Taylor Swift, the legendary pop star of the 2000s, has a new album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” out now. With its 12 tracks and glittery orange aesthetic, it had die-hard Swifites and even non-Taylor fans shaking with excitement.
Swifties love finding hints or Easter eggs that might suggest Taylor’s next project, turning even the smallest details into theories about an upcoming album release. Most of the time, these theories aren’t true.
When the Grammy-winning artist appeared on her fiancé Travis Kelce’s podcast, her fans went wild. People expected her to announce something, and she delivered, revealing that her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” was to be released Oct. 3.
With Max Martin and Shellback assisting Swift with the album’s production, the potential was limitless. Could it be another “Midnights” or “1989?” Turns out it was neither.
Her album has broken records. During the first day, it had over 250 million streams, taking the title of most-streamed album in a single day. In stores, it sold 2.7 million copies on release day alone, second only to Adele. The album also beat the U.S. record for vinyls sold in a single week, having 2.1 million purchases. Her last album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” also broke records similar to these.
Since her album was released, Swift has shown up on multiple podcasts and shows, including “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” During those shows and podcasts, she revealed the behind-the-scenes of the creation of her album.
The very first track on the album is the lead single named “The Fate of Ophelia.” The opening track is upbeat, with drums and airy vocals. Because it’s the first track, expectations were up to the moon. It seems like they have reached, as it has received praise online.
Ophelia is a character in the tragic story of “Hamlet” by Shakespeare. Taylor references this story in the song, except she “gets saved” and avoids the fate of Ophelia, hence the title.
On Oct. 5, the music video for “The Fate of Ophelia” was released on YouTube. Swifties say it’s one of her best films, fawning over the aesthetic and production.
The second song is “Elizabeth Taylor.” The chorus brings the “reputation” vibe, with the instrumentals switching up at an instant throughout the song.
Lyrics that stand out are, “I’d cry my eyes violet / Elizabeth Taylor / Tell me for real / Do you think it’s forever?” The song is about the constant worry that everything, including her family, career and fame, will disappear, leaving her with nothing.
“Opalite” is the third track. The song is the epiphany of “finding the wholesome happy ending.” The song describes how rough the journey of finding her happiness was, and eventually achieving that after all the trouble.
Fans believe it’s about her new fiancé, football player Travis Kelce. During his podcast, he realized this was his favorite song. He’s also a Libra, and his birthstone is an opal.
Swifties went deep diving and found out that the lyrics reference parts in her other song, “Maroon,” which is a dark red color that symbolizes a devastating turn in her life, from her album “Midnights.”. Swift went from “Looked up at the sky and it was maroon” to “But now the sky is opalite,” a gorgeously bright shade of blue.
Moving on, another memorable track is the fifth, “Eldest Daughter.”Though the lyrics have people believing it’s “too cringe,” as she uses Gen Z terms in her song, “Everybody’s so punk on the internet […] Every joke’s just trolling and memes.” Some people think this is on purpose; others think it’s legitimate nonsense.
Swift’s track fives are notorious for being some of her most gut-wrenching songs, except this one ends on a lighter note. Compared to the rest of the album, this is one of the calmer songs with some of the heaviest lyrics.
When the album track list was released, something people immediately noticed was the esteemed Sabrina Carpenter feature on the final track, “The Life of a Showgirl.” This was the first time the two have officially collaborated, despite Sabrina appearing during The Eras Tour multiple times, opening for her and performing alongside her.
The song tells a story about a girl dubbed “Kitty” meeting her idol. The idol later warns her not to follow in her footsteps, as the “life of a showgirl,” hence the title, isn’t as good as it seems. She reflects on this, with the lyrics: “So you don’t know the life of a showgirl, babe / and you’re never gonna wanna […] I paid my dues with every bruise / I knew what to expect […] they ripped me off like false lashes / And threw me away.”
A significant part of this song is the ending, as she finishes the final track with audio from the ending of a show at The Eras Tour, saying goodbye to the audience.
Additional songs on the album include “Father Figure,” which is about the brutal and vicious world of the music industry; “Ruin The Friendship,” a song about a high school friend that passed away; and “Actually Romantic” talks about having one-sided beef, allegedly a diss track to Charlie XCX.
“Wi$h Li$t” is exactly how it’s described; “Wood” is a bright, compelling piece of music with a playful vibe; “CANCELLED!” is another song with the ambience of “reputation” and “Honey” is a sweeter song and the fifth one on the album about Travis Kelce.
Taylor Swift also debuted “The Life of a Showgirl” movie in theaters from release day to Oct. 5. It was a behind-the-scenes look at the backstory of each song and its creation. It showed the lyric videos, along with an early showing of the music video for “The Fate of Ophelia,” along with its making.
Eliot Dashe, a Sage Creek freshman, has been a dedicated Swiftie for years.
“I like the album. I think it’s a vibe. It’s very dancing. I love listening to the songs, but to be honest, it’s the first album of hers that I’ve had some songs that I would skip,” Dashe said. “But besides the songs that I would skip, all the other ones are great!”
Even people who don’t listen to Swift constantly listened to the album.
“I think it’s a good song. I definitely think Taylor has grown vocally,” Student Bhanavi Mahale said, speaking about “The Fate of Ophelia,” which is the lead single. “At least in this song, she moved on from the airy and fragile way she used to sing. There is nothing wrong with that style, of course, but personally I like that stronger, more confident way she sang here.”
Jackelyn Trifilo thought that Swift could’ve done a lot better on this album, especially considering her past lyrical brilliance. Her criticisms echo some others online.
“The lyrics didn’t impress me, especially compared to her other very thoughtful albums like ‘Folklore,’” Trifilo said. “I don’t think people should hate on who she is as a person or where her life is at right now.”
While this album may be contrasting from Swift’s recent music collection, its vibrant and unapologetic energy shines through. The creativity in those 12 tracks shows has Swifties already hanging on the edge, waiting for her next album.
