Popstar Taylor Swift released her newest album, The Life of a Showgirl, on Oct. 3, and fans had high hopes. With producer Max Martin, who helped Swift create popular songs from hit albums like Red, 1989 and Reputation, this new album had immense expectations.
Despite the attractive title, the album disappointed many with its repetitive melodies, uncreative lyrics and an overall lack of the magic that made Swift’s older albums so special. This album felt emotionally empty, almost like it was written for social media.
The album opens with “The Fate of Ophelia,” one of the few hits on the tracklist. It starts off slow, and gradually builds into an upbeat and catchy tune. Swift sings about being saved from “drowning in melancholy” by love and finding light in the darkness. This is the one song from the album that’s worth putting in your playlist.
The next track, titled “Elizabeth Taylor,” gives recognition to the Hollywood star and Swift sings about their shared experiences of fame. Despite its lyrics about the pressure of living under the public eye, this song lacks the energy of Swift’s popular song, “Don’t Blame Me,” as the two songs sound similar.
“Opalite,” the third track on the album, continues the theme of Swift’s self-made happiness, using the man-made gemstone as a metaphor for creating joy after a heartbreak. While the song is creative, it never reaches its full potential, as it never delivers the upbeat chorus I was expecting.
The fourth track, “Father Figure,” could have been one of the most meaningful songs on the album, but the lyrics felt forced and too literal. Fans suspect the song is directed at Scott Borchetta, who sold her masters to Scooter Braun.
“Eldest Daughter” reignites the emotion, with a soft tone and slow guitar melody in the background and lyrics that capture moments from her past and use them to explain the present. Although this song has some questionable lyrics, it mostly stands out for its emotional honesty.
The gentle mood continues to her next track, “Ruin the Friendship,” a song about regretting not taking a chance on love, as shown in the lyrics “Should’ve kissed you anyway.” Its gentle guitar and slow pace makes it touching but forgettable, as the melody doesn’t stick.
Swift claims that her next track, “Actually Romantic”, is a song about “realizing that someone else has kind of had a one-sided, adversarial relationship with you that you didn’t know about.” This song is much like her hit song “Bad Blood,” but it lacks tempo and energy, leaving the song feeling unfinished.
Then there’s “Wi$h Li$t,” a track that sounds upbeat from the flashy title, but was disappointingly slower-paced. Swift sings about dreaming of a quiet life with her fiance Travis Kelce, complete with a “driveway with a basketball hoop.” While it was a sweet idea, the song felt dragged on and too slow to actually hold attention.
Very similar to Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” the ninth song, “Wood,” is meant to be playful, but the raunchy lyrics and humor makes it more cringe than clever. Similar to “Wood,” Swift’s next track called “CANCELLED!” attempts to bring back her Reputation vibes, but her lyrics about cancel culture feel out of touch and fans have begun to say they sound “millennial.”
“Honey,” is a cute love song about an old nickname that was once used manipulatively, but it lacks emotional depth or a spark that would make it stick with you. Finally, the title track “The Life of a Showgirl” (feat. Sabrina Carpenter) closes the album with lively storytelling and long-awaited fun. Swift’s and Carpenter’s chemistry really shines and the song feels like it was meant for Broadway.
Overall, The Life of a Showgirl feels rushed and many of the songs sound too similar. The album lacks the emotional depth fans expected from her, which makes it more forgettable than fun. The standout song was the opener, “The Fate of Ophelia,” which reminds fans of the spark and talent Swift used to have.
