Since Taylor Swift’s surprise announcement at her now fiance’s podcast, New Heights, the anticipation of her new album went through the roof. This was reflected on the album’s first release week, where Swift broke multiple records. The Life of A Showgirl became the fastest album to sell over 3 million copies in the U.S., while recording the biggest vinyl week sales, biggest streaming day of 2025 for any artist, and second-biggest album debut of all time – only after her own previous double album, The Tortured Poets Department!
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We are well aware of all the huffing and puffing of those who have much to say about her lyricism for this album. She undoubtly opted for simpler lyrics in comparison to her last four albums: Folklore, Evermore, Midnights, and The Tortured Poets Department. However, we think the writing style in this album is light-hearted, and… frankly hilarious! Lyrically, this has been the boldest she has ever been. She can be seen dancing between the collection of headlines by critics, the cynical tone, and the intentional use of swear words.
Production-wise? We think it’s a much needed fresh upgrade. Among all the 12 songs in the album, five stood out:
‘The Fate of Ophelia’
As the album opener, The Life of a Showgirl unfolds with the grounded production of The Fate of Ophelia, which also inspired the cover of the album. Ophelia is a known character from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where she met the tragic fate of descending into madness and died of drowning. The song unveils her confession of her muse being a saviour from her purgatory. “If you’d never come for me, I might’ve drowned in melancholy.”
The song also sweetly includes an easter egg with the lyrics “Keep it 100”, which alluded to Swift and her fiance’s lucky numbers added: 13 and 87, as revealed in the New Heights podcast. Overall, the song drives a gleam of hope to the hopeless romantics.
Our favourite lyrics: Late one night, you dug me out of my grave / and saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia
‘Father Figure’
Father Figure unveils the conflict between the persona of a mentor and a protege. It starts from the point of view of the mentor, using the line “I’ll be your father figure, I can make deals with the devil because my check’s bigger.” It represents the role of power from the mentor against the protege. However, the bridge shows the table turning, and how the position of the person having the upper hand can change over time. There is also a theory about the part where she sings “I’ll be your father figure” six times in the song, drawing parallels to her previous six ‘stolen albums’.
Our favourite lyrics: Mistake my kindness for weakness then find your cards cancelled / I was your father figure, you pulled the wrong trigger
‘Actually Romantic’
The song starts with a hilarious opening line “I heard you call me ‘Boring Barbie’ when you’re out feeling brave.” Throughout the song, Swift emphasises the lightness of the situation, describing it hurting ‘like a toy chihuahua biking from a tiny purse’. As she explains in the track by track version, “(This song) is about realising that someone else had a one-sided adversarial relationship… and all of sudden they start doing too much, and you just accept it as flattering that somebody has made you a big part of their reality when you didn’t even think about it. It’s actually pretty romantic if you really think about it.”
Our favourite lyrics: Like a toy chihuahua barking at me from a tiny purse / That’s how much it hurts
‘Wi$h Li$t’
In the song Wi$h Li$t, Swift portrays the imagery of settling down with her lover. It underlines the fact that each person has their own set of priorities and aspirations – some might seek the glamourous Hollywood life, while some love the freedom of living privately and in peace. She acknowledges others’ wish list by saying “They deserve what they want, I hope they get what they want,” before revealing her own: “I just want you.”
Our favourite lyrics: I hope I get what I want, ’cause I know what I want / I just want you
‘The Life of a Showgirl’
To close the curtain on the album, Swift opts for a production that feels like the ending soundtrack of a movie. She incorporates the original concert audio in the track from her last Vancouver show, where she performed with Sabrina Carpenter and described the both of them as the showgirls. “Her name was Kitty / Made her money being pretty and witty,” Swift begins the song. As she said in an interview with The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the name Kitty is a nod to both her maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, and her mom Andrea’s dog, Kitty.
Our favourite lyrics: I’m married to the hustle, and now I know the life of a showgirl / Wouldn’t have it any other way