’t stop singing and other songs I simply have to skip. However, I believe certain songs, good and bad, deserve a breakdown. Here is my breakdown of the spotlight songs of The Life of a Showgirl!

1. The Fate of Ophelia

The Fate of Ophelia is the only single of this album and hit No. 1 on the Billboard 100 for eight consecutive weeks. The Fate of Ophelia alludes to the story of Hamlet. In Shakespeare’s story, Ophelia and Hamlet are in a romantic relationship. Ophelia falls into madness and ends up drowning herself due to grief and rejection. In this upbeat tune, Taylor Swift sings, “you dug me out of my grave and saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia.” This lyric perfectly encapsulates the meaning of the song. As Taylor Swift’s current relationship develops, she realizes that her lover has saved her from drowning in heartbreak. This song has a catchy post-chorus and lyrics that paint an enchanting fantasy inside the listeners’ minds. These two elements bring radiance to the album simply in the first track! Not to mention the stunning music video that I certainly recommend pop-lovers to watch.

2. Eldest Daughter

Taylor Swift’s 5th song on her tracklist is known to be her most personal song of the album, typically the tear-jerker. Eldest Daughter contains a beautiful, melancholic melody paired with lyrics that many fans disapprove of. In the first verse, Swift talks about how cruel social media has become, and how she feels embarrassed trying to fit in with the new trends, “...every joke's just trolling and memes, sad as it seems, apathy is hot.” While saying “trolling” and “memes” in a serious song sounds a little silly to most, I fully agree with Taylor in this line. It is so normalized to be so harsh and rude on the internet because people rarely face the consequences that they would if they were to say it in person. There is a sense of security with being able to argue with a stranger online when you can hide behind a profile picture that doesn’t show what you look like and a bio that says “spread kindness”. The most frowned upon lyric from this song is, “every eldest daughter was the first lamb to the slaughter so we all dressed up as wolves and we looked fire.” Taylor starts out with a heartbreaking metaphor that claims first-born daughters are the first of the family to experience the harsh reality and ruthless society. Being held at unrealistic standards and expected to always be perfect. She ends this lyric with those daughters dressing up as wolves and looking “fire”. This lyric starts off strong and then ends sounding like an eleven year old girl who is trying to be dark and edgy. Swift’s use of Gen-Z slang reminds many of a parent trying to be trendy and cool with their kids but end up embarrassing themselves. Some claim that this lyric is supposed to sound cringy to prove Taylor’s point that she can’t fit in with the trends on social media. However, her touch of sentimental lyrics and romantic melodies are embraced in the bridge, which has the vibe of Swift’s Speak Now songs. Overall, this song is not my favorite Track 5, and clearly not the Swifties’ favorite either, but the meaning behind this song is unique from anything Taylor Swift has written prior and that makes it special.

3. Ruin The Friendship

Swift contributes this song to her friend, Jeff Lang, who she had feelings for in high school. Unfortunately, Jeff died at a young age and Taylor never got to tell him how she felt. In this bittersweet post-chorus, Taylor sings, “my advice is always ruin the friendship, better that than regret it for all time…should've kissed you anyway.” Swift explains that she wishes she would’ve taken the risk and ruined her friendship with Lang by kissing him. This song is inspiring because it’s a reminder that time with someone is never promised, so take risks and live your life!

4. Actually Romantic

The most controversial song on this album that has brought fandoms against each other. Actually Romantic is a ballad that many fans thought was going to be a love song. What they didn’t expect was for it to be a diss of another famous artist, Charli XCX. Charli previously opened for Taylor’s Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018. Charli released her sixth album, Brat, in the summer of 2024. Fans speculate that Charli’s song, Sympathy is a knife, is about her feeling jealous of, or that she could never compare to a singer. Charli sings, “don't wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend's show. Fingers crossed behind my back, I hope they break up quick.” During spring of 2023, Taylor had a short-term relationship with lead singer of pop band, The 1975, Matty Healy. In addition, Charli XCX is dating The 1975’s drummer, George Daniel. In this lyric, Charli complains about not wanting to see a pop star backstage at a 1975 show; discussing she hopes that pop star breaks up with their lover soon. Due to Taylor’s relationship with Matty Healy, it is assumed that Charli wrote this song about Taylor. Taylor claps back with lyrics in Actually Romantic, “high-fived my ex and then you said you’re glad he ghosted me. Wrote me a song saying it makes you sick to see my face… It's actually romantic, I really gotta hand it to you. No man has ever loved me like you do.” Charli XCX has denied her song is about Taylor Swift, but many Swifties disagree. On the other hand, Taylor has not confirmed who her song is about. However, there is a clear connection between the lyrics. Who knew that two singers that have performed together many times would end up taking stabs at each other through melodies?

5. Wi$h Li$t

Wi$h Li$t is a love song where Taylor explains she doesn’t want fancy things or an immense amount of fame; she just wants to live a normal life with her lover. She sings, “I just want you, have a couple kids, got the whole block looking like you. We tell the world to leave us [all] alone, and they do.” Swift’s wish list is to live a suburban life with the one she truly loves. She doesn’t need to live in wealth to feel satisfied, just a genuine love that lasts long. The bass and relaxed beat in this song bring good vibes, however the acoustic version feels more intimate and dreamy. Overall, Wi$h Li$t is a very heartfelt and romantic song that brings warmth to this album.

6. Wood

Wood is my personal favorite from this album. The jazzy chorus and clever lyrics add the perfect touch to the song. Many critics say that the intro sounds exactly like a 70’s song, ABC by the Jacksons. In this song, Taylor claims that her relationship is so strong that they don't need good fortune to have it work out, “seems to be that you and me, we make our own luck. A bad sign is all good, I ain't gotta knock on wood.” Swift mentions wishing on daisies, pennies, and falling stars as she hopes to find a long-term relationship. However, once she meets this special someone, she realizes their love is so strong that she doesn’t need to wish for anything. She doesn’t have to “knock on wood” to be sure that this guy is the one for her and that they will last. Just as Swift uses wood to represent luck, her sneaky, slightly inappropriate, play on the word brings a charming touch to the song.

7. CANCELLED!

The last notable song on this album is one that has many mixed opinions. CANCELLED! is about Taylor’s experience with judgement during the scandalous moments in her life. In the past decade, cancel culture has increased immensely. Most celebrities gain a bad reputation for serious reasons, and others unfortunately get cancelled for things they’ve never said or done. It’s almost inevitable for every celebrity to be involved in controversy. In this song Taylor claims that if criticism is inevitable, she might as well let it be empowering to her rather than discouraging. In the chorus, Taylor satirically says that she likes her friends cancelled, demonstrating her loyalty to those who have experienced intense judgement from society just as she has. Fans speculate that this line might be connected to Blake Lively, who has been condemned numerous times by the media… arguably for fair reasons. The pre-chorus has been mocked by many online, “did you girl-boss too close to the sun? Did they catch you having far too much fun?” “Girlboss” is a more recent term used to describe a woman being ambitious and independent. By using another gen-z slang word, Swift makes her writing seem unprofessional and lack creativity. In my opinion, this song could be written better and improved its production. It seems that Taylor was trying to create a song with the same lyrical elements and instrumentals as her Reputation songs, but it was poorly done. As much as I admire the ironic components of this song, it is unfortunately a skip for me.

Regardless of being slightly disappointed with this album, it’s exciting to see the bright, enthusiastic Taylor Swift come back again, after her gloomy albums such as Folklore and The Tortured Poets Department which encapsulate her relationship struggles and heartbreak with actor Joe Alwyn, whom she would date for 6 years. The Life of a Showgirl dives deeper into Swift’s life outside of the cameras and audience. It’s normalized to hear about musicians’ highlight reels, when they seem like they're thriving. However, for an artist to make an album about when they’re struggling in life, or when it’s not all glitz and glamour for them, is one of a kind. You can argue about her vocal talent, her character, or who might be better, but you can’t deny that Taylor Swift has made a profound impact on pop music and stands as one of the most influential songwriters of our time.

In the deluxe version, it follows more into closure and self-acceptance. Tracks like “Warm” and “Hampstead” completely shift the mood to moving on forward with life, and it reveals that healing is possible after loss.

Something that connects the album so well is the context behind it. Grande wrote her album right after her divorce, and the lyrics channel feelings of regret, loneliness, and self-discovery into her music, which created an emotional depth she has never really achieved in her past albums. As we know, albums like Dangerous Woman and Sweetner both have different approaches to the audience, as well as mood and theme. That’s why Eternal Sunshine has a very unique mood and theme, which makes the reader feel like they are also experiencing the heartbreak alongside Grande. 

As previously mentioned, the Deluxe album brings a sense of closure and renewal. With 6 new tracks, including “Twilight Zone”, which indicates a reflection from a past relationship where she expresses her disbelief. In another song, “Dandelion” goes for a very jazz-type vibe, even including a trumpet in the beginning, making it very upbeat. The deluxe also includes a short film, which is a continuation of her previous music video. It portrays her journey from pain to self-discovery. The combination of all the songs and storytelling makes the deluxe version transform the album from a story of heartbreak to healing and emotional growth.

In the end, "Eternal Sunshine: Brighter Days Ahead" proves that you can turn your heartbreaks and misfortunes into a song to heal and grow. By blending heartbreak with healing, she takes on a journey from pain to hope, making it a full story by adding the deluxe as well. This album showcases her ability to connect emotionally and make fans feel comforted and inspired. For anyone in search of an album that will make you feel uplifted while you are going through a breakup, or music that makes you feel vulnerable, this album is a must.

Eye Painting by Jillian Armentrout