After many chart-topping hits and the success of “The Eras Tour,” which grossed a grand total of $2 billion, singer Taylor Swift returned to the studio to record the follow up to her 2024 album “The Tortured Poets Department,” much to the excitement of her devoted fanbase.
With music videos, a photoshoot with grand costumes and a new theme, the pop artist announced “The Life of a Showgirl” in late August, just days before she announced her engagement to Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce. The album was released Oct. 3. Despite the excitement for another audio spectacle, the final product gets close without reaching the pinnacle.
The album opens with “The Fate of Ophelia” referencing Ophelia, a character from William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” who was driven to madness and drowned in a river. Aided with clapping and rhythmic guitar chords in the chorus reminiscent of 1960s girl group pop, this is a catchy and strong start for the show.
It’s a bizarre choice for Swift to compare herself to Ophelia. This is because the character is powerless under her father’s and Hamlet’s control, and when she commits suicide, that comes from her own decision. For Swift to state that she was rescued from Ophelia’s fate is contradictory because the character lacked personal agency partly because of her romantic relationship with Hamlet. While the intention is to sing about a new love that’s right, a different comparison could have been a better fit.
Swift compares herself to another icon’s life through the track “Elizabeth Taylor,” named after the actress from Hollywood’s golden era. Taylor was best known for her acting performances such as in the 1963 film “Cleopatra.” The singer makes comparisons through lines like “You’re only as hot as your last hit,” referring to the struggle to remain relevant despite the industry’s speed.
With music elements akin to songs such as Post Malone’s “Circles” and “Leave Before You Love Me” by Marshmello and the Jonas Brothers, Swift sings about pushing against obstacles with “Opalite.” She expresses relatability over repeated experiences that feel unavoidable. With lyrics such as, “You were dancing through the lightning strikes,” she reminds the listener of how far one has come and the joy from her new love.
Speaking from the other side of the music industry, “Father Figure” tells the story of an industry expert making fake promises to new talent. With lyrics like, “This love is pure profit, just step into my office,” the narrator entices the rising star with a spotlight that’s nothing more than monopoly. What would leave one scratching their head though would be the line “I can make deals with the devil because my dick is bigger,” as the line comes off as out of place. When other lyrics in this tune are written well, this one comes off as basic and an attempt to sound edgy.
With a mid-tempo but happier, classic pop sound, “Ruin the Friendship” relatably reflects on opportunities that while they could’ve shattered connections, they could’ve led to potential romance. That is shown in lines like, “But as the 50 Cent song played, I should’ve kissed you anyway.”
Swift chooses to respond pridefully and turn the other cheek with “Actually Romantic.” It’s comedic with a pinch of edge to use a line like “Like a toy chihuahua barking at me from a tiny purse.” This tune has a laidback feel which allows her petty vocal delivery to be clear. It’s worth noting the discussion over whether or not this is a track dissing fellow artist Charli XCX. Listeners have taken the opening lyrics “I heard you call me ‘Boring Barbie’ when the coke’s got you brave” as response to the singer’s “Sympathy is a Knife,” from her 2024 album “Brat.”
Not even the groovy disco-inspired instrumentation is enough to make up for the baffling lyricism of “Wood.” While other contemporary artists have released songs with this sound such as Sabrina Carpenter’s “Tears,” “Toro” by Remi Wolf, and “Kill for Love” by Lady Gaga, Swift’s track comes out sounding like a first draft that skipped much-needed revisions. Lyrics like, “I stepped on a crack and the black cat laughed” come off as corny rather than clever. The excessively obvious and juvenile lyricism kills the passionate energy of both the melody and the music altogether. There’s many ways to write a song about one’s bedroom experience, but this is a terrible attempt at an amorous masterpiece.
With a dramatic slow tempo and string incorporation, “CANCELLED!” is her belief that she is the best out of her contemporaries but at the same time reminiscing how easily one can fall due to their own skeletons. This is shown due to lyrics such as “But one single drop, you’re off the roster.” It strikes the fourth wall of how one thing can provoke a fall from grace that comes off in bad taste since Swift herself isn’t a perfect person either.
The album concludes with the title track, featuring Sabrina Carpenter on the chorus and second verse. The song tells of a showgirl telling a fan to not chase the spotlight as the reality is far from it seems. Lines like, “Do you wanna take a skate on the ice inside my veins,” serve as reminders that sometimes the idea is much brighter than the result.
In theory, this album should be an automatic triumph, but mishaps prevent it from being perfect. While musically the songs deliver their intended messages, there is so much more that could’ve made it better. Having the lyrics for “Wood” reworked, or removing it altogether for example, would have made the album stronger.
Additionally, the showgirl theme could’ve been more amplified than it is. Given that showgirls became popular in the early 1900s in the United States, it’s surprising that none of the tracks featured any brass instrumentation or jazz elements, as were popular at the time.
Instead we get a standard procedure pop sound that while it still works, once you add in the obvious songwriting, tracks such as “Honey,” end up being forgettable rather than knockouts.
Despite this, Swift does reach the intended purpose of showing different fragments of the “Showgirl.” The concept of a loud and proud aesthetic is there, but a few changes could’ve brought a grander spectacle than what this album is.
Copy edited by Mya DeJesus
