The last time we heard from Taylor Swift, she was struggling.
Her previous album, The Tortured Poets Department, was full of heartbreak and pain, written after two difficult breakups. She sang about crying at the gym and feeling angry about losing years in a failed six-year relationship with British actor Joe Alwyn.
Now, just 18 months later, everything looks different.
Her new album, The Life of a Showgirl, was recorded during breaks in her record-breaking Eras tour. This time, the 35-year-old star sounds happy, full of energy, and newly in love with American football player Travis Kelce.
“This album is about what was going on inside me during the tour, which felt so fun, alive and electric,” Swift explained on Kelce’s New Heights podcast.
To capture that feeling, she worked with producers Max Martin and Shellback—famous for hits like Shake It Off—instead of her usual partner Jack Antonoff. Her goal was simple: create a sharp, focused album of catchy songs with unforgettable melodies.
So, is The Life of a Showgirl a glittering success or a misstep?
The answer: it’s a clear success.
The album mixes strong songwriting with smart production and shows Swift at the top of her game. Fans expecting the big pop sound of Red or 1989 might be surprised. Instead, the music is smoother and more atmospheric, similar to Martin’s recent work with The Weeknd and Ariana Grande.
But every track feels purposeful—there’s no filler here.
At just 41 minutes, it’s also Swift’s shortest album since her 2006 debut, and its focus is a refreshing change after the long and heavy Tortured Poets Department.
Taylor Swift’s new album has two main themes.
Half of the 12 songs are about falling deeply and playfully in love. The other half look at the darker side of fame.
She fills the lyrics with vivid images, like a burlesque dancer “glowing like the end of a cigarette,” or critics compared to “a toy chihuahua barking from a tiny purse.” There’s even a whole track full of cheeky playground-style jokes.
The album begins with a surprise. Many fans thought The Fate of Ophelia would retell Shakespeare’s tragic story of a woman who drowns in grief. Instead, Swift sings about being “saved” from that destiny by Kelce. The upbeat pop song is full of sweet nods to their relationship, mentioning the Kansas City Chiefs and the number 100 — a mix of Kelce’s jersey number 87 and Swift’s lucky number 13.
She even recalls how their romance began, when Kelce first spoke about her on his podcast in July 2023:
“I heard you calling on the megaphone,” she sings, adding, “If you’d never come for me, I might have drowned in sadness.”
The music itself has clever touches too. For example, in the opening track, she adds an extra bar at the end of every other line, as if she can’t let go of the feeling. Little musical details like this appear throughout the album, making it especially enjoyable.
The love story theme continues on Opalite, with its light, flowing chords and harmonies that feel like a blossoming romance. On Wi$h Li$t, Swift imagines leaving Hollywood chaos behind for a quiet, happy life at home.
“They want that big award, the Palme d’Or or an Oscar on their bathroom floor,” she says. “I just want you.”
(And maybe “a couple of kids” with “a best friend who I think is hot.”)
One of the most surprising songs is Wood, a punchy dance track with a Jackson 5-style guitar riff. It’s full of double meanings. Swift sings about “knocking on wood” for their relationship to last, and in the bedroom, it’s a cheeky nod to her fiancé. It’s so silly and unexpected it made me laugh out loud.
Similarly, Actually Romantic is a sharply funny song about another pop star (unnamed) who calls Swift a “boring Barbie” and writes songs about hating her. Over gritty guitars and drums, Taylor teases them with reverse psychology:
“It sounded nasty but it feels like you’re flirting with me… All the effort you’ve put in, it’s actually romantic.”
She also settles scores on Father Figure, a biting story about a backstabbing protégé that borrows from George Michael’s song. Fans will try to guess who it’s about, but it feels more like a story about a music industry manipulator with the power to destroy anyone who isn’t “loyal to the family.” With cinematic strings and tricky key changes, it joins No Body, No Crime, Bad Blood, and Vigilante S** in her growing collection of revenge songs.
The standout track, though, is the soft ballad Ruin The Friendship. It takes us back to Swift’s high school days in Tennessee, remembering a boy she kept in the friend zone while secretly wishing for a kiss. The song turns heartbreaking in the third verse when her real-life best friend Abigail calls to say their old schoolfriend has died, and Swift rushes to the funeral. In an album mostly about happiness, the sadness hits even harder.
The album closes with the title track, a lively duet with Sabrina Carpenter that’s a warning about the pressures of fame. It’s the only song that fully embraces the “showgirl” idea, with tap-dancing beats and dramatic key changes as they sing about their tough industry:
“All the headshots on the walls of the dance hall / Are of the bitches who wish I’d hurry up and die,” Swift sings. Then the punchline: “But I’m immortal now, baby doll.”
This feels like a nod to Look What You Made Me Do from 2017, when Swift was at her lowest after her public fight with Kanye West. Back then, she sang: “The old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now… Why? Oh, cause she’s dead.”
Now, in 2025, with the world at her feet, Swift can confidently say her place in pop history is secure. The Life of a Showgirl is her triumphant victory lap.
Published: 3rd October 2025
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