Taylor Swift has officially dropped TS12, and I am living for it!
I’ve had it on repeat since its Oct. 3 release, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. This album feels so different from every other album with its playful, unapologetically honest lyrics and upbeat melodies reminiscent of her previous albums, Lover and Reputation. From cheeky tracks like “Wood” to raw confessions in “Eldest Daughter,” Swift reminds us why she’s one of the best in the music industry.
The Life of a Showgirl isn’t just another album; it’s a reflection of Swift’s growth, confidence, and everything we love about her and her music. With that said, here’s an analysis of each track and what it says about Swift’s life in the spotlight.
- The fate of Ophelia
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Taylor Swift is no stranger to drawing inspiration from fictional stories in her music, with the novel Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier playing a big part in her inspiration for the songs on her album evermore. However, this time, she drew inspiration from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and the character Ophelia.
With lyrics like, “And if you’d never come for me / I might’ve lingered in purgatory / You wrap around me like a chain, a crown, a vine / Pulling me into the fire,” it’s clear that Swift is using Ophelia as a reflection of herself to show how her fiancé, Travis Kelce, saved her from the heartbreak of her last relationship.
In multiple interviews, Swift stated that she played around with blending Shakespearean language and modern lines, such as “Pledge allegiance to your hands/Your team, your vibes,” to highlight the similarities between Ophelia’s fate in Hamlet compared to her escaping that same fate in the present day.
- elizabeth taylor
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While in “The Fate of Ophelia,” Swift pulled inspiration from a fictional woman, in “Elizabeth Taylor,” she draws inspiration from the glamorous and iconic Hollywood showgirl, Elizabeth Taylor herself. With its old Hollywood vibes and clever use of metaphors, Swift is intertwining her own personal experiences with the history of one of Hollywood’s most classic icons, with lyrics such as “I’d cry my eyes violet, Elizabeth Taylor / Tell me for real, do you think it’s forever?”
Through each verse and chorus, Swift captures the resilience and reinvention that defined both Elizabeth Taylor’s life in Hollywood and Swift’s own life. In interviews, Swift has stated that with this song, she wanted to explore the duality of being admired while also being misunderstood, a reality many showgirls face.
- opalite
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As my personal favorite song on the album, “Opalite” makes me want to dance and shout the lyrics at the top of my lungs. “You were dancing through the lightning strikes / Sleepless in the onyx night / But now the sky is opalite.” These lyrics capture just how much Swift feels her life has changed as she’s finally free from the heartbreak of her last relationship and has found a ray of sunshine she can rely on, even on her cloudiest days.
Opalite is a man-made version of an opal, which is actually the birthstone of her fiancé, Travis Kelce. This connection is what reportedly helped Swift when writing this song, as she feels like Kelce has brought a new light and joy into her life. “Never met no one like you before / You had to make your own sunshine / But now the sky is opalite.” These lyrics are a perfect summary of Swift and Kelce’s relationship as he lifted her out of a grief that brought the heartbreak we felt in Swift’s previous album, The Tortured Poets Department.
- father figure
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Inspired by the iconic George Michael’s song of the same name, and the life of the legendary man himself, “Father Figure” is all about reclaiming what’s yours and confronting misplaced trust. The song explores what happens when admiration turns into manipulation, as someone you once looked up to begins to blur the lines between mentoring and control.
With lyrics such as “Your thoughtless ambition sparked the ignition / On foolish decisions, which led to misguided visions / That to fulfill your dreams / You had to get rid of me,” Swift captures the tough realization that even our heroes can fail us when we need them most.
@georgemofficial via Instagram - eldest daughter
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Although I am an only child, I can relate to this song’s themes of not feeling good enough and trying everything in my power to fit in. While Swift has often written about love and heartbreak, in this song, she turns inward to explore the quiet weight of responsibility and expectation that comes with being good enough for both her relationships and her fans.
With lyrics such as “Every eldest daughter / Was the first lamb to the slaughter / So we all dressed up as wolves and we looked fire,” it’s as if she’s confessing her deepest fear intimately to us while begging for understanding and someone to relate to.
“Eldest Daughter” is a transformation of a deeply personal struggle into something many listeners can relate to. It gives voice to those grappling with their own unseen burdens of family, expectations, and the need to fit into a world that refuses to understand them.
- ruin the friendship
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When Swift first announced the track list for this album, I thought this song would be about her alleged falling out with actress Blake Lively, but she took it in a completely different direction. Instead, the song that captures the tension between love and the fear of losing someone who means everything to you, by craving something more.
“Ruin the Friendship” is the sister song to the heartbreaking track “Forever Winter” from Red (Taylor’s Version) that recounts the suicide of Swift’s high school friend, Jeff Lang. Through nostalgic lyrics such as “When I left school, I lost track of you / Abigail called me with the bad news,” Swift is urging listeners to pursue a relationship that means a lot to them, even if they’re afraid of the consequences of it not working out.
- actually romantic
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“Actually Romantic” is rumored to be a diss track aimed at Charli xcx based on her hit song “Sympathy is a Knife.” With the first line being “I heard you call me ‘Boring Barbie’ when the coke’s got you brave,” it’s no secret that Swift is making a jab at Charli xcx, especially with her close relations to Swift’s ex, Matty Healy.
Despite these rumors, however, the song’s message of someone’s obsession with you being quite romantic is one that I think a lot of us can relate to. “It’s actually romantic / I really got to hand it to you, ooh / No man has ever loved me like you do.” These lyrics remind me of Regina George and Janice in Mean Girls, as I’ve experienced my own Regina George and Janice in my lifetime.
However, despite the Charli xcx drama that the song may be rooted in, it’s not a lie that this song is a relatable bop that I know I’ll be playing anytime rumors of someone talking bad about me come circling back.
@taylorswift via Instagram - wi$h li$t
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When I first saw a song titled “Wi$h Li$t” on the track list, I thought that this song would be the same vibe as Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings,” but Swift took it in a completely different direction. “Wi$h Li$t” is a playful yet sincere reflection on desire and how the things people want differ.
Swift takes time to list out the materialistic things that she believes people want, such as “They want that yacht life, under chopper blades / They want those bright lights and Balenci’ shades / And a fat ass with a baby face.” She then transitions the song into her own wish list, naming the things she wants, such as having a couple of kids, telling the world to leave her alone, and settling down.
This song has been getting criticism online for being “tradwife propaganda,” but I think people are missing the point of the song entirely. Despite Swift’s billions of dollars, she will truly never be able to just buy a house in a nice neighborhood where no one will bother her, and allow her kids to run around freely as they enjoy a quiet life. I think it’s beautiful to see Swift yearning for a life so many “normal” people live, as it makes her feel relatable. Plus, it’s nice to see a billionaire yearn for the things that so many of us often take for granted.
- wood
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Swift is horny and she’s proud! “Wood” is Swift at her most confident and carefree as she celebrates her desire without apology, wrapped in class superstitions like “all of that bitchin’, wishing on a falling star” and “And then stepped on a crack / And the black cat laughed,” to show that she doesn’t need luck to get the love she deserves.
“Wood” is a song that has both cheeky and playful lines that are very reminiscent of Sabrina Carpenter’s lyrics, with fans joking about how Sabrina Carpenter was in Swift’s ear while she was writing the song. However, I think this is Swift finally releasing the feelings she’s been holding in all along, proving that she can be playful and provocative while continuing to maintain her signature storytelling spark.
- cancelled!
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“CANCELLED!” is a razor-sharp anthem about public shaming, hypocrisy, and the power of survival in a world built to break you and everyone around you down. This song turns cancel culture into a glittering spectacle as Swift reclaims her narrative instead of running from it.
With lyrics such as “You thought that it would be okay, at first / The situation could be saved, of course / But they’d already picked out your grave and hearse” and “Did they catch you having far too much fun? / Come with me, when they see us, they’ll run,” Swift conveys the disloyalty of fame and performative nature of outrage with a production that feels both venomous and glamorous.
- honey
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“Honey” is all about reclamation. Through vivid storytelling of past experiences and conversational lyrics, Swift shows that terms of endearment that were once directed towards her in bitterness and mockery are now symbols of tenderness and warmth when spoken by someone genuine.
Early in the song, with lyrics such as “When anyone called me ‘Sweetheart’ / It was passive-aggressive at the bar/And the bitch was tellin’ me to back off / ‘Cause her man had looked at me wrong,” Swift shows how words such as “sweetheart” and “honey” were once used as insults, followed by jealousy and judgment.
As the song unfolds, those same words start to transform into something sacred as she has found someone who speaks to her with kindness instead of cruelty, and she rewrites the meanings of all the names that were once used to hurt her. “Honey” is all about the beauty of finally being seen and understood, and how love, when honest, can make the smallest words have the biggest impact.
@taylorswift via Instagram - the life of a showgirl (feat. Sabrina Carpenter)
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This song feels like Taylor Swift is passing the torch to the next showgirl in line, Sabrina Carpenter. “The Life of a Showgirl (feat. Sabrina Carpenter)” is a dazzling blend of spectacle and sincerity, telling the story of a fictional showgirl named Kitty who warns a fan that the life of a showgirl is not as glamorous as it looks to be.
With lyrics like “Wait, the more you play, the more that you pay / You’re softer than a kitten, so / You don’t know the life of a showgirl, babe / And you’re never gonna wanna,” it’s clear that Swift is using Kitty’s fictional advice as an insight into what the showgirl life is really all about.
The Life of a Showgirl is a great addition to Swift’s discography and is one that will stay on repeat until she announces her 13th album. Each song offers a piece of her heart while reminding us to embrace our own stories, even if we’re not living the life of a showgirl.