By Valeria De Miguel
demiv2@mail.broward.edu
Image courtesy of Variety
The world of pop culture was completely shattered on Friday, October 3rd, when Miss Taylor Swift released her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl. This album completely shifts from the melancholic tunes of her last album, The Tortured Poets Department, into what she called a “glitter gel pen” album full of upbeat songs and gleeful lyrics.
Both haters and fans–also known as Swifties–have mixed feelings about this record. The album has received high praise from many fans and music critics, and it has achieved the most first-week album sales in the streaming era, officially dethroning Adele’s 25 as well as breaking the record for most vinyl sales in a single week. However, the record has also received hate, mainly because people feel it “doesn’t align with the title.” People have stated that the album isn’t the clear window into an artist’s life that they desired, but they have forgotten that Taylor Swift isn’t known for clear windows but colorful and intricate stained-glass creations.
The album begins with “The Fate of Ophelia,” inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In the play, Ophelia is driven mad by Hamlet and later drowns, though it’s unclear if it was intentional. Swift uses the tragedy to show how her story has changed. She expresses that she was drowning, driven mad by failed relationships, until her current lover came and “saved [her] heart from the fate of Ophelia.”
The second track, “Elizabeth Taylor,” captures Swift’s fear that fame makes love fragile, with breakups always publicized. “Opalite” finds beauty in a man-made stone, symbolizing creating your own joy in imperfect circumstances. In the line, “Thunder like a drum / this life will beat you up,” Swift proposes that pain can still produce something beautiful, much like a drum creating music when hit.
Another standout is “Wi$h Li$t,” where Swift sings her hopes to settle down and start a family with her soulmate. While most chase fame and fortune, she longs for peace. The title track, “The Life of a Showgirl (feat. Sabrina Carpenter),” deepens the record. It tells the story of Kitty, a fictitious character, who warns Swift against show business: “the more you play, the more you pay.” Swift took it as a warning, not a red light. She pursued her dream fully expecting hardship, but loved it too much to quit, singing, “I’m married to the hustle.”
Some argue this album lacks the lyrical depth people expect from Swift. But those critics aren’t listening closely. The songs not only reveal glimpses of her love life, passion, fears, and insecurities, but they also piece together like a puzzle. On the New Heights podcast, Swift said the record was focused, with songs fitting together like puzzle pieces. Indeed, the album mirrors the contradictions of a woman in the public eye.
In “The Fate of Ophelia,” “Wi$h Li$t,” “Honey,” and “Wood,” she seems confident in love. Yet, “Elizabeth Taylor” shows her anxiety about relationships under a spotlight, and “The Life of a Showgirl” where she states she is so in love with her career and could never step down, even if it means being in the public eye for all her lifetime.
A similar conflict appears between “Eldest Daughter” and “CANCELLED!”. In “Eldest Daughter,” Swift admits she has never felt “cool,” often hiding her softness behind a brave face. In “CANCELLED!” she celebrates strength in the face of criticism, admiring those who show up unapologetically. These contradictions are deliberate, like much of her work.
Throughout the record, Swift portrays how her life constantly contradicts itself: how some days feel overwhelming while others are quiet, how she can love boldly yet fear that love won’t be enough under the microscope, how she must be both soft and strong in the cold, competitive industry she adores. The album is a mirror of all the wonderful, difficult, and ambivalent moments of her life, and she invites the public to glimpse them.
With The Life of a Showgirl, Taylor Swift proves once again why she remains at the center of pop culture. The record’s contradictions are not flaws but truths, capturing the highs and lows of love, fame, and identity. In breaking records and bearing her ambivalence, Swift delivers more than an album, but the reminder that strength often lies in complexity.