“The Life of a Showgirl” — Taylor Swift’s newest album — broke the Spotify record for most presaves on an album. When it was released Oct. 3, the album achieved 139 million listeners within the first day.
Ms. Swift is one of the biggest pop musicians of the last decade, with nearly 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify. However, while Ms. Swift’s latest album provides fans with satisfying, upbeat rhythms, it disappoints lyrically compared to her past work.
Ms. Swift’s fans predicted “The Life of a Showgirl” would be different from many of her other albums, due to her recent engagement with NFL player Travis Kelce. The instrumentals of many of the songs were very different, shifting from her old indie pop music, to more traditional and upbeat pop music.
The song “Eldest Daughter” is a strong example of how her lyrics don’t live up to expectations. In past albums, the fifth track is well-known as the saddest track on the album, often incorporating metaphorical lyrics and sad instrumentals. While “Eldest Daughter” has the semblance of a somber beat, the lyrics are surface level. There are well-phrased descriptions, such as “You know the last time I laughed this hard was on the trampoline in somebody’s backyard,” but even this doesn’t suggest that the listener is supposed to look past the written lines for something more. Additionally, lines such as “Every joke’s just trolling and memes,” distract from the serious and melancholy nature of the song.
On the other hand, the first song, “Fate of Ophelia,” starts with entrancing piano chords that alert the listener to the change in the music style before the lyrics even start. This beginning hooks the listener almost immediately to the album, especially once the lyrics begin, because of its electrifying beats and rhythm.
Moving further into the album, “Opalite” focuses on the feeling of safety and comfort in a relationship. While this is one of her more lyrically strong songs, describing Ms. Swift’s past experiences in comparison to who she is now, most of the lines leave little room for inferred meaning or depth beyond what she is simply stating.
While it marks a significant change in her life, “The Life of a Showgirl” is not Ms. Swift’s best work and is lyrically underwhelming compared to her other albums. It’s true that the lyrics of many of these songs are perfectly acceptable, but Ms. Swift’s fans have grown to anticipate elaborate lyrics beyond what she provided in this album. While many of Ms. Swift’s fans will still enjoy the music and the rhythms, those who look to Ms. Swift for her lyricism will inevitably be disappointed.
