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The Life of a Showgirl: When Taylor Swift Lets the Spotlight Dim

While it’s no surprise that we’re big Taylor Swift fans in this household, something about this newest album release felt different. On the eve of the drop, anticipation ran high. Some of us drifted off to sleep with visions of glitter, feathers, and showgirls twirling in our minds. Others fueled up on caffeine, determined to stay awake until the clock struck twelve. And when it did—on October 3—we were ready for it.


But this time, I chose sleep. The next morning, headphones in hand, I pressed play as soon as I woke up—and almost immediately, I felt something shift.


Taylor’s music has always been deeply relatable—that’s never been in question. The Life of a Showgirl follows the forever-endearing The Tortured Poets Department, an album I adored with every ounce of my being. That record proved what so many of us already knew: Taylor is a poet at large. Naturally, expectations for this new album were sky-high.


The Life of a Showgirl promised to peel back the curtain—to reveal life beyond one of the greatest cultural events of our time: The Eras Tour. That tour was our Olympics, a spectacle that let us relive the eras that shaped us while watching Taylor shine in real time. Millions of fans adored her on stage, and this album seemed poised to explore the highs and lows that followed once the lights went down.


Taylor has always been a mastermind—layering metaphors, wearing masks, and setting aside her own wounds to perform for us. She’s never shied away from vulnerability. She dismantles bullies, celebrates love, and gives us something to hold onto. That’s the Taylor we know and love.

So why did this release feel different? Because it wasn’t like anything she’s done before.

We expected a sparkling, girly-pop revolution—a collaboration-heavy dance album filled with icons like Max Martin and Shellback, the kind of music that makes you move without thinking twice. In the first track, “The Fate of Ophelia," Taylor imagines being saved from a cursed life, much like Shakespeare’s doomed heroine. The “suitor” in question? Many presume it’s her soon-to-be husband, Travis Kelce. Taylor has always called herself “unlucky in love,” and here, he becomes the one who saves her from her own castle. Many critics argue that this idea feels hypocritical; however, I believe two things can be true at once—you can be independent and save yourself, but it’s still beautiful when someone else sees you for who you truly are and helps bring you back to life.

Next comes “Elizabeth Taylor,” a reflection on another woman who was both adored and misunderstood—a Hollywood icon Taylor clearly admires and relates to.

One standout track worth mentioning is track five, “Eldest Daughter.” It captures the feeling of being the oldest sibling—the family’s guinea pig, the one who makes the first mistakes and learns the hardest lessons, yet carries the deepest wisdom. The song chilled me to the core, especially when it ends with her realization that every struggle was worth it because it ultimately led her to love.

The track titles themselves were genius, though the overall delivery wasn’t what I expected. Throughout TTPD, I felt seen and heard; this time, it felt as if Taylor only scratched the surface of her brilliance. I had hoped she would dive deeper into her poetic self. To me, a great song is one where the lyrics carry me along the shore—immersing me in a specific time, place, and emotion, letting me feel everything the artist once felt.

Still, The Life of a Showgirl reminds us of the quiet beauty that comes when good things finally happen to good people. One thing is clear: our girl Taylor is in love—truly, deeply, and not like before.

While some listeners may not connect with this album, others will find it to be the perfect reason to get up and dance. In the end, it doesn’t really matter what anyone thinks or feels—Taylor will continue to shine through every obstacle, no matter the criticism. Those of us who have been fans from the beginning know she’s waited a long time to finally live her fairytale.

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