I’m an interesting person to have as the reviewer for this album. I’m not a Swiftie by any means, but many years ago, I was knee-deep in the Taylor Swift lore. From the songs to the muses to the rollouts to the drama and everything in between, I knew all of the context surrounding why and how she has become the figure that she is in the music industry. It was fascinating to me how someone could develop such an intricate public persona while also making it feel intimate, relatable and exclusive to their millions of fans. Even though she started her career playing the “girl next door” role, her music grew up as she did. How as she grew more popular, themes of fame and identity were slowly interwoven into her songs.
And then we have this. I want to make it clear that I’m not looking at this album from an overly critical point of view nor an overly flattering one. I’m also not going to go into all of the nuances of the songs and how they fit the Taylor Swift narrative. This is simply a review of the songs on the album, and how they fit the theme of the title.
The opener is the lead single, The Fate of Ophelia. I like the concept behind this song, but it’s not in any way a main pop hit. The lyrics aren’t the worst but I cannot stand “Keep it one hundred / On the land, the sea, the sky / Pledge allegiance to your hands/ Your team, your vibes” I’m not sure if it is because of the word “vibes” or the delivery, but that part just bothers me. I think that this song should have been released before the rest of the album because it would have made the public less shocked about the amount of content on her relationship with Travis.
The next song is Elizabeth Taylor, which is one of my favorites on the album. I find it sonically satisfying, and I like the way she writes about celebrity relationships and the way she views love in her life. Similarly, Opalite is fun, albeit a little repetitive. I like the storytelling, but this and The Fate of Ophelia felt like they were made to become internet and radio hits, and I’m not sure that’s what is being accomplished.
Next is Father Figure, which I think it is a lot more of what I thought this album was going to be about. This behind-the-scenes of what it is like being in the music industry and being a star. What I will say is that I prefer the clean version where the hook is “I can make deals with the devil because my check’s bigger.” I feel like it shows the side of how money drives what happens in the musical industry.
This next song Eldest Daughter has so many lines that cement its status to me as the worst Track 5 on a Taylor Swift album. Track 5s are supposed to be the most emotional and vulnerable song on the album, according to Swifties. This includes Dear John, You’re on Your Own Kid and All Too Well, which are some of the best Taylor Swift songs. To include a song with the lyrics “Every joke’s just trolling and memes / Sad as it seems, apathy is hot” feels regressive. Some other ones that stuck out to me were “Every eldest daughter/ Was the first lamb to the slaughter/ So we all dressed up as wolves and we looked fire” and “Cause I’m not a bad ***** / And this isn’t savage.” What are we doing? It doesn’t help that that first line could’ve been really good if it was altered.
Actually Romantic, outside of the beef, has a good chorus. I’m not the biggest fan of the verses, especially the whole thing about the chihuahua in a tiny purse. It seems wordy and it clashes with the fluidity of the chorus. Wood is a whole article in itself, but there was a clear purpose of this song’s inclusion on the album and I like the Jackson 5-style production. CANCELLED! would’ve made an absolute mark on the POVs on TikTok and YouTube Shorts in 2020. Ruin The Friendship has more of an Old Taylor vibe, which I definitely enjoy. I definitely prefer Forever Winter, which is also about her friend from high school Jeff Lang, who passed away from suicide. Wi$H Li$T is just there to me. I don’t like it personally, but it’s Taylor’s favorite on the album, so make of that what you will. I see Honey in the same way. There is just a lot about Travis, which is fine, but we were told this is the showgirl album. Not the I Love My Man album. This isn’t about the struggles and glitter, this is Lover 2.0.
The Life of a Showgirl (feat. Sabrina Carpenter) might be my favorite on the album. It’s more about what I thought this album would be, what being a showgirl is really like and how the industry isn’t as sparkly as it appears on the outside. The inclusion of Sabrina Carpenter is well-incorporated and I think it is one of the better features that Taylor has had. This and Elizabeth Taylor are the only tracks I would consider reaching for again on the album.
For an album titled The Life of a Showgirl, you’d expect a deeper dive into the exhaustion, spectacle, and sacrifice that come with being one of the most famous women on the planet. Instead, Swift spends most of the record focusing on the love, attention, and comfort she’s found with Travis Kelce rather than at the blood, sweat, and tears behind the curtain. The concept feels misplaced, like the showgirl aesthetic doesn’t fit the story she’s telling. If this album was meant to reveal the reality beneath the glitter, it has missed the mark and lacks the depth that was necessary to fulfill the concept.