Taylor Swift released her 12th studio album titled The Life of a Showgirl this past Oct. 3. The album sold 2.7 million copies on its first day of release and surpassed Swift’s own record for a week’s sales. Despite the built-up anticipation of the pop album’s release, reviews online have certainly been mixed and people have not been afraid to express their opinions.
The album kicks off with a track titled “The Fate of Ophelia”. In the song, Swift sings, “You dug me out of my grave and saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia.” Swift references Shakespeare’s Hamlet and compares her state of melancholy and misery to Ophelia, a character who drowns as a result of an emotional crisis. The track is speculated to be about Swift’s fiancé, Travis Kelce. The song details how Kelce “saved” her heart from the despair she felt after her breakups with both British actor Joe Alwyn and lead-vocalist for the band the 1975 Matty Healy. In fact, many of the songs on the album are speculated to be about Kelce, something in which is seen as controversial.
Fans have noticed a clear change within Swift’s lyricism, something which has been noticeable since the start of Swift’s current relationship. If one compares previous albums such as folklore, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT, and Midnights, the difference is clear. Lyrics in the older albums are much more heartfelt and have deeper meaning to them. In the song “Maroon”, a track featured on Midnights, she wrote, ”The burgundy on my T-shirt when you splashed your wine into me and how the blood rushed into my cheeks, so scarlet, it was.” Instead of using simple words to express herself, she paints her emotions with the use of ornate and illustrative vocabulary. This principle is something that is not followed in Swift’s newest album.
In the track “CANCELLED!”, a song featured on The Life of a Showgirl, Swift sings, “Did you girl-boss too close to the sun?”. Similarly, in the song “The Life of a Showgirl (feat. Sabrina Carpenter)”, it recites, “Then they said she didn’t do it legitly.” Listeners say the record’s lyrics are impassive, and, as a big fan of Swift’s work, I must agree. Fans are drawn to Swift because of her creative dexterity and her ability to emotionally connect with a wide variety of audiences, and that element just doesn’t shine through in her newest album.
However, I think the amount of criticism The Life of a Showgirl receives is unfair. Granted, it may not be Swift’s best work, but that doesn’t mean she and her artistry is nearly as awful as some would suggest. Swift is a highly acclaimed artist and her discography has been compared to the likes of Michael Jackson and Bob Dylan. Further, there are plenty of songs on the album that one can enjoyably listen to. The track titled “Father Figure” has made its way into my playlist. Its catchy rhythm and captivating lyrics is what makes the song replayable and has grabbed the attention of many others.
As well as melodic songs, the album also includes tracks that have sparked controversy and intensified “bad blood” between Swift and other celebrities. The track titled “Actually Romantic” is rumored to be about the British artist and creator of the album brat, Charlie XCX. The song includes lyrics such as, “I heard you call me ‘Boring Barbie’ when the coke’s got you brave,” and, “It’s honestly wild, all the effort you’ve put in. It’s actually romantic.” In the song, Taylor writes about how she is flattered at the amount of attention Charlie XCX devotes to hating her, and how Swift rarely thinks about her and her comments. Whether or not you are Team Swift or Team XCX, it is clear that the album not only includes chart-topping songs, but it has also influenced pop-culture.
The Life of a Showgirl broke records that the music industry never would have thought to have been broken. The album had the biggest debut a modern record has seen and, when released, its entire contents charted in the top 12 spots of the Billboard Hot 100. Whether or not you enjoyed the record, it is safe to say that the album has left and will continue to leave a lasting impression on the music industry.
