While waiting in the Starbucks drive-through line on a crisp Friday morning and listening to Taylor Swift's new album, “Life of a Showgirl,” I was filled with mixed emotions-disappointment and shock.
Released on Oct. 3, “Life of a Showgirl" contains 12 songs combining pop and soft rock, showcasing emotional storytelling but with corny lyrics.
“The Life of a Showgirl” is Swift's 13th album since her music career started in 2006, and features music similar to that of Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo. Carpenter is even featured in the last track.
The album isn’t my favorite out of Swift’s albums, but it definitely wasn’t her worst.
The album is Swift’s bold return to pop after her album release, “The Tortured Poets Department” – being deeply emotional and introspective, while her new release being flirtatious, bright and emotionally direct. Some songs of “Life of a Showgirl” blend heartfelt lyrics and catchy pop beats that highlight Swift’s fame, but the corny songs like "Eldest Daughter,” “Wood,” and “Honey” overwhelm any of the decent ones.
Each track is a glimpse behind Swift's life in the spotlight and behind the scenes. The pop and sentimental music captures fans' emotions of sadness and despair – including myself. The snapping lyrics and cinematic sound are what really pull the album together, but still doesn’t uphold my expectations.
Over the few days of its release, social media doom-scrollers voiced their opinions on the album through social media platforms, some being good and some being blatantly awful.
Some said the album was underrated while others said the Tortured Poets Department tortured the music out of her.
But I knew I had to listen to the album first.
One of my top songs is, “The Fate of Ophelia.” In the song, Swift ties together the perfect blend of poetic imagery and pop sound, showing resilience through overcoming tough situations which I find inspiring.
The song, “The Fate of Ophelia,” started with a strong bassline and a soft beat, setting the tone of pop and a little jazz. The story puts Swift in a fragile and vulnerable state, listeners can relate to, and then being rescued by someone who loves her — changing her fate.
Another one of my favorites, "Ruin the Friendship,” opens with the beat of drums leading into a soft and light-hearted feel. It describes the tension between desire and loyalty, exploring internal conflicts and wanting someone romantically while jeopardizing important friendships with risky actions. The lyrics are relatable with Swift saying “My advice is always ruining the friendship” and other broken friendship lyrics.
Other songs I enjoy are “Actually Romantic,” “Opalite” and "Elizabeth Taylor,” containing peppy and meaningful lyrics that listeners can belt their heart out all night. In "Actually Romantic,” Swift recites “But you keep sending me funny valentines,” showcasing a cute relationship that fans already have or want.
Now the album may have its perks however, there are a few songs that I can’t even listen to without cringing or skipping to the next song.
“Wi$h Li$t” is brutally repetitive and honestly shouldn’t be in the album. The amount of times I hear “They want it all” and “I just want you” with the same monotone beat doesn’t put a good look on Swift. I’m definitely hiding the song from the album on my Spotify account.
While the song reflects on Swift's need for a peaceful and grounded life beyond the glitz, she departs from her romantic storytelling and leads into wanting stability and an overall perfect suburban life. Basically, an upbeat sob story I don’t want to listen to.
Another not-so-hot song, “CANCELLED!,” is honestly so cringy I can’t bear to listen to the full song. The song gives off a threatening vibe, the first line saying, “You thought you’d be ok, at first,” and another line saying, “Beware the wrath of masked crusaders.” I don’t even know the point of the story, except Swift explaining the annoyance of public drama and personal friendships. It matched the storytelling of the album, but certainly not the feeling.
The album closes out with Sabrina Carpenter appearing on “Life of a Showgirl,” a song capturing excitement and exhaustion under the spotlight. Swift and Carpenter both share a part in the song while harmonizing in the chorus, being a little choppy. The beat and tune of the lyrics become repetitive at times, but overall, it was a great collaboration, as I found it unexpected.
Taylor Swift's album is full of storytelling about her emotions over fame and the spotlight. Some songs make me want to blast in my car, while others make me want to slide right and delete them from the album. If you ever get the chance to listen to “Life of a Showgirl" be prepared for a gust of powerful but cringy lyrics with a transformation of upbeat and emotional rhythm.
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