For a long time, I, and many other people, have thought of Taylor Swift as someone who was lyrically talented and blessed with the ability to make music. With the release of the sister albums ‘Folklore’ and ‘Evermore’ during quarantine, Swift had rebranded herself from the go to “Showgirl” to someone who had depth and meaningful lyrics that touched the heart of many. Though, with her new album ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ she may have poured that legacy down the drain.
Taylor has been shocking fans left and right. From the sudden relationship with Travis Kelce, now engagement, to the announcement of her new album jam-packed with scandal and gossip.
Anticipations continued to rise on what the album would sound like, there were even fans who would make their own version of what they think the song would sound like. But until its debut on October 3, no one would be able to expect what this album would truly bring.
The album starts off with the track ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ a laid back pop song about Travis Kelce and how he seemed to save her from her shared fate Shakespeare’s Ophelia. This song being one of the only tolerable songs on the album, everything went downhill from here. Perhaps, the fate of this Showgirl.
The album goes on to many songs that aren’t really worth much of anything. The majority of them mention designer brands and various disrespectful language geared towards other women. In fact, it gets so horrendous that in the track ‘Actually Romantic’ she dissed artist Charlixcx saying many inappropriate and unprecedented things. The entire song acts as some sort of diss track on her. Though ‘Actually Romantic’ is something to unpack on it’s own, listeners were particular displeased with the track ‘Cancelled’ Different lyrics such as “Did you girlboss too close to the sun” and the infamous “Good thing I like my friends cancelled” And finally, the last track is ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ featuring Sabrina Carpenter. Any fleeting hope for this album to be saved was gone when this song started with lyrics “Her name was Kitty/ She made her money being pretty and witty”
This album has been a very big let down for many loyal Taylor Swift fans, I being one of them. Though Swift has been recognized as a wealthy and powerful woman of the century, I would not say that she has ever flaunted it in her music. This album has been a complete 180 from all of her other works. The unnecessary mentioning of designer brands, diamonds and Hollywood in almost every song makes it very hard for this to be a respectable piece of artwork. This language completely exiles an entire group out of people out of her fandom who cannot enjoy or relate to any of the lyrics in the album. This album was supposed to exude empowerment and confidence from Taylor but it seems to me the only type of energy it is giving off is a fake mean girl sort of vibe. As a listener, it feels like this album was made for richer people and is something that is looking down upon those who are not a part of Swift’s new found hollywoodian culture. Whatever mark Swift was attempting to make with this album was completely missed when she consistently separated herself from her fans with her fleeting and preposterous wealth.
I have personally accredited Taylor Swift to be an insanely talented writer for the better part of her career, but after this album I am no longer able to claim that. It is sad and disappointing to see an artist that I thought I knew and loved to be so terrible and materialistic, especially in a time like this. But then again, I guess that’s just the life of a showgirl.
