The Life of a Showgirl is receiving a lot of hate right now. Most expected deeper, sadder lyrics, like her previous album, The Tortured Poets Departement, or before that, Folklore, but that isn’t what Swift gave them. She is at such a content and fulfilled era of her personal and work life, having just gotten engaged and bought back ownership of her life’s work; of course people think it is a little too bubbly or cliché: that is just how she is feeling. She is experiencing love and life to the fullest, and this is reflected through her work. But why so much hate at the moment? Well, that’s normal for Taylor Swift. As she writes in her track 4 “Father Figure”, “they said they want you to rise, they don’t want you to reign”. As a woman in a competitive industry, people don’t want Swift to have so much power. What does this lead to? Backlash. Criticism. The kind of brutal analysis that could only be reserved for her. However, Swift has a creative response. She responds with an idea similar to the advice she gives surrounding haters in her track 7, “Actually Romantic”. Swift says that any way a person says her name, her album, her song titles, they are marketing for her. In addition to this, Swift has realized she will receive this hate no matter what, and has decided to use this criticism constructively. This has happened again, with the transition from The Tortured Poets Department into The Life of a Showgirl. When haters described her last album as “achingly melancholic” and “too long”, she responded with a short, complete, 12 track happy pop album. The criticism continues. Now for some explanations of each track:
The Fate of Ophelia
This is the perfect Track 1 song. It has a catchy rhythm and has already inspired viral dances across the world. It also blends together beautiful songwriting with modern phrases and words.
Elizabeth Taylor
My personal favorite. The first listen is a unique experience that cannot be replicated. The song begins with a piano intro and slow singing, and then the beat drops and you are deep into the song. Swift was inspired by 50’s actress Elizabeth Taylor, known for her persistence against hate from the media, and her unique violet eyes.
Opalite
This is a pop song that is easy to dance to! Opalite is man-made opal, used as a metaphor to describe how sometimes one must create happiness for themself instead of just waiting for it to happen.
Father Figure
This track is interesting, because Swift has experience with being betrayed by her “father figure”, meaning her old record label selling ownership of her music. However, she writes about a protege and her mentor from the perspective of the mentor. Or at least, that’s how some fans view it.
Eldest Daughter
Track 5 is known by Swiftie’s as the most vulnerable of songs. Swift has picked up on this, and on the album incorporates this idea by listing “Eldest Daughter” as the fifth track. Swift is also known for her amazing bridges, and this song is a prime example of that.
Ruin the Friendship
A lot of people don’t realize how vulnerable this song really is. Swift describes having feelings for someone back in high school, and how crazy it seems that she never just went for it. However, the sad twist appears when you realize this friend of hers suddenly died, and she spent the rest of her life thinking “what if?”.
Actually Romantic
This song is a catchy love letter to the haters. It’s about how if people spend time and energy on thinking about you, and how it is really a compliment to yourself: you are worth their time. It almost feels like an Olivia Rodrigo song with its angsty feel at various points in the song.
Wi$h Li$t
This is a song about Swift wanting to settle down with her fiancé Travis Kelce, talking of her dreams of “a driveway with a basketball hoop”. Not only is it catchy, but it also responds to the haters criticising when she will settle down and have kids.
Wood
This song is a surprise. Taylor takes an edge, and Swifties are totally here for it. It began as a clever song referencing superstitions, but quickly turned into something else. You’ll have to listen to the lyrics to find out.
CANCELLED!
Another one of my favorites. It is receiving a ton of hate for “surface-level” lyrics, but if you don’t overthink it with a hating connotation, it’s a banger with a beautiful beat drop!
Honey
This track references the objectification of women. It alludes to the idea of men calling women “sweetheart” or “honey”, and using it to belittle them. Swift has discovered in her personal life that those words can be used in a loving way, and how different that feels.
The Life of a Showgirl
The perfect conclusion to the album. Sabrina Carpenter is the best fit for this, seeing as she has seen and handled the judgement and obstacles all showgirls face. It narrates a whole story in a single song, focussing on the big question showgirls face: “is it all worth it in the end?”.
All in all, I’d highly recommend this album! Although it’s not for everyone, it doesn’t deserve the unresearched hate it is getting right now.