Taylor Swift’s 12th album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” came out on Oct. 3 and has been receiving some mixed reviews from fans, the internet and everyone in between.
As one of the Lutrinae’s resident Swifties, I generally enjoyed this album – it sounds great, with good beats and a pop-centric energy – but some of Swift’s lyrics fall flat.
Swift produced the album with Max Martin and Shellback, who worked on other hit albums of hers like “Red,” “1989” and “reputation.”
“Showgirl” serves as a peek behind the curtain of Swift’s life while on The Eras Tour and dealing with fame, love, finding happiness and her ultimate growth during this time.
The first four tracks of “Showgirl” have been on repeat for me since the album came out.
The lead single, “The Fate of Ophelia,” is extremely catchy and a pure pop song. The song blends the story of Ophelia, an iconic and tragic Shakespearean character, and retells it in a way of happiness and changing your fate. I will say, if you haven’t seen the music video for this song, it’s amazing. It references a lot of famous art, has fun dance moves and is honestly one of Swift’s best music videos.
“Elizabeth Taylor,” named after the actress, is a motif of what she went through in her life, paralleling Swift’s life. I love this song, and it sounds like it could easily fit onto the “reputation” album.
“Opalite” is a song that makes you get up and dance, with a catchy and fun chorus. Swift sings about “dodging lightning strikes” and moving out of an “onyx night” to “opalite skies.”
“Father Figure” is a hit in my opinion. Fans have speculated that this song is about Scott Borchetta, founder of the Big Machine Label Group and the person who sold Swift’s first six albums to Scooter Braun without her knowledge.
After that, the album started to kind of lose and disappoint me. “Eldest Daughter” really let me down. As an eldest daughter myself, I was eager to hear some deep lyrics about this significant role in a family.
I understand what Swift was trying to do in this song, but it just came off as cringey and unrelatable
The bridge is really sweet and I think the most relatable part of the song is “But I’m never gonna let you down, I’m never gonna leave you out.”
For those familiar with Swift’s album format, you know that track five is significant in some way – they’re usually the deepest, most emotional song on the album and this track five was a huge let down, knowing how lyrically talented Swift is.
Some of Swift’s other songs encapsulate what it means to be an eldest daughter better than the title track, without even explicitly mentioning it.
Swift sings about her upcoming future with fiancé Travis Kelce and how he has brightened her life. She sings about the life they could have together, checking off her “wish list.”
Finally, the title track featuring Sabrina Carpenter is about all we get for a “showgirl” sounding song. The bridge has a fast tempo and quick lyrics, sounding a bit like a musical.
The song tells a story of Swift and Carpenter wanting to have the showgirl life, and learning it isn’t as glamorous as it’s portrayed to be. To me, this felt a little bit like Swift passing the torch to Carpenter, as her popularity continues to grow rapidly.
The album was missing some quintessential Swift elements, like her expertly crafted lyrics and strong bridges. Swift has shared fears that people won’t enjoy her music when she isn’t feeling miserable and writing sad, lyrically complex songs.
I’m not sure if “Showgirl” will become one of my favorite Taylor Swift albums, but I will definitely come back to it when I need some fun, carefree pop music to enjoy. I will always be a fan of hers, and am always happy for new music from my favorite artist.