Taylor Swift - The Life of a Showgirl (Album Review)
Thursday, 09 October 2025
Written by Laura Johnson
Photo: TAS Rights Management
What you see isn’t always what you get, and ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ is no exception. Despite its extravagant, cinematic artwork raising hopes for a continuation of the meta commentary delivered on tracks such as I Can Do It With A Broken Heart from 2024’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’, on her 12th album Taylor Swift has opted to retrace well-worn paths from a new perspective.
In reconnecting with producers Max Martin and Shellback, the Swedish songwriting duo who had a hand in some of her biggest hits, including 22, Blank Space, and I Knew You Were Trouble, Swift has returned to the overblown pop sensibilities seen on earlier releases, while embracing a plethora of varying influences.
Opalite veers into ‘60s pop territory with its chorus, vocal runs and harmonies, showing just how much the rigours of the Eras Tour have helped Swift’s voice to evolve, while Wood revolves around a funk-inspired riff.
The title track, featuring Sabrina Carpenter, offers hand-clapping country until an unexpected musical theatre-esque bridge, while Actually Romantic’s guitar lines recall noughties rock.
Swift also casts a wide net lyrically, exploring love (The Fate Of Ophelia/Opalite), as well as current and former friendships (CANCELLED!/Ruin The Friendship), sex (Wood), hopes for the future (Wi$h Li$t) and her critics (Actually Romantic/Eldest Daughter).
Whether or not the language used on the latter is intended to bolster the song’s theme is up for debate, but it’s jarring to hear someone talk about “terminal uniqueness” with one breath before referring to things as “savage” and “fire” — like a teacher trying to be cool.
Much like its titular figure, ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ finds Swift wearing many hats, but not all of them fit. With recent releases, the already veteran singer-songwriter has set an impossibly high bar, but even when she falls short of her own standards, she is capable of delivering meticulously crafted, earworm pop songs that weave words into worlds.
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