Most well known as a popular artist for her songs “You Belong With Me” and “Shake it Off,” Taylor Swift recently released her 12th album: “The Life of a Showgirl.” Announced on the “New Heights” podcast on Oct. 27, fans quickly grew excited to listen to this fresh album, marking a new era in the artist’s life. This upbeat album of only 12 songs has soon grown to become a new fan favorite.
Pop producers Max Martin and Shellback have previously worked with Swift and produced some of her most popular albums, including “Red,” “1989” and “Reputation.” Hearing this prior to the album release, fans grew excited about which songs in this album would join the repertoire of Swift’s defining pop hits. Taking a complete 180-degree turn from her last album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” Swift shared that “The Life of a Showgirl” is a reflection of her current being, filled with joy and happiness.
The first song on the album, “The Fate of Ophelia,” is the most-streamed song so far. “The Fate of Ophelia” includes a music video that came out on the day of the album release, Oct. 3, and made its debut in the movie theaters where fans lined up to watch the streaming party and exclusive behind-the-scenes of “The Life of a Showgirl.”
This movie premiere started with the feature of “The Fate of Ophelia” music video, then went to a back-and-forth viewing of the lyric videos of the album and behind-the-scenes footage of the making of “The Fate of Ophelia.” Finally, the movie closed with “The Fate of Ophelia” music video once more, which allowed the fans to piece all the behind-the-scenes footage and easter eggs together.
While the original rendition of the song was inspired by the story of “Hamlet,” the final piece turned out to portray a story deeper than its origins. It represents generations of performers and showgirls, ranging from posing for a painting all the way to the aftermath of huge stadium concerts. Fans danced and sang along all weekend during this limited showing of the movie, dressing up in sparkly outfits and Eras Tour merch. The song has become a proven hit with over 200 million total streams only two weeks after its release.
This new album is a mix of an upbeat and glittery production that makes listeners feel like they are in a production with the singer. Some fan favorites include “Ruin the Friendship,” a song that brings listeners right back to high school, reminiscing on complicated relationships. This song has a mellow tone all around, starting with Swift’s soft voice accompanied by some notes of piano and guitar.
In contrast, the widely popular track “Elizabeth Taylor” takes on a much more bold mix, which fans think is similar to many of the songs on her album “Reputation.” This song contains a familiar beat going in the background, giving the song that notable sharp emphasis. Looking at Swift’s behind-the-scenes explanations of each song in “The Life of a Showgirl” album premiere, Swift shared that she created this song in order to pay tribute to actor Elizabeth Taylor and all of the great impacts that the latter has created.
The album as a whole was not just inspired by Swift’s personal life, but also by fantasy tales and icons of the “showgirl” industry. Standing as one of her shortest albums with a total run time of 41 minutes and 45 seconds, “The Life of a Showgirl” is filled with a mix of thoughtful and playful mixes, which is seen as one of Swift’s most hopeful and positive albums she has created so far.
“The Life of a Showgirl,” Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, is a new fan favorite, hosting some of the catchiest tunes to jam out to. Although fans are left wondering whose interpretation of this album is correct, they are sure to add it to their collection of Swift favorites. Whether fans blast it in the car or use it as their background music, “The Life of a Showgirl” will be sure to get listeners’ moods up.
