The world knows the name Taylor Swift as one of, if not the, biggest pop icons in music history. On Oct. 3, she released her 12th studio album titled “The Life of a Showgirl.” There have been many mixed reviews online, but to form my opinion I want to go song by song.
Track 1: “The Fate of Ophelia“
As an album opener, this song does its job. It gets the audience engaged and excited for what’s to come. I think the chorus especially is something people can dance to. In fact, the song already has some signature moves of its own all over social media, specifically from the music video. According to an article from Today, “In the song, ‘Someone comes into your life and rescues you from the fate of being driven mad by love,’ she [Swift] said on iHeart Radio.” Can we relate this message to Travis Kelce being in her life? Perhaps we can.
Track 2: “Elizabeth Taylor“
I have mixed feelings about this song. I don’t think it’s very catchy, but I do like it. It feels like a mix of her songs from albums “Midnights” and “Reputation.” I didn’t understand what the song was about on the first listen, and honestly I didn’t on the second either. It took me a while to get there, but lines such as “You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby” and “Don’t you ever end up anything but mine” pushed me to liking the song. I am not sure if I will put this one on my playlist, but I won’t go out of my way to turn it off.
Track 3: “Opalite“
This is by far my favorite track on the album. I think it is 100% dance worthy. It is one of those songs that just makes you happy to listen to. You don’t have to think about how hard the lyrics are trying to get a message across, which I like for this album. Her tone and range in this song make me smile. You can hear how in love she is, which is pure magic. The message of this song is to get through the dark nights to be able to dance through the lightning. Essentially, get through the rougher times to find the light. Her light, it sounds like, is her fiancé Travis (the song is also named after his birth month stone).
Track 4: “Father Figure“
Woah there, Taylor Swift. I don’t remember a time I heard her cuss this outwardly in a song, but I understand why she does. It makes the point that much stronger. This song flips the traditional power structure of modern society. Taylor is stepping into the “father figure” role by protecting her friends and family. I think this song is catchy and has good versus, and I like that she sings most of the song in her higher vocal register. I am not sure how much I will be searching for this song in the future, but it works for this album.
Track 5: “Eldest Daughter“
Now, this may be an unpopular opinion, but this song was one of my least favorites from the album. Historically, track five for Taylor Swift albums are the ones that make fans cry (songs such as “The Archer” from “Lover” and “Dear John” from “Speak Now” are both examples of track five songs). Even though there are lines that make this song memorable, such as “When I said I don’t believe in marriage That was a lie” and “’Cause I thought that I’d never find that beautiful, beautiful life,” I couldn’t get past some of the awkward lyrics in there. Things like “Every joke’s just trolling and memes” and “But I’m not a bad bitch, and this isn’t savage” made the song so unserious for me and hard to think of as sentimental.
Track 6: “Ruin the Friendship“
I really liked this song; it is another one of my favorites. Something about it seems so nostalgic and free spirited. I think anyone and everyone can relate to this song and the idea of wanting someone romantically while worried about a possible friendship fallout. The twist at the end of the song was really sad and I had to hear it twice to really understand what happened. The beat and lyrics complement each other very well and I like the consistency of her tone throughout the song. This track will be going on my playlist.
Track 7: “Actually Romantic“
This song has an early 2000s pop-rock vibe going on and I am really liking it. It sounds like both a message to her haters and a love letter to Travis. We even get a glimpse of spicy Taylor with her lyrics… Taylor essentially brushes off certain comments made about her and jokes that it is sweet how much time her haters spend thinking about her. I think this song is very good for Taylor to get out there, but I can’t find myself being drawn back to listening again and again.
Track 8: “Wi$h Li$t“
I think this song is fun and refreshing. It is all about what society wants and deems the “dream life,” while Taylor sings about wanting to settle down with her man. She wants to start her family and live a quiet life. Her higher register is used SO WELL in this song, especially during the lines “Have a couple kids, got the whole block lookin’ like you” and “Got me dreamin’ ’bout a driveway with a basketball hoop.” It is so sweet hearing how she envisions her future, and it is one of those songs that has you smiling from cheek to cheek. This song will be on repeat for me.
Track 9: “Wood“
Welcome back spicy Taylor! This song has a bit of everything: a good beat, some good harmonies, a little bit of cussing, and some VERY suggestive word choices if you know what I mean. The lyrics “His love was the key that opened my thighs” speak for themselves. I listened to this song with my jaw on the floor. I know Taylor is a grown woman, but I was still surprised at how spicy this song is. On a different note, I love the addition of the knocking sounds when she says “I ain’t got to knock on wood.” This song is one of the shorter ones, which I am a little thankful for because I don’t know how I would handle even more of these lyrics. I am not sure if this one makes it to my playlist because I would need to be careful with who I was around when this song comes on.
Track 10: “CANCELLED!“
This track sounds like it came straight out of her “Reputation” album. I do, however, think the song needs to move a little more. I think the beat drop is good, but the lyrics go a little slow and were a bit of a let down. The vibe of this song is dark and mysterious. This song was a great change up from “Wood,” and a much needed tone change. I think this song would have done better if it were on “Reputation.” Something about it doesn’t match the tone of the rest of the album, however nice the switch up may be. I like the track, but I’m not sure if I like it enough to put it on my playlist. It may be one of those songs that needs to grow on me for a while first.
Track 11: “Honey“
I think the idea of this song is sweet. Taylor sings about having the nickname “Honey” always be demeaning and never sweet, but now she likes it coming from her lover. I completely get it, and it makes sense. This is a song that completely matches the tone of the album. Another thing I like about this track is that it can relate to different people. I know I can see myself in her shoes during this song. The song itself feels a little generic though. I don’t know what it’s missing, but it is missing something.
Track 12: “The Life of a Showgirl” (Feat. Sabrina Carpenter)
I actually really liked this song. Those who know me personally know that I am not a huge Sabrina Carpenter fan. I do think that the two of them sound amazing together. Their voices blend so well together and the harmonies are done so well. Something about this song draws you to it so much that it’s impossible to turn off. This was the most “showgirl” song on the entire album and it was very catchy. The audio of their voices from an actual show at the end was so sweet. It definitely made me reminisce about The Eras Tour. What a great song to end the album. The bouquet was given to the performers and the curtain closed.
I have a few final thoughts about the album. Was this my favorite Taylor album? No. Was it bad? Also no. I think some fans have taken their hatred for this album too far. It is important to recognize that artists are in different phases of their lives when they write each album. This album may not have been as lyrical as something like “Folklore,” but you can tell how genuinely happy Taylor is now.
Like many, I was excited to see where this album would go. I thought it would be about her global Eras Tour, but I was both shocked and pleasantly surprised to hear about more of her romantic life. There are a couple of songs on here that I may not return to anytime soon, but there are also others that I can’t seem to get out of my head. Well done again, Taylor Swift.