On Oct. 3, 2025, Taylor Swift released her new album “The Life of a Showgirl.” While fans anticipated the album’s arrival, what they got was not what they expected. The record consisted of 12 songs that had a different sound compared to her previous albums.

Swift has been known for her lyricism and saying things in a way most people don’t think of. However, with “The Life of a Showgirl,” the lyrics felt bland and not up to her potential. While the production and vocals were strong, the storytelling that usually defines Swift’s music seemed to be lacking. On my first listen, I did not like the album. None of the songs stood out to me and I wasn’t a fan of the style of music. But after listening to it a few more times, it started to grow on me. 

While I still do not like some of the songs, I do enjoy “The Fate of Ophelia” and “Opalite”  because of the upbeat tune of both songs. But my overall favorite is the title track “The Life of a Showgirl” which features Sabrina Carpenter. This song fully captures what it is like to be a “showgirl.” The lyrics, “the more you play, the more that you pay” explains how outsiders cannot comprehend all that a “showgirl” puts into this life and all the hate that they face just for doing their job and what they love. Swift has been in the spotlight for almost two decades and has had to overcome the hate that she has received and be the “showgirl” that the people want, which makes it easier for her to write about in her songs. I feel as if adding Carpenter to the song is what really made me like it. Both Swift’s and Carpenter’s voices mix well together and really tie the story together since they are two artists who are in the world’s spotlight at the moment. 

Overall, there are mixed emotions from the public, and from me, about “The Life of a Showgirl.” The album is not her best work and it took me many listens for me to actually enjoy parts of it. However, I think the album has a lot of potential and could end up being more popular than it is at the moment.