Over a year after the release of her last album, “The Tortured Poets Department”, Taylor Swift released her twelfth album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” and fans are buzzing with excitement. On October 3rd, the twelve-song pop album dropped, and although there was lots of hype leading up to its release, fans’ reviews were mixed.
Swift was inspired by experiences during The Eras Tour, which was her tour covering all of her albums in a 3-hour show that went all over the world and lasted nearly a year. In the past, her albums have mainly been produced by either Jack Antonoff or Aaron Dessner. However, “The Life of a Showgirl,” was produced by Shellback and Max Martin, two Swedish music producers who have frequently worked with Swift before. Dessner and Antonoff have worked on Swift’s albums that tend to fall on the more nostalgic, moody, and storytelling side of Swift’s music, including “Folklore”, “Evermore” and “The Tortured Poets Department”. Max Martin and Shellback, however, have worked on Swift’s more upbeat pop albums.
As for the music itself, I have mixed feelings. Upon my first listen, it wasn’t for me. I’ve always been a fan of albums like “Evermore,” which are more melancholy and are supported by their lyricism. The same can’t be said about “The Life of a Showgirl.” It was honestly underwhelming, and it doesn’t feel like something I’ll have on repeat.
Swift is notorious for having an emotional and raw track 5. From “All Too Well” on “Red” to “my tears ricochet” on “Folklore,” track 5 is consistently vulnerable, meaning listeners had high expectations for “Eldest Daughter” on “The Life of a Showgirl.” Unfortunately, it fell flat. What is supposed to be a commentary on the pressure that eldest daughters often feel to support their younger siblings and the people around them, “Eldest Daughter” feels like it could be a parody of Swift’s music, and it was ultimately disappointing.
The song that caused the most controversy was “Actually Romantic,” which many believe to be a response to Charli XCX’s song “Sympathy is a Knife.” In Charli XCX’s song, she delves into her insecurities and how she compares herself to other women in the music industry. Most people assumed that the song was about Taylor Swift specifically, leading to Swift’s response. But while Charli XCX sang, “’Cause I couldn’t even be her if I tried / I’m opposite, I’m on the other side”, Swift sang, “But it’s actually sweet / All the time you’ve spent on me / It’s honestly wild / All the effort you’ve put in.” There’s no confirmation on who “Actually Romantic” is about, though there are many clues that hint at it being about Charli XCX. There are references to Swift’s ex-boyfriend, Matty Healy, who’s in the same band as XCX’s husband, George Daniel, as well as the title being similar to XCX’s song “Everything is Romantic.” Overall, it feels like there’s an imbalance, with Charli opening up about her emotions and Swift attacking her for it.
After sitting with the album and letting it sink in, I did grow to like some of the songs. “Opalite” is catchy, as well as “The Fate of Ophelia.” Overall, I’d say that I’m going to stick to her older albums.
