Taylor Swift’s 12th album “The Life of a Showgirl” dropped on Oct. 3 after a busy past two years: Swift recently ended her highest-grossing tour, the Eras Tour, and released her 11th album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” “The Life of a Showgirl”consists of 12 songs and is 41 minutes long, featuring Sabrina Carpenter in the title track.
The album provided insight as to what Swift’s life was like while she was on tour. In the songs “Elizabeth Taylor” and “The Life of a Showgirl,” Swift touches upon the struggles of being a famous pop star. She sings, “What could you possibly get for the girl who has everything and nothing all at once?” suggesting that she struggles to find close relationships when her life is so often in the spotlight. In “The Life of a Showgirl,” she starts the song by saying “You don’t know the life of a showgirl, babe and you’re never gonna wanna.” However, later in the song she says now that she is a “showgirl,” she wouldn’t want it any other way.
In the third track of the album, “Opalite,” Swift sings about how she used to spend a lot of time thinking about exes, but now “the sky is opalite.” This lyric is mostly likely about her fiance, Travis Kelce, whose birthstone is opal. Swift picks up this idea again in the song “Ruin the Friendship,” a nod to her past loves that didn’t work out.
Some people have speculated that this may be her last album, especially since she is now engaged. “The Life of a Showgirl” has stirred up the media, with some critiquing the lyrics, saying that they are shallow compared to previous albums. There are plenty of avid fans out there too, praising the many hidden easter eggs and overall upbeat mood.
As for me, I appreciate how it feels like Swift didn’t hold back when writing this album. Both the lyrics and overall musicality feel authentic to Swift’s life and the challenges she has faced while still maintaining a lighthearted mood. Now, the only question that remains is was this her final album, or is lucky number 13 on the horizon?
