Everything We Learned About Taylor From The Life Of A Showgirl

Life of a Showgirl is here! Taylor’s 12th studio album has finally arrived – and it’s safe to say we’ve learned a lot from the lyrics.

With so much excitement and achievement surrounding Taylor’s musical and personal life, the anticipation for this album was sky high among fans.

Life of a Showgirl was the most pre-saved album in Spotify history, with over five million saves, so it wouldn’t be wrong to say that just about everyone was tuned in this morning.

The album was written during the European leg of her Eras Tour and works as an ode to her life at the time, particularly focusing on the relationship between her and boyfriend (now fiancé!) Travis Kelce.

Here’s everything we’ve learned from the album so far.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)

One of the most talked about songs on the record is ‘Actually Romantic’. It seems this song is a response to Charli xcx’s song ‘Sympathy is a Knife,’ which featured on her 2024 album Brat.

In 2023, the two stars crossed paths as Taylor was dating the 1975 frontman Matty Healy, while Charli was dating George Daniel. In ‘Sympathy is a Knife,’ Charli declares the anxieties she felt being around Taylor, rooted in issues of low self esteem and inferiority.

‘This one girl taps my insecurities. Don’t know if it’s real or if I’m spiralling,” she sings. “Don’t wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show. Fingers crossed behind my back, I hope they break up quick.”

It seems the vulnerability of ‘Sympathy is a Knife’ was taken the wrong way though, as Taylor’s has responded with a diss track. In ‘Actually Romantic,’ she sings with the intent of taking someone’s obsession with her as a compliment.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by NOVA (@iriptheslit)

Taylor spins Charli’s attention to an almost sapphic-like narrative saying: “It sounded nasty but it feels like you’re flirting with me…No man has ever loved me like you do.”

One of the more controversial lyrics goes: “I heard you call me “Boring Barbie”  when the coke’s got you brave. High-fived my ex and then you said you’re glad he ghosted me.”

Some deem this response a fair rebuttal to this alleged feud, while others have dubbed the song poor taste in its interpretation of Charli’s track.

On a lighter note, Life of a Showgirl depicts Taylor’s new perspectives about love, with of course references to her two year relationship with Travis Kelce.

Tracks like ‘Opalite’ (which Travis said was his favourite on the album), ‘Wood’, ‘Honey’ and ‘Wi$hLi$t’ are full of references to their relationship in their lyrical production and poetic nature.

In ‘Wood,’ Taylor alludes to her sex life, singing ,”Redwood tree, it ain’t hard to see. His lovе was the key that opened my thighs.” She also says: “The curse on me was broken by your magic wand.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)

But mentions of her love life don’t stop at Travis. ‘Ruin the Friendship’ tackles regret in romance lost in younger years, as she was concerned about ruining a friendship in high school.

This reflection on her teenage years as she wonders what could have been takes a devastatingly tragic turn when it’s discovered that this boy passed away in recent years.

“But I whispered at the grave, ‘Should’ve kissed you anyway,'” she sings. “My advice is always ruin the friendship – better that than regret it for all time”

11 out of the 12 tracks are original productions, with an exception made for ‘Father Figure’, which interpolates the chorus of the late George Michael’s 80s hit of the same title.

George Michael Entertainment gave Taylor the stamp of approval for this track, which is especially interesting considering the notable absence of collaboration on this album.

The final song from Life of a Showgirl – the title track – features none other than the one of the most dazzling showgirls in pop music right now – Sabrina Carpenter.

The song is almost a more spirited version of ‘Clara Bow’, which featured on Taylor’s last album The Tortured Poets Department, and is the perfect track to wrap up The Life of a Showgirl experience. The two singers’ voices mesh beautifully as they sing about the realities of stardom, making this a clear standout track from the album.

“But you don’t know the life of a showgirl, babe And you’re never, ever gonna,” goes the song. “I paid my dues with every bruise. I knew what to expect. You wanna take a skate on the ice inside my veins. They ripped off me off like false lashes. And then threw me away.”

While the album definitely thrives in its raw display of emotions, it’s hard to determine whether the expectations of fans were met. With the aesthetics and promises of pop-driven and upbeat music, the anticipation for the album was high.

Even more so, considering that the album was co-wrote and produced by Max Martin, who worked with Taylor in creating some of the most iconic pop-records of the 2010s like ‘Shake It Off,’ ‘Blank Space’ and ‘Bad Blood.’

With mixed reviews from both fans and critics alike, maybe we just need a second listen to fully grasp its intent.

Words by Leah Foran