Ever since August, I have been looking forward to The Life of a Showgirl, the new album by Taylor Swift. I have been following her since 1989 in 2014 and saw that tour in Amsterdam in 2015. Back when Love Story was a hit here, I was stubborn and refused to listen to it because “nah she was such a pop girlie and I am into rock”. That was when I was 16, so yeah, I was rebellious. The singles from Red caught my attention though, but I didn’t act upon it. Anyway, I fell head over heels for 1989, and listened to the previous albums afterwards, years after release. I might do a ranking post for them later on, but now it’s time to put the new album in the spotlight. It gets a lot of critique, especially on social media, but I personally loved it upon first listen which is a rarity these days. In fact, I didn’t like any album I heard that was released in 2025, so my hopes were merely on Taylor for now. She delivered once again, and this is my track-by-track review.

1. The Fate of Ophelia – Admittedly, when I heard the opening notes and accompanying beat, I wasn’t sold. I was like “Oh wait, is this going to be the vibe? Hmmm… Maybe not for me.” Well, I had just woken up and didn’t have headphones on. The song is getting more upbeat after these opening notes and immediately redeemed itself once I listened to it in full. The lyrics are poetic, as Shakespeare’s Hamlet has been woven into them. The song is catchy and upbeat (like the whole album actually) and I guess the choice to make this the lead single is a wise decision.
2. Elizabeth Taylor – This song is full of name dropping for many luxury brands and that might put people off. I still haven’t figured out the meaning behind the lyrics or who this is about, but the chorus has a catchy hook. The production in the chorus differs a lot from the verses and I mean this in a good way. I like the bombastic drums in the chorus. It’s again, catchy.
3. Opalite – Finally, we have a longer song again! Nowadays, songs are pretty short because of TikTok’s huge influence and the shortened attention span of the general public. This 4-minute track is a welcome refreshment in the jungle of short, similar sounding songs that are thrown at us through various media. Again, I haven’t figured out the lyrics yet, but it’s catchy and stuck in my head. I guess this is going to be the biggest earworm on this album. I don’t mind at all!
4. Father Figure – These lyrics… had me screaming. The chorus!!!!! And one certain line specifically. I don’t listen to the clean version of this album, but I had to pause, rewind and process for a second to reassure myself I was hearing this right. Anyway, this is classic Taylor, writing a song about certain people who have treated her really bad in the past. The chorus clears up a lot. I won’t give too much away because of spoilers and the lyrics being a bit too inappropriate for the blog. I’m a swearer through and through, but I understand I can’t really do this on my blog. This track is a bit more laid-back productionwise compared to the previous ones.
5. Eldest Daughter – The famous track 5! This is the softest track on the album, and I really like it. This gets a lot of critique though as people find the production boring, but I find it really fitting. The lyrics are straight forward: internet trolls and keyboard warriors are put in their place in the first verse. Again, I don’t want to spoiler too much.
6. Ruin The Friendship – The first time I felt a bit caught off-guard, because this production is different from the previous tracks. It’s a bit funky and I have to admit that I just can’t really vibe with it. These lyrics contain a twist, classic Taylor. But this song is in my bottom half whenever I would rank the tracks.
7. Actually Romantic – Another diss track, classic Taylor style. Again, the production is different, more laid-back, I don’t know how to describe it. The lyrics are full of straight forward sarcasm and address parasocial relationships well.
8. Wi$h Li$t – This song again deals with the consumerism and greed the internet and today’s culture exposes, by people wanting more, more and more. And are unsatisfied with the outcome. They touch upon what’s really important, true love instead of internet and chronically online culture and its greediness. Okay I hope I make sense here. It shows how individualism has grown over the course of recent years and that people really should get offline more and touch some grass instead.
9. Wood – Okay I’m not sure what to think about this song, it’s not bad, but it’s not captivating me either. It’s sexy and cheeky, and really shows where Taylor is at in her life. However, the chorus reveals a bit too much information. It’s meant as a funny pop song and it succeeded in that.
10. CANCELED! – Yes, there it is, my momentary favourite! The lyrics are so sarcastic and depict yet again the problematic culture we are living in these days, because cancel culture has become the norm since the pandemic. And I don’t like it. Swift wrote some sarcastic lyrics on this whole phenomenon with softer production in the verses, and an explosive drumbeat in the chorus. Is this the good old pop drop? I think so! Can’t complain!
11. Honey – From my most to my least favourite track on the album, I just can’t vibe with it. The production differs so much from the rest, which makes it feel a bit of the odd one out. It’s not funky, not R&B’ish, I don’t know how to describe it. Again, sarcasm at it’s finest, but it’s not really captivating me.
12. Showgirl (feat. Sabrina Carpenter) – I’m not a fan of Sabrina at all, but this collaboration really fits her well. Here we have some storytelling like the love triangle (cardigan, august, Betty) on Folklore and no body no crime (feat HAIM) on Evermore, but more upbeat. I think this depicts the life of showgirls really well. The bridge contains some burlesque vibes many expected for the entire album, which gives this song a more theatrical feel and approach. The final bits of this track are the best closure for an album to be honest.

Overall, I really love this album, and it is one of the best of 2025 so far. That’s easy though, considering the drought in impactful releases we have been seeing all year. I understand why people find this album less appealing, especially the Folklore and Evermore lovers. This album is more upbeat, much more so than the rest of Swift’s catalogue. It’s reflecting on where she is at in life perfectly and this chapter is demanding happy, fun and upbeat pop songs. Admittedly, I was afraid this album wouldn’t be for me for this exact reason, but it has proven me wrong. Of course there are songs I like less, but that’s completely normal and fine. I do understand however people getting sick and tired hearing about her personal life all over again, but the music is less angsty and depressed than before. It captures Swift’s versatility as an artist. Maybe this album is not for you, and that’s fine. I suppose this won’t do well with the masses either and I honestly think this is not meant for this purpose.

Have you listened to The Life of a Showgirl yet and what are your thoughts? Do you have favourite songs yet? Or even some skips?