Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ Album Review: Is Her Fame Overshadowing Her Art?

“I have been afflicted with a terminal uniqueness/ I’ve been dying just from trying to seem cool”

These poignant lyrics from ‘Eldest Daughter,’ the fifth track on pop sensation Taylor Swift’s latest offering, The Life of a Showgirl, unintentionally offer a glimpse into the album’s core dilemma. While Swift stands as one of music history’s giants, her twelfth studio album finds its ‘uniqueness’ more in her unparalleled fame than in its actual musicality or creative direction.

Marketed as Swift’s intimate look at “life behind the curtains,” Showgirl arrives on the heels of the record-breaking Eras Tour—a three-and-a-half-hour spectacle celebrating her extensive discography. That tour reminded audiences why Swift resonates so deeply: her songs, though now penned by a billionaire, possess a raw, relatable honesty that captures the hearts of everyday listeners.

Swift has described Showgirl in interviews as showcasing her “funny, feisty, flirty, tongue-in-cheek, and a little scandalous” side, contrasting it with her more introspective 2024 release, The Tortured Poets Department. However, a closer listen reveals that virtually every track on Showgirl either echoes previous, more accomplished Taylor Swift compositions or sounds uncannily similar to recent Sabrina Carpenter hits (who, ironically, collaborates on the album’s closing title track).

This lack of novelty is immediately apparent in the album’s concise 41-minute runtime, kicking off with ‘The Fate of Ophelia.’ The allusion to Shakespeare’s Hamlet feels like a strained attempt to recapture the magic of earlier iconic moments, like the “Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone” lyric from her 2008 hit ‘Love Story’—a line still capable of electrifying any dance floor. ‘Ophelia’ unfortunately stumbles in both its originality and lyrical execution, with awkward verses drifting aimlessly from megaphones and towers to football teams, passing fads, and dug-out graves.

The familiar persona of the scorned, fading star, previously explored on her polarizing 2017 album reputation, resurfaces on track two, ‘Elizabeth Taylor.’ Despite its lush and dynamic instrumentation, this song fails to stand out on Showgirl, feeling more like an outtake from a prior album. Moreover, much like other love songs on this record, it offers little depth for Swift or her romantic interest. While lines like “And if your letters ever said, ‘goodbye,’ I’d cry my eyes violet” convey her deep attachment, they fail to explain why this muse is so captivating, leaving the listener with an unsatisfying void.

Further along the album, ‘Wi$h Li$t’ arguably presents the weakest lyrical effort. The track meanders through a laundry list of accolades and materialistic aspirations that “they” supposedly covet, only to jarringly pivot to a chorus about domestic contentment: “I just want you/have a couple kids, got the whole block looking like you.” Beyond simply labeling her partner a “hot best friend,” the lyrics offer no genuine insight into their relationship, unlike the nuanced portrayals in earlier songs (e.g., “There’s a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear” from 2019’s Lover). This theme of prioritizing love over material wealth was also explored with greater impact in reputation‘s deep cut, ‘King of my Heart’: “Say you fancy me, not fancy stuff/ baby, all at once, this is enough.”

‘Wi$h Li$t’ also highlights the album’s thematic inconsistencies. Despite the relentless promotional machine behind Showgirl—including an unprecedented 29 different CD versions released in its first week, clearly demonstrating Swift’s ambition to dominate charts—the song ironically snipes at those striving for accolades like Oscars or lucrative sports contracts.

Adding to the confusion, the song’s lyrics suggest Swift desires privacy for herself and her muse. Yet, the track immediately follows ‘Actually Romantic’—a thinly veiled diss track targeting another celebrity—which successfully generated precisely the kind of internet buzz its predecessor seemingly disdains.

Subsequent tracks like ‘Wood’ and ‘CANCELLED!’ further solidify Swift’s efforts to project a cool, contemporary image. ‘Wood’ appears to be her take on Sabrina Carpenter’s playful, innuendo-filled dance-pop, while ‘CANCELLED!’ attempts a bold, defiant statement using phrases that felt dated four years ago (e.g., “Did you girlboss too close to the sun?”).

A redeeming quality, however, is Swift’s knack for crafting an undeniable earworm. The sweetly addictive ‘Opalite’ is remarkably catchy, impossible to get out of your head, and compels you to move. The contributions from legendary Swedish pop producers Max Martin and Shellback are evident here, with their signature thick bass loops infusing a vibrant pop sensibility into what might otherwise be conventional country-pop.

Showgirl truly excels in its more introspective moments, reminding listeners of Swift’s legendary songwriting prowess. ‘Ruin The Friendship’ sees Swift return to her comfort zone, narrating a high school crush with a poignant twist: she never confessed her feelings because the song’s subject tragically passed away after she moved to pursue her music career. Similarly, the sentimental ‘Honey,’ with its soulful Wurlitzers and horns, evokes a bittersweet nostalgia as Swift sheds a past filled with passive-aggression and confusion for a future of peace and genuine love.

‘Father Figure,’ though told from the perspective of a powerful, older figure preying on an innocent ingenue, deftly showcases Swift’s talent for exploring the complex human desires for power and vulnerability.

Ultimately, Swift’s greatest strength lies in her ability to craft vivid narratives from authentic experiences and turn phrases that perfectly capture those feelings, regardless of genre or production style. Unfortunately, Showgirl often neglects this lyrical strength, leaning instead on her colossal celebrity.

The Life of a Showgirl is now available on all major music streaming platforms.