Album Title: The Life of a Showgirl
Artist: Taylor Swift
Rating: 4.25/5
Come one, come all to Taylor Swift’s new era: The Life of a Showgirl.
It’s been a year and a half since Swift dropped The Tortured Poets Department where we had our hearts broken and put back together again throughout 30+ songs. This time, Swift took a different approach and came back with dazzle and wittiness in just 12 tracks. I believe this album is well-liked for those who loved “Me!” and is hated by those who hated the song and doesn’t like to have fun every once in a while. I said what I said.
Bring on the glitz, glamour…and raunch?
The era began with glitzy and glamour promotional photos, which you would assume the album was going to follow suit with the theme. While the music certainly has showgirl vibes, it didn’t 100% give off the showgirl vibes I was expecting. Some of the lyrics are cringe, but some of them are sung in jest and silliness. It’s quite the difference from TTPD, but I don’t mind. Yeah, “Wood” is a bit absurd and campy but entertaining. To me, the songs sound like they could be performed on a theatre stage surrounded by sparkles and feathers.
1989 is one of my favorite albums, and this album seems to be 1989‘s edgier, older sister. It’s full of fun, energetic songs that you and your friends can jam to. For me, I don’t always need the deep, poetic lyrics that we often hear from Swift. On occasion, it’s good to have an album that doesn’t require much analyzation — you can just sing and dance along to the music. And to be honest, I have never been the Swiftie that analyzes every line of a song. I was too young when she first came out to even understand literature themes, so for me, good music is simply good music. Sure, some of the lyrics are a bit ridiculous, but I think that’s the point, much like Sabrina Carpenter’s crass, silly songs.
However, despite all of this, The Life of a Showgirl is not my favorite album. It probably won’t even rank in the top five, but I still like it. I like that she’s not serious ALL THE TIME because nobody is. We can all benefit from being a little unserious every once in a while, and that’s what Swift did with this album. She gave us an album to dance to.
Top tracks that stuck out in The Life of a Showgirl
Upon a first (or even a second listen), there are going to be a few songs that stick out the most. Songs that you immediately add to your playlist. Here are my top 3, plus an honorable mention:
✨ “CANCELLED!”: This song can only be classified as “Bad Blood’s” older, edgier sister out for revenge. I love a good song that’s full of revenge. There’s something so powerful sounding within this song that it makes you feel so strong. This song has more of a darker undertone to the lyrics and overall sound and beat. There has been a lot of speculation about whom this song may be about, from Blake Lively to Brittany Mahomes, but whomever it’s about, it’s a catchy song.
✨ “Fate of Ophelia”: I don’t know what exactly it is about this song, but it quickly was one of my favorites. It kind of gave me “Last Great American Dynasty” vibes. The beat is so catchy, and I think it gives some homage to her past albums, in terms of the lyrical storytelling. It definitely has more of the pop-sound that’s been present in her albums, like 1989 and Midnights.
✨ “Opalite”: As I said before, I am not an analytical person when it comes to picking apart songs. However, this song seems to give a glimpse into her happiness that she feels within her relationship after some troublesome and heartbreaking relationships and how it feels to live in the moment. The song just radiates happiness and hopefulness, which if you’re a hopeless romantic, you would appreciate this song.
✨ “The Life of a Showgirl” (Honorable Mention): I am also a huge Sabrina Carpenter fan, so of course, I liked this collaboration. Although, I did have higher hopes for the song. There wasn’t anything particularly impressive or dazzling about this song, but their voices together sound so magical. They both give off that old Hollywood glamour sound.
Overall, The Life of a Showgirl is a girly, fun, silly album that I really enjoyed! No, it’s not deep and lyrical, but that isn’t a dealbreaker for me at all. I will take the album for what it is, and what I believe it to be is a quirky, entertaining album full of euphemisms and teenage-like romanticism.
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