Taylor Swift turns Swiftie skies opalite with ‘The Life of a Showgirl’
BACKGROUND
Taylor Swift is at it again with her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl”! The album was written behind-the-scenes during her award-winning Eras Tour and depicts her life as a world-renowned “showgirl.” It explores themes of personal growth and her heartwarming prelationship with her fiancé, Travis Kelce. The album also poses as her response to backlash and negativity over the past few years, especially during the 2024 presidential elections, when she actively spoke out against Donald Trump. This fan-written article dives deep into TLOAS, exploring her incentives to write the album, its reviews, Easter eggs, and the meaning behind all of its tracks!
ANALYTICS
“The Life of A Showgirl” broke countless records, became the most-streamed album of all time on Amazon Music in a single day, and even broke Swift’s own record (previously held by her 2020 album “Folklore”) of selling the most vinyls of the album on the first day, with a whopping 1.7 million units! “The Life of a Showgirl” also sold 2.7 million copies on release day, becoming the most listened to album of the year all within its first 24 hours. “Rolling Stone” gave it a perfect 100/100 score, claiming it was a “castle she built out of all the bricks that were thrown at her.” The album is now being considered for the 2027 Grammys in categories like Album of the Year and Song of the Year for its first track, “The Fate of Ophelia.” On social media, the album seems to have gotten many negative reviews, but it simultaneously became the biggest release of Swift’s career.
PERSONAL REVIEWS
I personally really enjoyed this album; although it is not my favorite of Swift’s work, it is definitely a notable product of her career. After listening to it for the first time, I felt like TLOAS was similar in lyricism to that of her fifth studio-album, “1989”, as she talks about her recent life experiences. TLOAS was about finally falling in true love and her life during the Eras Tour, while “1989” was about her shifting from country music to pop and her experiences in New York City. “The Life of A Showgirl” also reminded me of her tenth album, “Midnights”, as they are both similar in themes of larger-than-life ambitions, grandeur, and jewels. All in all, I am really satisfied with Swift’s latest brainchild, and elated that she is finally happy after the grayscale sadness that she induced into streamers with her 2024 studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department.”
If the name “Ophelia” sounds familiar, that is because the song references the Shakespearean classic, “Hamlet.” In the play, Ophelia is the noblewoman who falls in love with Hamlet, the prince of Denmark. After he rejects her, Ophelia’s despair causes her to turn mad, and ultimately leads to her tragic drowning. Swift’s song is about her relationship with Travis Kelce (as are most of the songs on the album), whom she met right after her breakup with Matty Healy. In the song, Swift says, “You dug me out of my grave and saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia.” In other words, her relationship with Kelce “saved” her from the tragic heartbreak that was experienced by the ill-fated Ophelia. It is no secret that the Grammy-winner loves her Shakespeare references, referencing the playwright in songs like “Love Story” and “Willow,” and this one does not miss.
Elizabeth Taylor was the 20th-century Hollywood superstar on whom this song was based. Just like Swift, the actress was a record-breaking showgirl whom everybody had eyes on–the sixties equivalent of a girlboss, if you will. As with all talented women of the world, big careers come with more haters. The two Taylors have countless similarities, both seen as the epitome of their respective industries. The song explores themes of lasting love (something Taylor never achieved), and Swift’s relationship with the media, which was very much similar to that of the movie star. This song takes first place in my book for being so unapologetically a Taylor Swift song. The lyricism, the melody, and simply the way that she sings it is so on-brand for pop icon, and I am here for it!
This song immediately became a fan-favorite! Opalite is a synthetic glass that is milky and iridescent in appearance. Swift explains in an interview with Capital Radio that she “ thought it was a cool metaphor that it’s a man-made opal and happiness can also be man-made, too.” Additionally, she explained that opal is her fiancé’s birthstone, which she kept in mind when making this song. However, the song isn’t only about her changing skies, but is speculated to also reference Kelce’s ex-girlfriend, Kayla Nicole, in the line “You were in it for real / She was in her phone,” hinting that Nicole only really used him as a “prop” for her social media. “Opalite” is one of my favorites and is arguably the most danceable song on the whole album.
This sharp diss-track is aimed at Scott Borchetta, who sold Swift’s masters to Scooter Braun. The name of the song is an homage to George Michael’s 1987 “Father Figure.” The song features some of the popstar’s favorite lyrics from the album, “I pay the check before it kisses the mahogany grain,” meaning she has the money to pay her bills before they even reach her. The song reminds many fans of her track “The Man” on “Lover,” which also touches on her endurance and success amid the patriarchal industry of music. After hearing the album for the first time, “Father Figure” immediately became my favorite for its unapologetic lyricism and melody. Personally, when she said “I protect the family” in this song, I thought of the “family” of popstars that she has created over the years, supporting artists such as Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, and Conan Gray, who are often associated with Swift due to their genre similarities.
ELDEST DAUGHTER:As a fellow eldest daughter, this song hit hard for me and girls everywhere. It explores themes of staying true to yourself and your loved ones wherever life takes you (which in the Grammy-winner’s case is the tippy top!). My favorite line is “Every eldest daughter was the first lamb to the slaughter/So we all dressed up as wolves and we looked fire,” meaning we eldest daughters had to be tough and act bigger than we really were in order to endure what was thrown at us. Swift’s track fives are infamous for being heartbreaking, and this one definitely lives up to the legacy. This song serves as a reminder to everyone that no matter who you are or where you stand, you should never forget where you came from. The song at its core is a contrast to Swift’s public image and her personal self and her personal relationship with being the older sister.
The story behind this song is heartbreaking. Taylor Swift references her longtime best friend, Abigail Anderson, and is about her high school friend, Jeff Lang, who tragically passed away in 2010. Abigail is a recurring character in Swift’s discography, being mentioned in songs like “Fifteen” in “Fearless.” It talks about taking that chance and sharing your feelings because it’s better to “ruin the friendship” than to live in the “what if” after it is too late. I think this song addresses a crossroad that nearly everyone faces: whether to take the risk for a chance at something greater or to be content with what you have. I love the meaning of this song, and highly respect Swift for keeping Lang’s legacy alive through her music.
Although the receiver of this diss track is unnamed, fans are speculating that it is mostly for Charli xcx, as it is thought that the two women do not get along. In it, she talks about how “romantic” it is that she constantly runs the minds of her haters, a fun and playful clap back to Charli, who has written multiple songs about Swift, such as “Sympathy is A Knife,” in which she says, “Don’t wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show Fingers crossed behind my back, I hope they break up quick,” to which Swift responded with, “It sounded nasty, but it feels like you’re flirting with me.” The “BRAT” artist later clarified that her song was meant to be about her insecurities and flaws, rather than a diss track. Personally, I think this song just fans the alleged flames between the two artists, rather than putting it out, which is why I don’t love this song.
This song truly proves how much Swift loves her fiancé by talking about being with him forever. She reveals that at the top of her wish list is a family and “driveway with a basketball hoop” with the love of her life. As heartwarming as this song is, it has raised some speculation that the artist might quit music after she gets married. Almost as if a woman (especially one as strong as the Taylor Swift) can’t pursue her career and settle at the same time! In response to the theories, in a recent interview, Swift claimed that “that is an offensive thing to say” and that Kelce fully admires the popstar’s dedication to her career just as much as he is dedicated to his. I think this song is so sweet! I love how she acknowledges that settling down with a partner is not what everyone wants, but now that she has found the right person, it is something on her wish list.
In this song, Swift explains that she no longer has to “knock on wood” for a soulmate. My favorite line, however, is “Girls, I don’t need to catch the bouquet / To know a hard rock is on the way,” talking about how she knew in her heart that the football player was the one long before he proposed. Personally, this is one of my least favorite songs on the album, because its lyricism is not as advanced as the rest of “The Life of a Showgirl,” and also because of its explicit references and imagery. The song even kickstarted a trend online where fans record their initial reactions to the song, which are usually not positive due to its questionable lyrics.
This song’s name is a prime example of Swift’s genius. Whenever somebody looks up “Taylor Swift Cancelled”, instead of coming up with news about her doing or saying something “controversial,” this banger is what will be at the top of the page! The song refers to her history with being cancelled and claps back to her haters. In it, she calls out the sensitivity of cancel culture and advocates for her friends who have experienced being cast aside by the very fans that once adored them. Despite the meaning of this song making sense on the surface, I personally disagree with what Swift is implying; fans speculate that this song is meant to voice Swift’s support to her friend Blake Lively, who faced major controversy over the past year for her role in the production of the domestic-violence film, “It Ends With Us” for allegedly making it too lighthearted for a movie that is supposed to be about such a serious topic. In my opinion, the cancellation of Lively is completely valid, and Swift’s support of her through this song is something that I personally think is very offensive.
A song that is just as sweet as its name, Honey is another fan-favorite! On the surface, Honey might sound like another love song, but on a deeper level, it is a reflection on her relationship with words like “honey” or “sweetheart.” Previously spoken to her in pity, the words now hold a sweeter meaning thanks to her fiancé. Swift sings, “You could be my forever-night stand, honey.” The theme of forever comes up a lot in this album, in songs like “Wi$h Li$t” and “The Fate of Ophelia.” This gives yet another reason why Swift said yes when Kelce got down on one knee. I love this song because it really puts into perspective the effect that the tight end has on his soon-to-be wife, encouraging her to grow and be confident.
THE LIFE OF A SHOWGIRL (FT. SABRINA CARPENTER)
TLOAS perfectly ties together the vocal themes throughout the album and turns it into one masterpiece. Sabrina Carpenter’s voice blends flawlessly with Taylor Swift’s in this song about their lives as world-renowned entertainers. The speculated reason behind the collaboration is that Carpenter opened for Swift during the first part of the Eras Tour. Seeing as this album was mostly inspired by her life during the record-breaking tour, it would only make sense that she would include Carpenter, who was such a memorable part of it, in TLOAS.
LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS: WHICH SONG WAS YOUR FAVORITE?
This is awesome. A true epitome of a great statement piece. Great job Hethakshi!