A very interesting phenomenon occurs whenever Taylor Swift releases a new album. At first, everybody on the Internet hates on it: people complain about the lyrics, the style, and they complain that the album is her worst project to date. However, their opinions quickly change the more they listen to the album. The public’s reception of Swift’s twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, follows this trend so far and will undoubtedly have the same positive result.
The Life of a Showgirl was released on Oct. 3, 2025. Produced by Shellback and Max Martin, the album contains twelve songs that take Swift’s discography back to happy and energetic pop, similar to her albums 1989 (2014) and reputation (2017). The LP provides an introspective glance into Swift’s life over the past few years as she’s traveled the world performing 149 shows of “The Eras Tour” and fallen in love with her fiancé, Kansas City Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce.
While the lyrics in The Life of a Showgirl may not be Swift’s most poetic, the album is still a refreshing addition to her discography. The stories she tells are unique, and there are no skips on the album; every song is a hit. The tracks are notably different from her other projects in the sense that they are more upbeat and contain themes of lasting love instead of heartbreak.
However, the difference in tone is not necessarily a bad thing. In my opinion, it’s about time that Swift releases some happy songs. After all, she can’t write about depression and despair forever. If fans take the time to listen to the album and to truly understand some of the songs, they might find that they have a new favorite album.
The opening track, “The Fate of Ophelia,” is one of the album’s strongest songs. As the lead single, it unifies Swift’s typical lyric-driven music and the album’s new style, which is led by the production and sound. The song is about Swift’s past worries that she may meet a similar fate to Ophelia, the tragic character in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, who was driven mad over the years by love. However, in the song, Swift is ultimately saved from that fate by a source of genuine love. By combining beautiful and poetic lyrics with a more upbeat instrumental, the song creates the perfect pop love song while also incorporating an interesting Shakespearean element, in true Swift fashion.
“Eldest Daughter,” track five, is one of the album’s most controversial songs. As the song everybody uses to argue that Swift’s songwriting has gone downhill, “Eldest Daughter” catches listeners off guard when Swift sings “But I’m not a bad b**** / And this isn’t savage / But I’m never gonna let you down / I’m never gonna leave you out.” Swift uses this outdated slang to emphasize what the song is partly about: public perception and trying to stay relevant. This is made clear when Swift sings, “I’ve been dying just from trying to seem cool.”
Though the instrumental and production aren’t anything special, “Eldest Daughter” is still a standout song on the album with its brilliant storytelling. Along with the narrative centered around public perception, Swift emphasizes a promise of love and fidelity, while also speaking to her experience as the eldest daughter. The highlight of the song is the bridge, when Swift sings, “We lie back / A beautiful, beautiful time lapse / Ferris wheels, kisses and lilacs / And things I said were dumb.” This song as a whole paints a vivid picture of what it’s like to be blissfully in love while constantly being in the public eye.
Another song under scrutiny is “Actually Romantic,” the seventh track on the album. The song sparked controversy following speculation that it was written in response to singer-songwriter Charli XCX’s “Sympathy is a knife,” a track largely interpreted as a veiled diss toward Swift. Some fans found “Actually Romantic” to be a petty jab because Charli XCX’s song is not technically a diss track towards Taylor, and it is really about Charli opening up about her insecurities. Others sided with Swift, arguing that there were clearly some hurtful things said outside of Charli’s song that were never made public. Nevertheless, the lyrics of the song are wonderfully biting and take on a sarcastic tone, adding something unique and playful to the album.
The sixth song on the list, “Ruin the Friendship,” is a hidden gem on the album with a deep meaning. Supported by playful instrumentals, Swift sings in a light voice, “And it was not convenient, no / Would’ve been the best mistake / Should’ve kissed you anyway.” Upon the first listen, the song seems to be just another regretful reminiscence of what could have been, but later in the song, the lyrics take on a whole new meaning. In the third verse, it is revealed that the former friend of Swift suddenly passed, and nobody knew how it happened. Through “Ruin the Friendship,” Swift conveys the indispensable message that it’s important to express how you feel and live your life to the fullest because you never know when tragedy could strike.
Swift has a talent for telling unique stories in her songs, which shows in “Ruin the Friendship” and in “Father Figure,” the fourth track on the album. “Father Figure” catches listeners off guard because it is initially surprising that a female artist would describe herself as a father figure, but upon closer listening, the song seems to be told from the perspective of Scott Borchetta, the person who sold Swift’s masters to her first six albums without her consent. This twist makes the song feel even more powerful, and shows Swift’s ability to turn betrayal into art.
The closing song, “The Life of a Showgirl,” is also the title track, and it features pop singer Sabrina Carpenter, who joined Swift on her South American leg of the Eras Tour. In the title track, Swift and Carpenter tell a story about the trials and tribulations of being a showgirl, though they ultimately express how they “wouldn’t have it any other way.” Unsurprisingly, the voices of Swift and Carpenter blend beautifully and complement each other exquisitely. Although the song isn’t necessarily very relatable, it wraps up the album wonderfully and encapsulates the overall theme of show business.
The best part of the song is when it closes off the album with real-life crowd noise from Swift’s last Eras Tour performance in Vancouver, Canada. During the outro of the song, Swift and Carpenter thank the crowd for an unforgettable night and recognize the band and dancers who helped make the show happen. Although everything was recorded in the studio aside from the crowd noise, the outro takes listeners back to happy memories they may have experienced themselves because it mimics how Swift would end every Era Tour show.
In The Life of a Showgirl, while the lyrics and production can sometimes be simple, the storytelling is not. The album is cohesive and offers a little bit of everything. It has snark, power, and passion in “Cancelled” and “Elizabeth Taylor,” theatrics in its title track and “The Fate of Ophelia,” and Swift’s usual intimacy in “The Fate of Ophelia” and “Eldest Daughter.” Overall, The Life of a Showgirl is a fun and addictive album that hits its marks.
If you enjoyed reputation by Taylor Swift, 1989 by Taylor Swift, or Short n’ Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter, check out The Life of a Showgirl for its similar sharp lyricism and dynamic energy.
9/10
