On Oct. 3, 2025, pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” In her promotion of the album, Swift described the music as joyful and confident, reflecting the happiness and peace she experienced in her life creating this album, specifically with her now fiancé, Kansas City Chief tight end, Travis Kelce, who is suspected to be the muse behind many songs. When creating this album, Swift reunited with Max Martin and Shellback, who she collaborated with on “Red”, “1989” and “reputation.” This trio has produced some of Swift most iconic pop songs, including “Shake It Off” and “22,” so news of the reunion excited many fans. The album artwork showcases the glamour and luxury of 1920s showgirls, an aesthetic that Swift also drew from in her lyrics. At 42 minutes, “The Life of a Showgirl” is Swift’s shortest album, but was enough to leave listeners tearful, euphoric, outraged, and, if nothing more, with a lot to say. 

Track 1: The Fate of Ophelia

Swift opens “The Life of a Showgirl” with an upbeat, catchy love song, the type that she promised in her promotion of the album. The pop sound is reminiscent of Swift’s earlier collaborations with Martin and Shellback on “Red” and “1989,” yet has an element of production that parallels Swift’s work on “Midnights.” In her lyrics, Swift alludes to Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” comparing herself to the character Ophelia who was driven mad by the men in her life and drowned, an image Swift directly references in the album cover. However, unlike Ophelia, Swift does not suffer the same fate, being saved by love. While it was never a question for her fans as to who Swift’s muse was while creating this album, she uses lyrics like “pledge allegiance to hands, your team, your vibes” as not so subtle clues. The first single of the album, this song successfully combines two of Swift’s greatest talents: her fun, danceable production with her acclaimed storytelling.

Track 2: Elizabeth Taylor

In the album’s second track, Swift describes her struggles of finding love amidst the whirlwind of fame and under public scrutiny. Referencing ‘50s actress Elizabeth Taylor, this song evokes old Hollywood aesthetics with its luxurious production and dramatic lyrics, perfectly complementing the opulent aesthetic that Swift marketed the album with. Production elements like the subtle bass line in the second verse as well as the piano melody motif used throughout the choruses stand out among a simple drum beat. Lyrics like “All my white diamonds and lovers are forever / In the papers, on the screen and in their minds” evokes themes reminiscent of “Blank Space,” one of Swift’s first hits with Martin and Shellback, with its almost glorification of Swift’s boundless fame and its critique of the public’s perception of her. Elizabeth Taylor stands out as one of Swift’s more unique songs on the album, yet with elements that are distinctly her.

Track 3: Opalite

With addicting production and a distinctly danceable beat, “Opalite” is the type of pop many fans were hoping for on this album. Oftentimes, Swift likes to disguise heartbreaking lyrics behind an upbeat track (“Hits Different,” “Forever Winter”), however, the joyful sound in this song is reflected in the story she is telling. Swift references opalite– man-made opal– as a metaphor for making your own happiness in life, a profound analogy that is especially impactful when compared to Swift’s past loved songs laced with anxiety and fear. This comparison is a theme Swift has used in the past of assigning a color to feelings (“Red,” “Daylight.”)  Lyrics like “You were dancing through the lightning strikes / Sleepless in the onyx night / But now the sky is opalite,” show Swift’s relief at being past a hard time in her life, yet don’t ignore the fact that it took effort for her to get there. Once again, Swift doesn’t let the joyful production of a song distract from the deeper message she is sending with the lyrics. 

Track 5: Eldest Daughter

As one of the most anticipated songs on “The Life of a Showgirl”, “Eldest Daughter” had a high bar to reach, and unfortunately, it did not meet expectations. Track fives are known for being Swift’s most honest, vulnerable songs, and while this one has the same elements, it is ruined by the lazy writing. Swift expresses the struggles and insecurities she has faced as the eldest child, and how these same insecurities have emerged when dealing with her fame. However, lyrics like “Everybody’s cutthroat in the comments / Every single hot take is cold as ice” and “But I’m not a bad b**** / And this isn’t savage,” sound unintelligent among Swift’s other works. The rest of the song has strong lyrics, like “Cause I thought that I’d never find that beautiful, beautiful life that / Shimmers that innocent light back / Like when we were young”. Accompanied by beautiful piano melodies, and later an acoustic guitar, if you ignore the first verse and lyrics in the chorus, it is track five that is equally as honest, raw, and beautiful as her other track fives. However, the stale, cringy lyrics make the song feel like listening to a parody of a Taylor Swift song, and overall unlistenable.

Track 6: Ruin the Friendship

A stand out song on the album, “Ruin The Friendship” is a bittersweet, upbeat pop song reminiscent of Swift’s early music. Swift looks back on a high school friendship that she regrets not pursuing romantically, as it ended suddenly with the friend’s tragic death. “But I whispered at the grave / ‘Should’ve kissed you anyway.’” The sweet melodies and country-esque production combined with the vulnerable lyrics make “Ruin The Friendship” one of the best songs on the album. 

Track 9: Wood

Track nine opens with vintage sounding production, and many fans noticed immediately  its similarity to Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back.” In the verses, Swift describes her past superstitions surrounding love– knocking on wood, stepping on sidewalk cracks, catching a bride’s bouquet. Then, in the chorus she professes that they got her nowhere and once she found true love, she didn’t need to rely on delusion. “Wood” is one of the more cheeky songs on the album, with lyrics lush with metaphors that Swift leaves up to the listener to interpret. When it comes to the subject of the song, Swift once again uses lines like “New Heights of manhood” to reference Kelce who hosts a podcast titled “New Heights.” Packed with background vocals and clever production elements, “Wood” has an 80s pop vibe fit for singing along to in a neon roller rink.

Track 10: CANCELLED! 

Undeniably the low point of the album, “CANCELLED!,” is filled with cringy lyrics and empty production. Swift attempts to criticize cancel culture but it comes off as her trying to be the “bad b****” she claimed she wasn’t in “Eldest Daughter” and a weak defense of her past controversial friendships. Swift is no stranger to social media slander, and she has successfully critiqued this with past songs like “Shake It Off” or “The Lakes.” However, the lyrics in “CANCELLED!” like “But one single drop, you’re off the roster / ‘Tone deaf and hot, let’s f***in’ off her’” don’t hit the same when said friends are MAGA. On reputation, she got away with songs like this because both the writing and production were good (“I Did Something Bad,” “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things”), but the melodies on this song are bland and the lyrics are vapid. In “The Lakes” on “Folklore,” Swift wrote, “I’m not cut out for all these cynical clones / These hunters with cell phones” showing her ability to make these same criticisms in a poetic and clever way. However, this song just doesn’t showcase that. 

Track 12: The Life of a Showgirl 

While there are some low points leading up to it, the closing and title track of “The Life of a Showgirl” is a beautiful tribute to the Eras Tour, showcasing some of Swift’s best storytelling on the album. Swift sings from the perspective of a young girl who achieves her dreams of being a performer, despite warnings from a mentor that the life is not as glamorous as it seems. Swift has written about these themes on past songs like “The Lucky One” and “Clara Bow” and it is a topic that allows her to almost break the fourth wall with the listener. As the only feature on the album, Sabrina Carpenter’s voice blends beautifully with Swift’s, a pairing that fans got a preview of on the Eras Tour. Its production is intricate and almost theatrical, matching lyrics like “I took her pearls of wisdom, hung them from my neck / I paid my dues with every bruise, I knew what to expect,” which stand out as some of the best on the album. The song ends with Swift and Carpenter “closing the show” as they say goodbye to the audience. With thunderous cheers blended into the background production, the outro transports the listener back to a confetti filled stadium, surrounded by 80,000 screaming fans, as Swift takes her final bow.

Altogether, Swift’s 12th studio album is not her best, but it is enjoyable and showcases some of her greatest strengths. While there are subpar songs like “CANCELLED!” and “Eldest Daughter,” there are inversely stand out songs including “The Fate of Ophelia,” “Ruin the Friendship” and the title track. While songs like “Honey” and “Wi$h Li$t” risk getting lost in Swift’s discography, their unique production and clever elements ensure that they stand out among her past work. Many critics of Swift argue that she can only excel when writing about heartbreak, but this album proves that wrong. She can write happy songs with profound lyrics and good storytelling– but, when she strays away from this on songs like “Actually Romantic,” her voice is lost and the final product is clumsy and cringe. Confident and flirty and sometimes insecure and vulnerable, “The Life of a Showgirl” is overall a success, there are just a couple songs that could have been left in the voice memos.

Final rating: 7/10