By Averie Nurmi
On Oct. 3, Taylor Swift released her twelfth studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl”. As someone who’s been a fan of her music since 2019, I was excited to hear something new from her. But after my first full listen, I walked away underwhelmed.
As a listener, I’m drawn to lyrics, especially when they have an emotional message or story. I sat down with the lyrics, hoping for something new to listen to. Instead, I thought a lot of the writing felt below Swift’s usual bar. Of course, a few songs stood out, and some have started to grow on me. Here are my initial impressions and opinions, track by track:
“The Fate of Ophelia”
In my opinion, this was one of the strongest songs on the album. Its sound, catchy beat, and bridge made it stand out. I especially liked the reference to “Hamlet’s” Ophelia. Swift shows a contrast between Ophelia’s tragic ending and the power of her current relationship with Travis Kelce.
“Elizabeth Taylor”
This track explores different themes like fame, love, and public image. Swift compared herself to the old Hollywood icon, Elizabeth Taylor. While the concept was interesting, it felt like a concept she’s already covered in previous tracks. It didn’t bring much new to the table.
“Opalite”
Opalite was one of the best pop tracks on the album. I particularly enjoyed the production. Swift reflects on past relationships and then finds the right person. I especially liked the perspective shifts in the chorus and the energy of the beat.
“Father Figure”
This track took a few listens for me to appreciate. It shows power differences in the music industry, told from the perspective of someone in control, until the end, where the protégé has the power. While the perspectives were interesting, the lyrics felt weaker than other tracks and albums.
“Eldest Daughter”
As a traditional Swift “track five,” I expected a sad song about the pressure of being the eldest daughter, but lyrically, it wasn’t good. Phrases like “bad bitch” and “savage” went against the tone. It lacked the typical emotional “track five” feel, which I wasn’t a fan of. This was my least favorite song on the album.
“Ruin the Friendship”
This was one of the better tracks. It begins as a light pop song about crossing the line into lovers with a friend, but the tone shifts at the end, when the friend dies before they ever can. This gave the song a sadness I didn’t expect. Because I was surprised, I liked the song.
“Actually Romantic”
This track’s theme was surprising. Rather than being about her current relationship, it’s about a former friend. Swift describes the lengths she went to hurt her, calling it “Actually romantic.” I liked the progression of the song from calm to more “rock-like” toward the end, but it still wasn’t one of the best.
“Wi$h Li$t”
This track was neither good nor bad. It describes the typical “suburban family,” a vision Swift wants. I feel like a lot of people have written about this theme before. Because I cannot relate to it and the lyrics weren’t amazing, I would rate it as one of the worst on the album.
“Wood”
This track was super “cheesy,” but cute. It was upbeat, which I loved, and goes through feeling so secure in a relationship that following superstitions are unnecessary. One of the production elements I loved was the literal sound of knocking on wood when she said those lyrics. The line, “Girls, I don’t need to catch the bouquet to know a hard rock is on the way,” stood out because of the now-released engagement to Kelce. This song was cute, which made it one of the best.
“CANCELLED!”
This track shows “cancel culture,” Swift’s own experience with it in her life and how she doesn’t care if her friends are cancelled. While the message was new, it felt somehow inconsistent, and the lyrics were lacking. To me, it came across as scrutiny. I don’t like “cancel culture,” but I also didn’t enjoy the message behind the song, either, which made me not like the track.
“Honey”
This song I enjoyed because it reminded me of the “Midnights” era. It is a simple love song that bounces around with sound and silence. One moment that stood out to me was the beat drop on “But you touch my face.” I also loved the bridge and the energy of this song. It made it one of my favorites on this album.
“The Life of a Showgirl”
The title track, featuring Sabrina Carpenter, closes the album. It felt like Swift was passing the torch to Carpenter. I liked how Swift opened the track, Carpenter joined midway through and then they both blended well at the end. One thing I noticed immediately, and others online users did too, was how the production was extremely similar to the Jonas Brothers’ “Cool.” I didn’t like that she used a very similar production style, but the feature and storytelling still made it one of my favorites.
“The Life of a Showgirl” doesn’t live up to Swift’s previous work. Some songs stood out, but others missed the mark. The album may grow on me with time, but for now, I’ll find myself relistening to her previous albums.
