{"id":2571,"date":"2025-10-22T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imaginarygardens.org\/?p=2571"},"modified":"2025-10-21T15:02:34","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T19:02:34","slug":"taylor-swifts-the-life-of-a-showgirl-evolution-of-an-artist-or-a-calculated-rebrand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imaginarygardens.org\/index.php\/2025\/10\/22\/taylor-swifts-the-life-of-a-showgirl-evolution-of-an-artist-or-a-calculated-rebrand\/","title":{"rendered":"Taylor Swift\u2019s The Life of a Showgirl: Evolution of an Artist or a Calculated Rebrand?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
A Collaborative Album Review by Anna Trevathan, Managing Editor, Emma Harrison, Editor and Jackie Ayala, Contributing Writer<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\""The
“The Life of a Showgirl” Album Cover | Taylor Swift<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Since its announcement in August 2025, the visuals and teasers steadily dropped for Taylor Swift\u2019s new album, The Life of a Showgirl,<\/em> promising a cabaret inspired return to the pop world after her world-famous Eras Tour and darker-toned previous album, The Tortured Poets Department<\/em>. With recent news of her engagement, all eyes were on Taylor as this had the potential to be a love-infused album, similar to her 2019 synth-pop LP, Lover<\/em>. There were high expectations from fans, because Swift herself had set those expectations with her incredible preceding albums and, in today\u2019s political climate, this album was hoped to be a break from the doom and gloom of being a woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, listeners were left confused. Between a Hamlet-inspired song, from the woman claiming to be America\u2019s favorite English teacher, with little to no regard for the original text to a song about embracing the cancelled girls around you right after a track that\u2019s literally all about her fianc\u00e9\u2019s \u201cWood,” the result is a really unfamiliar body of work which, while admittedly catchy, leaves listeners with what feels like a parody of a Taylor Swift album. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s pick apart Taylor\u2019s messiest era yet, with the eight most talked about tracks: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. “The Fate of Ophelia<\/strong>“<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Jackie:<\/strong> This was a song I was looking forward to, and it became one of my favorites of the album (but that doesn\u2019t really say much considering my opinion on the collection of tracks overall). It has the classic Taylor-style I loved from her Midnights <\/em>album, that familiar up-beat and catchy energy we Swifties love to dance to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It truly is a good song if you aren\u2019t digging too deep into the lyrics \u2013 the problem is the lyrics were exactly why I was looking forward to it. When the setlist was revealed, I was excited because of the title and what it would be based on: Ophelia from Shakespeare\u2019s play, Hamlet<\/em>. Imagine my disappointment when I realized the story she was writing about wasn\u2019t accurate to the original character at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I understand the comparison of her own love story with Travis Kelce and the love story between Ophelia and Hamlet (which is hardly one). There was a chance to turn it into something beautiful, to talk about the tragedy of what really happened to Ophelia in the story \u2013 that did not happen at all in my eyes. Swift herself admitted something that made me understand why the song and the story aren\u2019t cohesive. During a BBC Radio 1 interview, she told us she \u201cdidn\u2019t really need to reread it [Hamlet],\u201d which explains why the lyrics mention her being up in a tower (where was this tower in the story?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe eldest daughter of a nobleman\/Ophelia lived in a fantasy\u201d Swift wrote for the song, not thinking that Ophelia was an only child in the play. I should give some grace, I know that this entire song is a metaphor for her own relationship. But, using the story and painting of Ophelia, a victim of circumstance, to talk about Travis Kelce rubs me the wrong way. \u201cThe Fate of Ophelia\u201d could\u2019ve been a song about the loss of innocence, societal constraints and corruption, but instead was simply another love song that didn\u2019t care to understand its source material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Taylor
Picture of “Fate of Ophelia” music video | Taylor Swift<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
2. “Opalite<\/strong>“<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Anna<\/strong>: To me, this song is the closest to the Glitter Pen vibes I was looking for from this album. It\u2019s at least somewhat similar to other songs, like those from her beloved album 1989<\/em>, and it has some serious \u201cdancing with the girls\u201d potential. This sound reminds me of the chorus from the 80\u2019s track \u201cHold Me Now\u201d by the Thompson Twins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As far as meaning goes, the idea of Travis Kelce\u2019s birthstone being an Opal, and Opalite being a man-made stone is very charming. This is an example of the type of song that can be fun and written out of love, without being a trainwreck \u2013 I wish the rest of the album sounded closer to this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judging by reactions from various fans on social media, I\u2019m seeing more people post themselves dancing along to this song and, for me, this is the most redeemable track from The Life of a Showgirl<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. “Father Figure<\/strong>“<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Anna: <\/strong>George Michael\u2019s \u201cFather Figure\u201d went viral on TikTok this year for being a steamy song to edit your favorite celebrity moments to, popularly including artists like Megan Thee Stallion. As a long time George Michael fan, I was so excited to see how this new resurgence of his music would play out; needless to say, when I saw \u201cFather Figure\u201d and George Michael\u2019s name in the credits of this song I got my hopes skyhigh. This man was the embodiment of a showman and expressed his queerness through his art in a way that he was unable to do outside of it at the time, and I felt that this song and story could really be perfect for this album. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an interview with Magic Radio, Swift discusses the meaning of this song saying, \u201c[it\u2019s like] meeting one of your sort of idols and they, instead of being what you thought they would be, they warn you against following in their footsteps.\u201d All of this sounded amazing, until I actually got to listen to the track. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This song is another ode to a controlling man who, at some point in her life, seemed to be someone with all of the answers and how she has turned into that person. Almost like a Godfather<\/em> of the pop world, but it\u2019s an uncomfortable hubris. Not to mention, having George Michael\u2019s name on a song with \u201cI can make deals with the devil because my dick\u2019s bigger\u201d in the lyrics is blasphemous to say the least. A waste of an opportunity to sample Michael\u2019s track and pay homage to the Pop \u201cGodfather\u201d of before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. “Eldest Daughter<\/strong>“<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Anna:<\/strong> It would be impossible to discuss the wasted potential of this album without this track. For Taylor Swift\u2019s entire career she has been the backtrack to girlhood, each album representing phases of relationships and friendships. Being the master of girlhood, I would think that having a song specifically for eldest daughters would have easily been the best on the album, as they\u2019re often parentified and treated like they are the ones who are responsible for the care and behavior of their younger siblings. Typically, this makes dating more difficult too as eldest daughters are frankly exhausted from their own childhoods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Taylor Swift took this song as an excuse to write about anything but what I previously mentioned. Instead, she\u2019s writing about haters on the internet, and lying about being busy (which, by the way, could not be further from the experience of the eldest daughter). With lyrics that are repetitive and simplistic, \u201cEldest Daughter\u201d proved to be another disappointing track. Speaking of lyrics, \u201cI\u2019m not a bad bitch, and this isn\u2019t savage\u201d with \u201cWe all dressed up as wolves and we looked fire\u201d would be lines I expect from a middle school rap battle. The pain for me when it comes to the lyricism on this album really comes from the comparison of its predecessors \u2013 Swift from 5+ years ago would\u2019ve done better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. “Actually Romantic<\/strong>“<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Jackie<\/strong>: We can\u2019t talk about this song without talking about who it’s about: the girl who gave us the iconic \u201cApple\u201d song, Charli XCX. \u201cActually Romantic\u201d is a response to Charli\u2019s Brat <\/em>track,  \u201cSympathy is a Knife,\u201d which is rumored to be about Swift, harkening back to a discourse that started years ago when they both had romantic connections to two separate members of the band The 1975. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charli\u2019s song talks of her own insecurities, how she feels like she can\u2019t live up to someone as successful as Taylor saying that she \u201ccouldn\u2019t even be her if I tried.\u201d The song is vulnerable, a monologue of Charli\u2019s insecurities which she admits she shouldn\u2019t be feeling. So why did Swift feel the need to respond with a song like \u201cActually Romantic?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The song itself is already not good in my opinion. The instrumental feels empty and lacks energy, not to mention the lyrics are already defensive toward Charli. It feels shallow to make a response to a song about insecurity and make it about how they\u2019re practically in love with you. Taylor has been a role model to many young girls and artists; if she hears someone feels insecure and inferior to her, I feel like the last thing she should be doing is shaming them for those feelings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of the song, maybe Charli wasn\u2019t too far off with that \u201cBoring Barbie\u201d comment Taylor claims she said at the beginning of the song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"List
Album Visuals | Taylor Swift<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
6. Wi$h Li$t<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Anna<\/strong>: This song reads, during the first non-focused listen, as a sweet love song geared towards the new life that she is growing with Travis Kelce. However, diving deeper into the lyrics, I think there is some tradwife propaganda afoot. For those unaware, the \u201ctradwife\u201d movement is embodied by women who choose a lifestyle that focuses on domesticity: cooking, cleaning, and birthing. This movement has been on the rise, with social media glamorizing this lifestyle as a break from the stress of a 9-5 and is actively convincing younger women to pursue the simple life. While I am a feminist, which means that I advocate for all women including these women, it\u2019s important to acknowledge that leaving your life in the hands of your partner could be a recipe for disaster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Wi$h Li$t” abandons that feminist ideology and while promoting Taylor\u2019s dream to \u201cHave a couple kids, got the whole block looking like you \/ Got me dreaming about a driveway with a basketball hoop,\u201d it also bashes women whose lifestyles don\u2019t match a traditional feminine one. Fans of this song argue that being a woman and wanting to get married and have children does not automatically make you a tradwife, and I agree with them. Although, I would say that equating all options outside of being a wife and a mother to \u201cBright lights and Balenci\u2019 shades\u201d and then immediately singing that she doesn\u2019t worry about anything because she just wants a man and his future family, does raise the tradwife flag. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is also something to be said about wanting the whole block to look like her and her white fiance. She has fans around the world, proven by the Eras Tour that made more than enough to go around. She then writes about how other wishes of hers include \u201cThree dogs that they call their kids \/ Good surf, contract with Real Madrid.\u201d The line about the dogs particularly bothers me given the current political climate for women trying to have babies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside of that line, these lifestyles are fabulous and wildly out of touch for her average listener. It\u2019s audibly enjoyable and, unfortunately, I will admit that I too dream of a house with a picket fence and a driveway, but alongside all of that I crave success and freedom. If I had the influence Taylor has, I would not be using it to push the agenda that children are the only dream worth having. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. “Wood<\/strong>“<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Emma:<\/strong> The woods called, they want their metaphors back. And \u201cWood?\u201d More like, would\u2026 someone please take this off Spotify? Let\u2019s talk about the use of a Redwood tree as a metaphor for Travis Kelce\u2019s favorite accessory. Did you know the pinecones that accompany the Redwood tree are actually very small in comparison? Or that many, many species live in the Redwood tree, like salamanders, beetles, and worms? Taylor Swift might want to go get that checked out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside of the obvious, rather distasteful lyrics of this T-Swizzle song, the beat is quite catchy, familiar even. Oh! That is probably because the backing track of \u201cWood\u201d is almost identical to \u201cI Want You Back\u201d by Jackson 5. Funny, coming from someone who claimed rights to Olivia Rodrigo\u2019s songs \u201cDeja Vu\u201d and \u201c1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back\u201d now owning 50% percent of the rights and revenue to those songs, all because they had a similar rhyme to other Taylor Swift songs. There is no known drama between the two. Oliva Rodrigo was a religious \u201cSwifie\u201d before this claim, and it seriously makes you wonder how much Swift cares about her fans and other young, rising artists since she clearly has no respect for honoring the great artists before her. It is safe to say that no artist in their right mind will be using their own music to pay homage to Swift and her music, not just because she might want 50% of the rights and revenue, but also because this whole album was just such an awful representation of the art of music. Overall, this song did more traum(ah!)tizing than \u201c(ah!) matize\u201d-ing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. “CANCELLED!<\/strong>“<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Jackie<\/strong>: \u201cWelcome to my underworld \/ Where it gets quite dark\u201d \u2013 which one of your eight houses are you talking about Taylor? For being a billionaire, this song sounds awfully cheap. It reeks of cringey millennial TikTok videos filled with demon-filters (no hate to the millennials out there, we love you.) The lyrics are so laughable, I can hardly keep a straight face when I listen to this song because the writing is plain bad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a song that would play in a bad slow-motion walking scene. Not to mention, if my friends were \u201ccloaked in Gucci and in scandal\u201d I personally wouldn\u2019t want to be associated with them. It feels as if she is trying to go back to that Reputation<\/em>-style of music she wrote all those years ago but, clearly, she has some work to do if this is the best she could come up with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And how can we forget \u2026 another song that sounds awfully familiar! Take a look back to Lorde\u2019s song \u201cYellow Flicker Beat\u201d and tell me it doesn\u2019t sound eerily familiar. Safe to say, Swift has been lacking in the original chorus department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Thoughts of a Showgirl<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

When the lights go down on The Life of a Showgirl<\/em>, there\u2019s an artist on that stage who is unrecognizable to the fans that have been listening for a lifetime. The album tried hard to dazzle and impress, but it left the most important part of being a showgirl: bringing yourself to the stage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a metamorphosis happening within Taylor Swift right now: the shift from a beloved cat lady to a promotional wife, and it\u2019s unsettling to say the least. The woman who once held \u201cf*ck the patriarchy\u201d keys in her hand, now wears a Chiefs jersey on the sidelines. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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