Taylor Swift’s newest album is finally out, and I’ve been hearing so much about it. With all the buildup and excitement for The Life of a Showgirl, and her history of writing lyrically captivating songs, I was a bit shocked at the response that this album was getting upon release. As it turns out, the Swifties are leaving the fandom and the reviews are unexpectedly mixed. I’m no Swiftie, but I do like her music, so I decided to give her album a listen from start to finish to see what all the ruckus was about.How Taylor Presents The Showgirl As A StruggleStarting with The Fate of Ophelia, I didn’t understand all the hate I was seeing on the internet. The music really captured my attention upon pressing play, and it felt like a great continuation of Taylor’s familiar musical vibe. The production is beautifully layered with a cool synthwave sound and catchy bass. However, after giving it a couple more listens, I realized I only really like this song on a surface level. Taylor’s lyrics are what she’s infamous for, with every line containing a deep and complex message for listeners to decode, but when listening to this song, I felt a lack of the feminist empowerment that Taylor used to have. Where Ophelia originally dies in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, she has now been saved by her one true love – in this case, it’s Travis Kelce. I love that she has found love, but this song just creates a “damsel in distress” narrative that feels a little male-centered rather than romantic. Still, it’s undeniably catchy, and I’m definitely adding this one to my playlist!Listening to the next three songs, Elizabeth Taylor, Opalite, and Father Figure, I felt the same sense of emotional vulnerability as the first song. At first, I felt like these songs lacked the creativity and originality of Taylor’s earlier work, but they gave a new meaning to what this album was going to be about. The album doesn’t just focus on a showgirl triumphantly making her way to the stage, but rather addresses a woman who has been endlessly wronged and is still learning to heal. In a way, it’s showing Taylor’s true emotions about her celebrity lifestyle. Still, I did feel a bit of victimhood and an emphasis on negativity throughout these songs. She’s focused on the enemies of the past and the hate, and the negativity feels contagious. Why Eldest Daughter Doesn’t WorkEldest Daughter is what really confirmed the overall theme of this album, and it’s also what made me understand the mixed reviews that The Life of a Showgirl has been receiving. Taylor’s strong lyricism in her previous albums gave me high hopes for this one, but Eldest Daughter sounds like pop culture phrases being thrown together in order to create something “deep.” I didn’t like it.However, I’ll come to her defense on this one – only somewhat. Many people are hating these lyrics, but it’s clear Taylor made them this way on purpose. The song cleverly mimics how the internet speaks about her, and her haters are falling for her trap, using the same lingo as her lyrics to hate on the song. Even if it’s not my favorite song, I respect the self-awareness behind it, but I also sense a bit of ignorance and/or arrogance about it. I think a real callout would’ve been something that the other kind of listeners – the ones that do love her – could have enjoyed, too. Instead, the song is just unlistenable. How Taylor Uses Her Music As A WeaponSkipping to Actually Romantic and CANCELLED!, these songs were where I really started to have a problem with this album. I was shocked at the inclusion of these songs in the album because they steer away from what Taylor did best: empowerment. Actually Romantic is rumored to be a diss track against Charli XCX, but it could also be interpreted as a message to the people who obsessively hate her. CANCELLED! is a proud declaration of loyalty to Blake Lively despite being cancelled, and it’s a callout of how the media and public tend to hate on successful women. In reality, both songs are a big “fuck you” to the people who have given Taylor fame and expected better from her. Instead of lifting others up with her lyrics, she’s confronting this negativity head-on with even more negativity, and I think it’s a bold choice. She’s tearing down her fans and, allegedly, Charli XCX, and I don’t think her lyrics represent the name and brand she has made for herself as a pop icon and feminist who cares. Instead, it’s like she’s telling us she doesn’t care.Going back to the songs Wish List and Wood, I’ve heard and seen lots about these two on the internet. While some listeners may hate it, I don’t. In fact, I prefer these songs over the ones that choose to pick battles and call out past enemies. They’re sweet and heartfelt, and they serve as a good reminder that Taylor can still write beautiful, emotional love songs. I think they add positivity and warmth to her overall anti-feminist and spiteful album, but they’re also a good reflection of what Taylor’s been going through: she’s been caught up in so much hate, but she’s finally found love to save her. Finally, The Life of a Showgirl (featuring Sabrina Carpenter) is what I really have been waiting to talk about. It’s my favorite song on the album, and I’ll definitely be putting this one on repeat! The bridge was a thrill to listen to, and I felt like I was ascending by the end of this song. Sabrina’s feature added an incredible energy to the mix, and I can finally see what all the craze about her voice is about now. This song shows us what taking the stage is all about, and I wish we had more of this energy in the rest of the album!
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at TX State chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.