Are Swifties Disappointed with The Life of a Showgirl? | My Review and Ranking

Is The Life of a Showgirl actually Taylor Swift’s worst album?

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Every time Taylor releases a new album this is the first thing every swiftie sees and they start their defending battle. Well I am not really that type of a swiftie. I would rather enjoy the new album in peace, overanalyze the lyrics, note down the literary and pop culture references and support Taylor and just enjoy the brand new era.

Since The Life of a Showgirl is out in the world, it’s literally trending everywhere. Everyone is sharing their favorite tracks ranking, what they liked and even hated about the album. I saw some reel people, even Swifties, going back to other Taylor Swift albums because this one is not hitting right. I got it after the first listen. I had different opinions too. But I also know it will get better if I give it some time.

The Life of a Showgirl on Amazon

As a reputation girlie and the reputation vault track theories with The Life of a Showgirl album kept me on my toes. I was really excited. The orange vibes and fall themes made it more exciting. I was really excited to see how this album and era will go. Because it’s so different from her other albums.

Overall the album was good but could have been better. When Taylor posted about this album my first thought was why and how she is going to make this album. It doesn’t really go with her vibe and aesthetic. But after listening to the last track. And truly thinking about how eras tour had impacted her life made sense.

Here are my thoughts when I first listened to the album + ranking <3

1. The Fate of Ophelia – 5

I swore my loyalty to me, myself, and I Right before you lit my sky up

The first track is about Travis how he tried to meet Taylor but could not but eventually did. And I love how she connected the chorus with a parallel of The tortured poets department. “All that time, I sat alone in my tower” signs The albatross and cassandra and the tone seems so much like the prophecy too.

Dug me out of my grave and the fate of Ophelia, love love the Shakespeare references. Asking someone like this in the prophecy to finally get them and referring them to the savior who saved her from the fate of Ophelia? Taylor is a true poet through and through. I have never imagined Taylor would go from Romeo and Juliet to Hamlet and Ophelia to describe her story. But it’s equally painfully poetic.

“The venom stole her sanity” – this is so reputation coded. Again! With a chain (Chain), a crown (A crown), a vine (A vine). The bridge?? OH MY GOSH. The whispers?? This is PERFECT!? It feels like it came straight out of Taylor’s head. “No longer drowning and deceived. All because you came for me” – This song, the lyrics, the beats and the meaning of each word keep getting better. How genius she combines both Ophelia and Juliet’s tragedies.

I love the first track already so much.

2. Elizabeth Taylor – 3.5

I didn’t like the intro. But is that a parallel of wildest dreams? It reminded me of the nothing lasts forever part. Also the beats give off old hollywood vibes so its the pairing for the songs meaning and aesthetic goes really well.

“oftentimes it doesn’t feel so glamorous to be me” – I thought this lyric would be in The life of a showgirl track but comparing it with The actresses life also fits really well.

‘And if your letters ever said, “Goodbye”. – Wait, the chorus sounds so good!. It feels like Jack produced it.

Babe, I would trade the Cartier for someone to trust (Just kidding) – The just kidding part was so cute and funny. This one also feels so prophecy coded. But this track has a story to tell. Both combining Taylor Swift and Elizabeth Taylors. Also with, “Under bright lights, they withered away, but you bloom” – is this the first Joe Alwyn reference? I love Joe, so I will take any crumb. Also yes, I am team Joe Alwyn for life because they can never make me hate Joe Alwyn.

3. Opalite – 4.5

If Red and Midnights had a baby this song would be that baby. Love the margaret reference in – “And all the perfect couples

Said, “When you know, you know” And, “When you don’t, you don’t”. – The beats of the oh – ho oh sounds really good. I think if i listen to this track a few more time I will be obsessed. But the words she has used in this track. I need to google every single of them one by one first. “You finally left the table (Uh, uh), Life is a song, it ends when it ends, You move on” – The bridge is sooo good! And the chorus feels like something to listen to when you are feeling down. Also loved how she described life in so many ways in this track. Also the sparkly beat that comes a few times in the track

4. Father Figure – 4

Okay this is not the father figure I was imagining but it’s really good. The song starts with the original father figure themes, the super model and cab drivers love story. But this song is very much mafia coded. Definitely reminds me of the booktok popular dark romance books and mafia romance. But Taylor put it out differently painting the mafia guys as the bad guys from her life. Mostly likely referring to her formal record label CEO Scott Borchetta. I just love how geniusly she connected these stuff.

This is definitely my favorite lyric – “Mistake my kindness for weakness and find your card cancelled”.

5. Eldest Daughter – 5

Track 5 supremacy!. This track seems so sad. It’s very folklore and especially this is me trying to code.

“When you found me, I said I was busy, that was a lie, I have been afflicted by a terminal uniqueness, I’ve been dying just from trying to seem cool” – Is this freaking play about us?? This song is so relatable (I am not even the eldest daughter).

“Every eldest daughter, Was the first lamb to the slaughter, So we all dressed up as wolves and we looked fire” – I am convinced this song is about Katnis Everdeen.“But now you’re home” – This song feels like home too. It also feels like nostalagia, the loss of memories, longing, yearning and so many feelings of girlhood.

6. Ruin The Friendship – 4.5

Okay, I thought this song would be about friendship breakups. Maybe about Blake lively or . But apparently it’s about a former friend Taylor regrets not pursuing? This song is a very fall song. This track should have been left for the red album.

7. Actually Romantic – 5

A sweet track about Charli XCX? Wow. This is probably my new favorite song and jam.It’s actually romantic (You’ve just given me so much attention; la-la-la-la) – The attention part is actually giving brat.

8. Wi$h Li$t – 3

This is Taylor’s favorite track on the album so I thought it would be good. But it’s not really? I can’t explain. She poured her heart, desires and hopes in this song, so that could be the reason why she loves this. I did not like the bridge, it could have been better. The beats are also not hitting. The lyrics also felt not fitting. The only line I liked was – “Boss up, settle down, got a wish (Wish) list (List)”.

9. Wood – 4

I double checked to see if Sabrina Carpenter helped Taylor write this song or not because she is one of the collaborators on this album. Well, she is not but this is sooo Sabrina core song. It’s fun, flirty and everything you find in Sabrina Carpenter songs. The production for this song is really good. Every wood, knock on wood, manhood and the beats with it was perfect.

10. CANCELLED! – 5

Finally a song that feels fully like reputation. But I expected it to be a lot like – This is why we can’t have nice things but it’s more of a calm version of that. It would have felt different. But the lyrics of this song were the best. And I think this song is the only one I fully liked for the lyrics.

“At least you know exactly who your friends are, They’re the ones with matching scars” – This is the perfect way to describe true friendship. This also reminds me of some of the good found family books I have read.

11. Honey – 4.5

This song was sweet, exactly like the name of this song. This is a sweet love song. I enjoyed it. The instruments were cute. It felt like a red album song but fully in love or maybe a speak now song. This song felt like a song Taylor fully poured her heart into. Overall, it is sweet and I am happy for Taylor.

12. The Life of a Showgirl – 5

I LOVE THIS SONG. I was slowly feeling disappointed with each track. But the last one made it worthy. Sabrina and Taylor sound so good together.I really hope they make more music in the future. The song lyrics were so meaningful. It also described the whole album perfectly. The bridge feels like watching a movie. I also saw a tiktok someone said this song is basically Sabrina’s pov of seeing Taylor be an artist and she rose to fame.

My Ranking for The Life of a Showgirl Tracklist :

The Life of a Showgirl
The Fate of Ophelia
Actually Romantic
Eldest Daughter
Opalite
CANCELLED!
Ruin The Friendship
Honey
Wood
Father Figure
Wi$h Li$t
Elizabeth Taylor