Critics Corner — “The Life of a Showgirl” – A sparkling success or delusional disaster?

Opinion piece by Isabel Gleave

Taylor Swift. A certified future Hall of Famer. The mastermind behind some of the past decade’s greatest hits, and the mind behind the awe-inspiring, record-breaking “Eras Tour,” which grossed approximately $2 billion, securing her as one of the most influential artists of this generation. Her new album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” has dominated charts with the entire track list occupying the top 12 spots of the Billboard Hot 100. However, while this album is certainly filled with a catalogue of certified earworms, in my opinion, this album lacked the certain “je ne sais quoi” which makes Taylor Swift albums truly stand out against other artists.

One of my grievances is that the album has no robust concept tying it together. Is it about her love for fiancé Travis Kelce, life behind the scenes of the “Eras tour”, or a critique on the music industry and external expectations? The songs jump between ideas with nothing to truly ground them, creating an album that feels mismatched and hastily constructed, rather than the carefully crafted feel of her previous albums like “Folklore”, and even “1989”. The album’s photoshoot showcased Swift in vibrant, sultry outfits lounging in the glamour of 5-star hotel rooms, which doesn’t seem to match the ‘vibe’ of the album. It seems strange, for example, that a mournful song about the death of a close friend (“Ruin the Friendship”) sits alongside a song solely about Travis Kelce’s and her intimate life (“Wood”), and supports my point that there is no rhyme or reason to this album, it is instead an eclectic farrago of songs which leaves the listener questioning: what’s the purpose?

It’s not all criticism however as this album is filled with a level of production above all other mainstream albums released this year. Max Martin, Taylor Swift, and Shellback are masters of infectious melodies, and have infused each song with irresistible riffs and drum beats. The album is, in short, a great listen; nonetheless, if one is looking to gain something from an album, “The Life of a Showgirl” does not deliver. One of my favourite aspects of Taylor Swift as an artist is her ability to build worlds and provoke thought through her lyricism, for which she is renowned. “The Life of a Showgirl” falls short on this front. The album seems focussed on garnering attention instead of critical praise as many of the songs (“Wood” and “Actually Romantic”)  seem to attempt to emulate the style of other up-and-coming artists (Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo respectively); it is as if it was curated for commercial success rather than a continuation of the iconic Swift style, which has enraptured fans across the globe over the span of her 18-year career. This is, in my opinion, the greatest let down of this album.

Taylor Swift has won a total of 14 Grammys over her 18-year career. Why? Her songwriting. From her reimagining of the tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet in “Love Story” to her comparison of herself to “an old cardigan under someone’s bed”, her clever lyricism has captured the minds and hearts of people across the world. This album falls short of the incredibly high standards she has held herself to in other works. There is a definitive lack of exploration in the album, and it constantly feels like she is afraid to delve into those deeper emotions. In her song “Elizabeth Taylor”, for example, she sings “sometimes it doesn’t feel so glamorous to be me” but never explains why; it’s isolating for the listener and puts a barrier up between the artist and the consumer of their song. Furthermore, while Taylor Swift has never been immune to ‘cringy’ lyrics (like when in her song “Red” she describes “loving him” as “like driving a new Maserati”), they never felt out of place, which is something her new album struggles with. In her song “Eldest Daughter,” she bemoans that “every joke’s just trolling and memes”. She described to interviewer Zane Lowe how she used “specific vernacular to be satirical” in the aforementioned song, but the problem is that it feels shoe-horned in to try to meet this criterion rather than a lyric that naturally fits. It feels overwhelmingly disappointing as it in no way lives up to the standard of her other albums; really, it seems to be a major step in the wrong direction for Swift.

They say, all press is good press, and “The Life of a Showgirl” has certainly caught a lot of attention, but not always for the right reasons. It sparked conversations both on social media and in school. I spoke to a few students to gauge the school population’s opinion. One Swift fan believed the album lacked the connection that previous albums built with fans, but that it “sounded good.” This was a sentiment shared by another Swiftie I spoke to, but who also claimed that there is unnecessary hate directed towards the album simply because of Taylor Swift and that “all of her albums are disliked when they first come out!”  A self-proclaimed ‘anti-Swift’ student said that “it feels like it was written with AI”. Overall, the discourse around this album is conflicting, and the polarity between those who enjoy her music and those who don’t only seems to be widening as her influence, success, and discography grow.

Judging this album by disregarding the identity of its creator, it is one of the better albums released this year. However, when compared to Taylor Swift’s usual prowess in storytelling and emotive writing, this album is a letdown. It seems crafted for the general consumer, attempting to reproduce and repackage other popular artists’ styles. While “The Life of a Showgirl” is by no means a disaster, it is certainly not the magnum opus of her discography.