Well my lovely ladies, TS12 is finally out, and if you’ve been online for the last few days, it has been sparking discourse everywhere. I have some thoughts, to say the least.
The Life of a Showgirl released on October 3rd, and I did what anyone else would do. At 6 AM, I sat in my car, and put the album on full blast. It was half parts magic and half parts sitting in the driver’s seat confused and delirious. After listening to it a couple more times though, I definitely have a clearer opinion on this album, so I’m gonna go track by track and give you my thoughts on each song!
the fate of ophelia
This is one of the greatest songs she has ever created. The melody is beautiful, the production by Max Martin is on point, and I love how the lyrics use the character of Ophelia as a metaphor for the love that Taylor found with Travis Kelce. It’s such a perfect song, and I could not be happier that this is the lead single.
elizabeth taylor
This is such a close second for me, and I think that it’s the best representation of the album. The song feels like a conversation between her and the late actress Elizabeth Taylor, and it really puts into perspective Swift’s relationship with her fame. She has also mentioned looking up to Elizabeth Taylor because of her willingness to be more daring with her craft, despite the scrutiny she faced, and it really helps put that parallel into perspective even more. The beat drop in the chorus also gags me every time I hear it.
“When I look at somebody who had immense pressure on them, who was extremely scrutinized, everything she ever did, she kept making more and more daring art.”
Taylor Swift on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Elizabeth Taylor.
opalite
The vibes of this song are giving a day when you’re driving with the windows all the way down by the beach. It is such an easy song to listen to, and it also continues a trend of Taylor comparing love to colors, such as red, gray, and now opalite. Looking at the sky like it is a gem shows how she chooses to see the world in the face of the isolation fame can bring, and it makes this song even more beautiful.
father figure
I’m not going to lie, the lyrics of the song completely went over my head the first time, and I first thought it was much more boring than it actually is. Once you realize it is about her struggle to get her life’s work back from Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun, it puts this song in a completely different context. It is still not my favorite, but I appreciate it much more.
eldest daughter
Oh, the track 5s. Track five is usually the emotional centerpiece of a Taylor album, and they are some of the most gut-wrenching songs in her discography. I have a complicated relationship with the track 5s on Taylor Swift albums. Some hit and some don’t, and while this is a relatable song, this still isn’t my favorite track 5 of all time, as I feel like the idea could have been executed a little bit better lyric-wise.
ruin the friendship
This was another track that completely went over my head until I heard the one line that changed the whole song for me: “Abigail called me with the bad news”. The fact that this song is a tribute to her high school friend that passed away makes this song one of the most devastating I’ve heard in a while, and the callback to “Forever Winter” just adds to how deep it gets. She feels she’s lost a love she’ll never get back, and it is so heartbreaking to hear.
actually romantic
Now this is where my opinions get controversial. I really don’t like this song. For context, this song is heavily rumored to be a response to Charli xcx’s “Sympathy is a knife,” which is believed to be about Taylor. However, I feel like Taylor completely misunderstood the song. “Sympathy is a knife” is a song about insecurity and feeling inferior because she has such a massive influence.
In all of this, she was never nasty to Taylor. Here, it feels like Taylor was just being downright nasty to her. From the opening line “I heard you call me “Boring Barbie” when the coke’s got you brave,” to the very end of the song. It feels so petty and self-absorbed in a way I just can’t get behind.
wi$h li$t
This song is pretty nice. I really like the production and, like the other songs, I feel like this song captures the feeling of love so well. I find it so interesting that she talks about this longing for love by making it into a wish list with just Travis. I do think it is a really interesting and sweet way to talk about love. Unfortunately, I feel like this is not really giving the showgirl vibes Taylor had been hyping up for so long. It’s not a song I’ll go back to often, but I enjoy it!
wood
Where do I even begin with this one? The huge issue with this song is that, while the production is delicious, the lyrics are a completely different story. I am just going to leave the post-chorus here and I’ll let you guys be the judge.
“Forgive me, it sounds cocky / He ah-matized me and opened my eyes / Redwood tree, it ain’t hard to see / His love was the key that opened my thighs.”
cancelled!
Oh how I love a reputation callback. I think this song is the closest we will get to officially going back to that style of writing and sound from the amazing reputation album. While, again, it’s a song that I won’t go back to often, I love that Taylor attempted that sound for the first time in a while, and I think it panned out so well.
honey
I am in the minority of people that don’t like this song, but I can see why so many people love it. It describes the honeymoon phase of love, and it is such an easy listen on this album. To me, because Taylor has written literal poetry about love, this was a bit of a miss to me.
the life of a showgirl
This song is so beautiful for so many reasons. For one, I love the orchestral arrangements. Taylor and Sabrina sound gorgeous together, and this song feels like a perfect conclusion to the album, directly tying to the theme of the album that I wish was played up more in the rest of the tracks. But this song is amazing, and Taylor and Sabrina NEED to do more songs together.