It seems that even with 11 studio albums and 14 Grammys spanning across an almost two-decade career, singer and songwriter Taylor Swift has no intention of slowing down. She is continuing to break records with the release of her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl. The album, consisting of 12 songs, was released on Oct. 3 and broke all kinds of records within its first week of release. Nonetheless, the album received mixed reviews from critics and devoted Swifties alike.
Swift announced the release of her new album on Aug. 12 through her fiancé, NFL player Travis Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast. Swift said the album would be about how she navigates her life under the most intense of spotlights. The album was produced by Max Martin and Shellback, two familiar names who worked on Swift’s “1989” in 2014 and “Reputation” in 2017. Personally, I was really excited about this news as “Reputation” has some of my favorite Taylor songs of all time. I was more than thrilled to hear new songs produced by the same people who created “Call It What You Want” and “Delicate” from “Reputation.” Swift also teamed up with pop star Sabrina Carpenter on the album’s last song, “The Life of a Showgirl.”
From the day it was released, the album began smashing records. According to Billboard, Swift’s “Showgirl” set the record for the most single-week album sales with more than 3.4 million in pure album sales. This surpassed Adele’s “25,” which was released in Nov. 2015 with a slightly lower 3.378 million copies. Every one of Swift’s “Showgirl” songs landed in the top 12 of the Billboard Hot 100, an accomplishment that no other artist has been able to achieve.
The album starts with “The Fate Of Ophelia,” the only single off the album and the only song with a music video. This song became an immediate favorite for me, showcasing Swift’s vocal range and storytelling as she draws inspiration from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In Hamlet, Ophelia is driven mad and eventually drowns in a lake, but Swift changes the narrative, singing “you dug me out of my grave and / Saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia.” The song is more reminiscent of her earlier songwriting in her 2020 albums “folklore” and “evermore,” and its synth-pop beat and strong vocals explain why the song is currently ranked No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Track three, “Opalite,” is notably more upbeat and buoyant compared to the previous songs. With its twinkling guitar sounds and synths, Swift uses the upbeat melody to reflect on more positive aspects of her relationship with Kelce. In the bridge, Swift promises to weather the storms of life as she sings, “This is just a temporary speed bump / But failure brings you freedom / And I can bring you love.” Swift also confirmed on the British radio station Capital FM that it was no coincidence that Kelce’s birthstone happened to be an opal.
One of the more highly anticipated songs on the album was the acclaimed track five, “Eldest Daughter.” For those who don’t know as much about Swiftie lore, Swift’s track fives are known for being the most emotionally vulnerable songs on each of her albums. This song explores what it’s like growing up with the emotional pressure and perfectionism of the eldest daughter. For many, this track five just didn’t deliver the same deep heartbreak that songs like “So Long, London” off of “The Tortured Poets Department” in 2024 or “my tears ricochet” from “folklore” were able to deliver. However, I feel that the “Eldest Daughter” packs its own kind of emotional punch that is more indirect than her other songs. The bridge, especially, is a beautiful reflection of looking back on childhood memories while also fearing that you will never find that “Beautiful, beautiful life that / Shimmers that innocent life back / Like when we were young.”
The true controversy of this album lies in the more explicit songs on her album, like “Wood,” “CANCELLED,” and “Actually Romantic.” Some fans describe the songs as uncharacteristic of Swift’s signature storytelling that sets her apart from other artists. Others argue that the lyricism shift is due to her new relationship with Kelce, as her newer songs lack the emotional depth inspired by her former partner, Joe Alwyn.
While these songs do have more distinct and explicit lyrics, the songs aren’t automatically bad. Songwriters write about what is happening in their lives, and right now, it would appear as though Swift is genuinely happy with her relationship and her work. Her songwriting is going to reflect that, so she most likely won’t be writing deep, heart-wrenching songs like she was on “Poets.” The vibes on “Showgirl” are lighter and carefree, and honestly, I think the lyrical contrast between “Poets” and “Showgirl” is what makes the new album more unique.
Swift has delivered another album packed with emotion and heart as she dives deep into what it means to be the “ultimate showgirl,” as USA Today described her. Despite the loud critiques about her songwriting, Swift proudly sings about how she tackles the ups and downs of being a star in the music industry. As she posted in her caption on Instagram to announce “Showgirl,” “And, baby, that’s show business for you.”
