There’s a new release from the artist that consistently breaks the internet: Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl has left the internet divided, with some fans calling it a fun return to pop and others saying it contains deeply tactless messaging. We’ve heard from the greats, like Rolling Stone and The New York Times, but what do the real listeners think? I asked people from various ends of the Swiftie spectrum to share their thoughts on the album–and its controversies.
Personally, I am not a fan nor a “hater” of Swift. As someone who doesn’t gravitate towards her music, I find myself in the unique position of having very little sway on her latest album, except for a genuine curiosity about the difference between large-scale music reviewers and the general listening audience. As a neutral party, I’m interested in whether or not the general public can truly be neutral about Swift, or if preconceived opinions influence their perception of her work.
Many seem to separate Swift from her music, with some looking down on her personally for issues like her private jet, infamously tracked by UCF student Jack Sweeney. UCF Writing and Rhetoric student Madelyn Alvarez sums up this discourse with a stinging one-liner: “If I have to be using paper straws, you can walk to the grocery store, Taylor Swift.”
When interviewing, I ask students if their personal views on Swift impact their perception of her music and societal impact, focusing on the discourse around “The Fate of Ophelia,” ‘Opalite,” “Actually Romantic,” and “CANCELLED!”
“THE FATE OF OPHELIA”
“The Fate of Ophelia” references a tragic character from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia. When discussing the song, Swift says she is a heroine who was “driven mad by love,” with the song being about being “rescued” from the same fate.
UCF student Madelyn Alvarez holds no illusions about her dislike of Swift. When asked about the “Ophelia” literary allusion in the opening track, Alvarez said Swift has misinterpreted the famous play: “her song is about needing to be saved by a man, but the story of Ophelia is about agency taken away from a woman by men, and she then falls into madness due to this lack of agency.” Alvarez feels Swift’s portrayal of this lack of agency as related to love is “concerning, to say the least.”
Brennan Balser, a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, seems to agree. She holds a neutral position on Swift and her music, but when asked her thoughts on “The Fate of Ophelia,” she feels Swift’s take is “disrespectful” to the character: “The fact that she uses it as like “you’re the reason this didn’t happen to me” is kinda messed up…not good representation of Ophelia as a character.” Balser goes on to reference “no body, no crime,” a song from Swift’s beloved album evermore, that she feels is a better example of storytelling: “I feel like that’s an example of her talking about a topic in a way that isn’t disrespectful, and this isn’t that.”
Certified Swiftie Kira Drake, a 2021 Purdue University alum, believes Swift went deeper than a reference to the character itself. She feels the album is tapping into its “showgirl” theme, and each song is a different era: “In the 1660s when women started to play Ophelia in the Hamlet play, the ones who were more highly regarded were those who were rumored to have had disappointments in love.” Drake feels the lyrics imply more than Ophelia’s fate in the play, and references the fate of her actresses as well.
“OPALITE”
One of the most controversial discussions of the album involves “racist” lyrics aimed at Travis Kelce’s, Swift’s fiancé, ex-girlfriend. Certain lyrics do not seem to directly reference her, but the discussion stems from Swift’s use of “onyx” and “opalite” as past and present dating history, with some saying the use of “onyx” as a black gemstone represents Kelce’s ex-girlfriend Kayla Nicole, who is Black, and “opalite” to describe his future, Swift herself.
Balser doesn’t see this perspective. “I think people are making the song to be more than it is, because there are so many artists who have used color imagery for mood and state of mind and stuff like that…” She feels that the gemstones are simply a metaphor, and Swift wasn’t “intentionally describing” Nicole.
From a fan perspective, Kira Drake thinks interpretations like these are “unfounded and based on quick judgment that’s rooted in internalized bias and narratives” rather than having any foundation in Swift’s lyrics. Though she acknowledges Swift’s nod to Nicole in the lyrics, she believes “people have stretched that, in combination with the onyx/opalite metaphor, to make the interpretation that the song is racist.”
From the other side of the spectrum, Madelyn Alvarez agrees with the take on the racist lyrics: “I think the accusations are accurate. I do find it interesting that Swifties often talk about how Taylor Swift is the queen of Easter eggs, so how would they not see…that she is intentionally making this metaphor using onyx, a dark black rock, and opalite, which is a white rock.”
“Actually romantic”
This is a track that I do have some personal stake in, as a member of the queer community. “Actually Romantic” is widely assumed to be about Charli xcx, as a response to her song “Sympathy is a knife.” In the song, Swift croons mocking lyrics to an adversary, claiming their fixation on her is “romantic.” Many believe it to be weaponizing queer attraction to “get back” at the singer for her alleged diss.
When asked about the homophobic lens of “Actually Romantic,” Balser had a lot to share. “I agree with the interpretation that the song is homophobic. I think it’s very similar to what Sabrina Carpenter has been doing…actively representing themselves as straight women and then releasing songs like this is harmful to the queer community.” Balser also feels this is an unnecessary “clap back” in a feud that goes against female solidarity in the music industry: “In my opinion, you should be doing the absolute most to lift each other up…I definitely think that it’s not healthy behavior.”
Alvarez shares this opinion, adding “I think implying that Charli xcx has strong feelings about her falls into the trope that like…just because you’re gay you must have a thing for all of your same-sex friends, and that’s not the case.” Alvarez also comments that Swift’s uncharacteristic sexual lyrics give the impression of “inherent sexualization of queer identities.”
Drake feels the backlash about “Actually Romantic” is simply “people finding issues with a song because they don’t like her” and does not equate to homophobia. “I think people are again taking it out of context to be an alt-right narrative that’s not intended…while assumed to be mostly about Charli xcx, [it] does not specify in any lyrics the gender and is likely inspired by multiple people who have preyed on her downfall.”
“CANCELLED!”
With “CANCELLED!,” Drake consents that it may have been a poorly timed release, and understands the critical reception the song’s faced. Given the current political climate, people have been interpreting “CANCELLED!” as a statement of support or indifference towards the current administration, given recent alleged associations between Swift and right-wing politics. Drake doesn’t think this was the reason behind the song: “I don’t believe it to be the intention at all of excusing people who were cancelled for genuine racism, homophobia, classism, etc.” She believes the song could function instead as a way to point out the distractions we face from making a difference.
Alvarez feels the song may cause listeners to get the wrong message. “I think people can use it as a kind of shield… because she is so popular.” She goes on to say, “People are using this to defend supporting JK Rowling … ‘good thing I like my books cancelled’” This reaction is a link between Drake and Alvarez’s worries about the people who deserve cancel culture somehow escaping the blame.
Brennan Balser shares a similar sentiment: “The only way I could see this as being harmful to other people… is if people think this is saying she won’t use her voice to stand up for what’s right.” Balser feels this is a misuse of Swift’s access to her fans and, therefore, to major voting decisions. “Then she’s not using her public status to advocate for people who need to be represented by celebrities…the gravity of their situations can rely on celebrities’ opinions and cause people to be more aware.”
Whether or not Swift is a “good” or “bad” artist or a “good” or “bad” person, these are not states of being that have to stand against each other. Swift is a person outside of our scope of reality, but her music is available for everyone to hear. For better or worse, public opinion matters, and all perspectives need to be shared. As listeners of music, we are a part of its culture, and we determine its significance. Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ may not be praised, but it will be remembered.