The showgirl can be a compelling plot device (think Moulin Rouge), embodying femininity, vulnerability, and glamour. The tension of the showgirl is that she knows her prime is fleeting, so she indulges in the opulence of being a star. So why is this album neither glamorous nor gritty?
For a theme with so many intricacies, The Life of a Showgirl seems to focus on a media-drawing agenda of Swift’s life. She tends to go in simply one direction: “I am in all-American love and I’d like you all to see it”. What should have been an honest and artistic whirlwind of such an original life came off as a projection of pride and self-protection from the media. This comes out in “Wi$h Li$t”, with lyrics like “They want that complex female character/They want that critical smash Palme d'Or/And an Oscar on their bathroom floor” contrasting with “I just want you, huh/Have a couple kids, got the whole block looking like you/We tell the world to leave us thе f*** alone, and they do, wow”. The “they” seems to reflect the showgirl Swift’s imagery portrays, but the “I”, which one could take as Taylor herself, critiques that life. She wishes for simplicity and stresses it in her lyrics, but at the same time, it seems to be the antithesis of the concept of the album.
The content of the album lacks what was so alluring about its marketing. Album editions named “Sweat and Vanilla Perfume” and “The Tiny Bubbles in Champagne” described exact, busy, thoughtful details. The album was expected to be a glitter vulnerable experience in fame. Songs that did fully capture that, did it in full Swift expertise. “Father Figure” creates characters in a style of narration similar to what’s heard in another Swift album, folklore. It tells of proteges and masters and betrayal and riches and secrets that all lie behind mansion doors. It can be taken as a metaphor for Swift’s battle with her past record label, a previous manipulative relationship, or just a story about a complex dynamic. The most important part is that it leaves space for the listener. There’s nothing explicitly telling you what this is about, how to feel, and it challenges the listener to think about the song’s true meaning.
There’s a time and a place for every song, and an album should be specifically curated to the image the artist has designed for them. If Swift had embraced the danger and thrill of showing yourself to the whole world every day, waking up under a camera, then maybe The Life of a Showgirl would’ve been more cultivated. Leaving out radio hits and focusing on her talent in storytelling and lyricism, she could’ve made something so far untouched. Music is a time for honesty and lying, and being open about either. Eccentricity will always be appreciated.