“The Life of a Showgirl” shines like “Opalite”
My first recollection of freedom was choosing music on my iPod Touch. At the age of five, I could not spell out my own address, but I did know one thing: I liked Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift has been my favorite artist for my entire life; no one has ever rivaled her. After my initial listen to this record, I fell in love.
“The Life of a Showgirl” is a fun, theatrical pop album. I am an avid listener of all Taylor Swift projects. The tracks that stood out to me the most were “Opalite”, “Wi$h Li$t” and my favorite, “Father Figure.” These tracks remind me of “Midnights” released by Swift in 2023 due to their upbeat productions and witty lyrics. This tracklist is like a glitter gel pen. It is not practical, but it is fun, and truly not every song someone listens to has to be groundbreaking.
I was surprised to uncover the massive amounts of hatred and criticism toward this record. People argue that this album is not as strong as its predecessors, and I would agree, but why does it have to be? My favorite release from Swift is “Evermore.” While listening to this release, I did not subconsciously compare it to all the work that came before. Instead, I enjoyed a new project written by my favorite artist. Instead, “The Life of a Showgirl” is an upbeat pop production, which expresses emotions that directly contrast those of her last release, “The Tortured Poets Department.” Personally I found her drastic shift refreshing.
Within the album, Swift indulges in themes of feeling like she will never be able to satisfy the unrealistic expectations people have for her music and mourning the passing of a friend from high school. Each of the twelve songs have similar production, which I found to be repetitive, but not necessarily a downside as it allowed the album to feel cohesive. Furthermore, I really appreciated her vulnerability through her lyrics.
I will always love Taylor Swift. The walls of my bedroom act as a shrine to her. I predict this album will gain more popularity in time. Overall, I thought the release was decent. I enjoyed seeing new subject matter being explored in her lyrics.
