It has been another whirlwind of a year for Taylor Swift. Last December, Swift concluded her record-breaking, sold-out “Eras Tour,” after performing all across the globe, including right here in Nashville. In August, Swift also announced her engagement to her fiancé Travis Kelce, who plays tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, she’s back with her first collection of new music since 2024’s “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT.” 

“The Life of a Showgirl” is Swift’s first collaboration since 2017 with producers Max Martin and Shellback, who produced some of her biggest hits to date, like “Shake It Off,” “Style” and “I Knew You Were Trouble.” This album also marked Swift’s first release in over a decade without the help of her longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff, who produced music on all of her albums since the original release of “1989” in 2014. “The Life of a Showgirl” finds Swift discussing topics important to her life, such as her relationship with Kelce, stories from her youth and, most importantly, stories from her life as a showgirl on “The Eras Tour.” 

“The Fate of Ophelia” — Grace Asness, Food Correspondent 

As the opening track of the album, “The Fate of Ophelia” sets a hopeful tone, likely inspired by Taylor Swift’s recent engagement to Travis Kelce and her reclamation of her music catalog. The song references the Shakespeare play “Hamlet” and its heroine Ophelia who meets a tragic death after being driven mad by heartbreak. This is not Swift’s first-time referencing Shakespeare in her music, as her early career hit “Love Story” drew inspiration from “Romeo and Juliet.” Rather than identifying herself with Ophelia’s fate, she sings in the chorus: “You dug me out of my grave and saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia.” The lyrics point to Kelce as her savior, which is all but confirmed with the line “pledge allegiance to your hands, your team, your vibes” — presumably referencing Kelce’s position on the Kansas City Chiefs. Long known for writing songs about her past relationships, Swift now delivers a triumphant message about a love unlike the others and her readiness to start a new chapter with Kelce. 

“Elizabeth Taylor” — Alex Brodeur, Deputy Life Editor 

On “Elizabeth Taylor,” Swift evokes the consistent comparisons to the actress she has received throughout her career and flips the narrative into one where she’d “cry [her] eyes violet” if her lover left her. One of the album’s overall themes focuses on her lover being the right one for her. This is significant given the scrutiny Swift faced early in her career over her dating life — the same topic that led to frequent comparisons to Taylor, who married eight times. Swift seems to be in dialogue with Taylor about whether she’s finally found her true partner — not just because of the actress’s multiple marriages, but also because of the connection the media has long drawn between them. 

“Opalite” — Brodeur 

Similarly to “Elizabeth Taylor,” “Opalite” sees Swift and her partner struggling to find their true partners before meeting each other. The song starts with a verse focusing on Swift previously being stuck with past lovers, with her brother referring to this act as “eating out of the trash” and “liv[ing] with ghosts.” Swift later places her lover in her position, describing his feelings of being alone and finally leaving the table despite the desire to give love “all we got.” Swift cleverly conjoins these experiences as they build a world together following failures and speed bumps, similarly to how opalite is formed. 

“Father Figure” — Rachel Marlowe, Music Correspondent 

“Father Figure” exposes the predatory nature of music managers and label executives. Swift draws directly from her own history with Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun, casting them as slick mentors who promise protection while exploiting her talent for profit. The song’s chorus, “I’ll be your father figure / I drink that brown liquor,” twists George Michael’s classic into a sinister anthem of power and manipulation. But midway through, Swift flips the script, reclaiming the role of father figure for herself as she outgrows her handler and reclaims her empire. Now that she owns all her music, the track lands as both a warning and a victory lap, with lines like “mistake my kindness for weakness, now your card’s cancelled” turning her industry betrayal into a final, merciless strike. Dark, cinematic and laced with mafioso imagery, “Father Figure” is one of Swift’s sharpest revenge songs. 

“Eldest Daughter” — Marlowe 

Swift’s track 5 tradition continues with “Eldest Daughter,” the album’s most devastating ballad. Swift paints the role of the firstborn girl as both burden and sacrifice — “Every eldest daughter was the first lamb to slaughter” — capturing the quiet heartbreak of being expected to endure, to perform and to lie about wanting less than she deserves. Lyrically, it’s some of her rawest work in years: childhood memories of broken arms and broken trust unravel into confessions about love, marriage and the suffocating weight of “terminal uniqueness.” The song’s soft vow “I’m never gonna let you down, I’m never gonna leave you out” lands with trembling sincerity, cutting through the noise of internet cynicism and cultural apathy that frames the verses. Vulnerable, poetic and unflinching, “Eldest Daughter” is the emotional centerpiece of “The Life of a Showgirl,” reminding listeners why Swift’s track fives are always the ones that hurt the most. 

“Ruin The Friendship” — Abby Hoelscher, Staff Photographer 

For the past two decades, Swift has had a funny way of weaving darker undertones into a memorable melody. “Dear John” from “Speak Now” shared intimate details of her early unhealthy relationships and was released in 2010, followed four years later by “Clean” from “1989” as an ode to healing and recovery. “Ruin the Friendship” is no different — serving as a reflection of Swift’s regrets not kissing a school crush who later passed away, rumored to have been the same muse of “Forever Winter” from “Red (Taylor’s Version).” This track stood out to me not only with the familiar Nashville mention of Gallatin Road but also with the emotional whiplash of initially wondering why Swift was writing about an old flame to realizing it was a song in memorial. 

“Actually Romantic” — Marlowe 

Swift sharpens her pen with biting humor on “Actually Romantic,” a track that turns petty jealousy into a satirical love song. Opening with the stinger “I heard you call me ‘Boring Barbie’ when the coke’s got you brave,” Swift skewers immaturity and obsession while framing her rival’s fixation as something tender, almost affectionate. The song is widely read as aimed at Charli XCX, who opened for Swift on the Reputation Stadium Tour and has a track of her own titled “Everything is romantic.” The chorus flips into flattery, “It’s actually sweet … it’s actually romantic,” mocking how much energy has been poured into tearing her down. With barbed verses comparing her rival to a “toy chihuahua” and pointed nods to messy entanglements with Matty Healy, Swift balances playful ridicule with cutting self-awareness. The result is one of the album’s sharpest diss tracks: vicious, brutal and strangely endearing. 

“Wi$h Li$t” — Brodeur 

Swift uses “Wi$h Li$t” as a way of comparing people’s wish lists to one another. Some lists include expensive items, such as yachts, sunglasses from Balenciaga and an Oscar, while others focus on items with no less tangible value, such as “living off the grid,” three dogs and having freedom. She then contrasts these desires in the chorus by comparing her list of only wanting her lover. She wants a simple life with kids, being left alone with “a driveway with a basketball hoop.” The lyrics on “Wi$h Li$t” serve as one of the many examples of Swift’s lyrics incorporating more current trends and references, which is not what I or many listeners were expecting following the poetic lyricism heard on her last album. 

“Wood” — Hoelscher 

As a firm believer that artists are purposeful in their song sequencing, I listened to “The Life of a Showgirl” straight through upon its release Thursday night. It wasn’t until the rhythmic pop introduction of “Wood,” track nine, that I was finally on board with Swift’s new eccentric era. After over twenty-four hours of the album on repeat, this melody remains my favorite. One complaint I have about the album as a whole is that many of the language choices seem too modernized or vulgar. Here, I can not only relate to Swift’s lyricism surrounding the security in a relationship for the first time amidst several early superstitions, but also appreciate the metaphors she crafts as mature imagery for older audiences. 

“CANCELLED!” — Asness 

Travis Kelce immediately set high expectations for “CANCELLED!” when he called the song a “banger” on the episode of the Kelce brothers’ podcast “New Heights” where Taylor announced the album. It’s easy to see how “cancel culture” has negatively affected Swift throughout her career. When I first heard this song, my mind went to her 2016 scandal with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian that resulted in her taking a hiatus from the public eye and inspired the release of her album “reputation.” However, with lyrics like “good thing I like my friends cancelled,” many have speculated that Swift is referring to her friend Blake Lively’s controversial legal battle with her “It Ends with Us” co-star Justin Baldoni. While some listeners have criticized certain lyrics on the track as “cringy,” it is an undeniably striking statement against the “cancel culture” that continues to plague celebrity life. 

“Honey” — Brodeur 

The word “honey” has many connotations, and Swift explores those connotations in this song. She starts by discussing the negative connotations, explaining how she has been called plenty of positive names, followed by incredibly rude comments: being told to back off someone’s boyfriend because he “looked at [her] wrong,” being told her skirt didn’t fit her in the bathroom and unpraiseworthy comments. But Swift continues by describing a stark contrast in how she is now referred to as “honey” by her partner, as a way of him being “in awe of [her].” 

“The Life of a Showgirl” — Hoelscher 

My expectations were incredibly high for this title track and closing number of Swift’s 12th album, especially given the promise of a duet between two of my favorite female artists — Swift and Sabrina Carpenter — and a nod to the shared magic of their musical theater roots. While I can’t help but agree with fans who argue this melody echoes the Jonas Brothers’ “Cool,” its emphasis on storytelling as a form of performance makes it stand out nonetheless. The fast-paced lyricism and orchestral bridge seem to bring full circle Swift’s early Broadway aspirations. With her recent internet-breaking engagement announcement and the song’s final lyrics thanking listeners for “an unforgettable night,” I can’t help but wonder if this track serves as her graceful adieu before turning the page to her next chapter.