Taylor Swift’s twelfth studio album, suitably titled The Life of a Showgirl, has taken the world by storm since its release on October 3rd. Sparking the movement for orange to be the new “it” color, glitter and sequins to be everywhere possible, and the painting of Shakespeare’s Ophelia to be the most popular art exhibit, there is no doubt of the impact of Swift’s new album.
If you are familiar with Swift’s discography, you know this is nothing new. Her albums often take over, looping on radio stations, blasting from windows, and lighting up The Empire State Building in its respective colors. However, the release and dazzle of The Life of a Showgirl somehow feel like more, especially when following up her last studio album, The Tortured Poets Department. The Tortured Poets Department can only be described as depression in physical form, as a state so gray and bleak you can do nothing but drown in the black and white of your sorrows. The Life of a Showgirl is the complete opposite, a complete flip of the switch, where the darkness becomes opalite and the sadness becomes confidence and unadulterated joy. It is bubbles in champagne, the kind of love you can’t describe. It is mirrorballs and boas and a stage set for only you to embrace yourself and step into the spotlight as you realize you have arrived in the place you’ve always wanted. With only eighteen months in between the two, it makes us wonder how Swift went from being so down and melancholic to being the shimmering, sparkling, unbothered diva she embodies on The Life of a Showgirl. Here, we’ll take a track-by-track look at what the lyrics reveal about the process of Swift’s healing and how we can use them as a tool for ourselves.
- The Fate of Ophelia
Track number one, The Fate of Ophelia, opens the album with mysticism as it illustrates how Swift was revived by a new love. She narrates how she was dug out of her grave and saved from the fate of Ophelia (Ophelia being Shakespeare’s character whose fate was to die from drowning). On The Tortured Poets Department, Swift was drowning in her grief, but we see her come back to life in the light of the new person in her life. Swift’s ability to avoid the fate of Ophelia shows us it is possible to find and fall in love again, even though we may have been hurt in the past.
- Elizabeth Taylor
Following the opener and lead single, Elizabeth Taylor finds Swift questioning if love is forever, especially when made complicated by her superstardom. We get a glimpse of her grappling with fame and the difficulties it brings with maintaining a stable relationship as she asks the other person to navigate her stardom with her and stay by her side when Hollywood hates her. It is ultimately proven that the right person will stay despite any chaos and intricacies that may be in your life, and they will show you that not just white diamonds, but love, is forever.
- Opalite
Opalite is a track full of pure hope and light, following Swift as she moves on from past lovers and escapes the ghosts that used to haunt her. The chorus holds the message that is one of the central themes of the album: it will be alright, as long as you dance through the storms and take control of your own narrative. The sky may sometimes be black as onyx, but eventually it will fade into a dazzling opalite. It recognizes the depression of the The Tortured Poets Department era while acknowledging the fact that life holds speedbumps and setbacks, but “failure brings you freedom” and there are brighter days ahead.
- Father Figure
Father Figure is another track that talks about taking responsibility for your life and moving on after betrayal. The song ends with a twist as Swift finds herself back-stabbed by an unnamed protege and is forced to realize that her knowledge was used against her. This is an example of how people in your life are going to come and go, and some of those people are going to hurt you and betray you in the worst kind of way. What’s important is not to let others’ disloyalty destroy you, to stand your ground, and to protect your peace.
- Eldest Daughter
Track five, Eldest Daughter, takes the album’s tempo down a notch as Swift trills about the difficulties and effects of fame, online culture, and growing up the eldest daughter. The song, while softer, carries feelings of hope and acceptance as Swift learns to navigate these challenges and starts to believe in love again, most notably displayed when she sings “when I said I don’t believe in marriage, that was a lie.” Overall, Eldest Daughter shows us how what we go through and experience during childhood doesn’t define us, and how being yourself, despite the many roles you have to play, is the thing that will bring you peace in the end.
- Ruin The Friendship
Ruin the Friendship is my favorite track from The Life of a Showgirl. In it, Swift describes how she should have admitted her romantic feelings for her friend and risked ruining their friendship instead of letting him pass her by and ultimately losing him anyway. This story allows us to learn one of the most important lessons: you should just take the risk. Tell that person how you feel. Do the thing that scares you. Ruin the friendship. It is better to take the chance and to know than to hold it in forever. If you never even try, it is a guaranteed loss either way.
- Actually Romantic
Actually Romantic kicks the album back into full gear, flipping the title in a way that listeners don’t expect. Instead of describing something that’s, well, actually romantic, Swift goes on about how the obsessive attention she gets from her haters is equivalent to the attention she gets from her fans, meaning her critics actually adore her. By taking this approach and brushing off haters like lint off her shoulder, Swift exemplifies how we can avoid letting our enemies and bullies get to us and never let them dull our confidence and sparkle.
- Wi$h Li$t
Track eight, Wi$h Li$t, also starts off by describing what haters and other people want. Swift details the wish lists of those around her and exposes the materialistic lifestyles and unrealistic standards they uphold before moving into the chorus, where she flips the script and offers her own wish list. She is essentially saying “I don’t care what they want. This is what I want, this is what makes me happy, and that’s what matters.” Her wish list consists of simply getting married and having a family in spite of the chaos and opinions around her, which reminds us to focus on our own life goals and enjoy them without getting caught up in what other people want for us.
- Wood
On Wood, Swift discusses how she’s always been a superstitious person, wishing on falling stars and knocking on wood in the hopes of gaining the good and/or avoiding the bad. However, she then goes on to reveal that she doesn’t have to wish and knock on wood anymore, now that she’s found someone she can trust and be comfortable with. The right person will make you feel like you aren’t constantly paranoid of something bad happening. They will allow you to leave the habit of knocking on wood in the past as you realize you have gotten what you used to wish for.
- Cancelled!
In track ten, Cancelled!, Swift plays on the theme of cancel culture as she illustrates the influence of the practice on celebrities, specifically on celebrities who are women. She emphasizes how getting “cancelled” proves or disproves the loyalty of your friends, and stands firmly with the ones who have stood with her in the past throughout her own experience of being dragged by the public while calling out the ones who were proven disloyal. Her confidence on this track never wavers, which is an important reminder to stay with the ones who stay with you and do it without breaking your self-assurance.
- Honey
Honey is a track that also gives me hope for the future. Swift tells the story of how, throughout her life, whenever someone complimented her or called her an endearment such as honey, it was either to make fun of her, make her go away, or was a backhanded blow. It was never genuine. However, she discovers the sweet side of the word when her now fiancé starts calling her honey, which allows her to redefine the term and realize she deserves the kind of love that offers the best sides of life. Even though others may be undercutting you now, there will eventually be someone who changes that.
- The Life of a Showgirl (featuring Sabrina Carpenter)
The closing title track ties the album together perfectly as it paints the picture of the life of a showgirl, starting with Swift attending an idol’s show to deciding showgirl life was her dream to eventually achieving her ambitions and gracing a stage of her own covered in sequins and sparkles, despite the warnings that fame wasn’t worth the pain. The journey of Taylor Swift’s career proves that if you have a dream and if you want it badly enough, you should follow that dream no matter what anyone says. And, while hardships are inevitable and pain is unavoidable, the feeling of pride you get when you reach your goal will make it all worthwhile.
This is what The Life of a Showgirl teaches us. This is the real legacy of its impact and what makes it more than just a collection of songs. No matter what is going on behind the curtain, it always rises and lets in the light. You are not in the darkness forever. You have so much to give and there are so many better things that are coming your way. So dance through the lightning strikes, ruin the friendship, don’t waste time on anyone who doesn’t see your value, and don’t be afraid to fall madly in love. You may not be strutting on a stage with a spotlight, but you can still live life like a showgirl.