Hit or Miss: A Dual Review of “The Life of a Showgirl”

Lyric Koch and Sophie Haque • January 5, 2026 • 64 Views

Lyric's Take

As a chronic Taylor Swift fan, the release of her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, has been anticipated for months. To many fan’s surprises, however, the first listen was left with slight disappointment. The songs are catchy, but they are arguably bland.

Critics of the album emphasize that many of the songs on the album sound uncannily similar to other songs. For example, the title track, “The Life of a Showgirl,” can be comparable to “Cool” by the Jonas Brothers. Likewise, parallels have been drawn between “Opalite” and “Circles” by Post Malone. Other instances have been noted, but these two are the most equivalent.

Aside from similarities between other songs, the production on this album has its highs and lows. The introduction track “The Fate of Ophelia” set the standards high for the rest of the record. It is a groovy song with enjoyable melodies. “Elizabeth Taylor” also has a memorable chorus, with a hard-hitting beat and a catchy melody.

Other melodies on the album, though, are unmemorable, contrasting to previous records she has released. “Honey” for example, is slightly redundant. It feels very tacky– and not in a fun pop way. A few of these tracks have very similar productions, using the same instruments to create a familiar, overused pop beat.

Again, “The Fate of Ophelia” starts the album off with a bang. The lyrics revolve around Ophelia from Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. In this song, Swift thanks her fiancé, Travis Kelce, for saving her from the fate of Ophelia, in which she is controlled by the men in her life.

Another hit on the album regarding lyrics is “Opalite.” She paints a beautiful picture when she describes, “You were dancing through the lightning strikes/ Sleeping in the onyx night/ But now the sky is opalite.” This imagery is a staple in Swift’s discography, and many fans think her lyricism is her strong suit. In albums like folklore and The Tortured Poets Department, each song is a beautifully written poem full of imagery, metaphors, and other figurative language.

While some songs on this album seem genuinely well thought out, others seem like they could have been written by AI. “Did you girl-boss too close to the sun?” in “CANCELLED!” is a prime example of Swift entering her millennial era. Similarly, in “Eldest Daughter,” she writes, “but I’m not a bad b****/ and this isn’t savage.” Like, okay?

“Honey” is another example of slightly strange lyrics. She sings, “you can call me ‘honey’ if you want/ because I’m the one you want.” Swift has proven herself to be a talented lyricist, and there are so many ways she could have integrated this differently.

“Actually Romantic” might be the most controversial track of the album lyrically. This song is predicted to be about Charli XCX. Many listeners are agitated about the Charli XCX accusations, as the song seems like a high-school mean girl attack. Charli released a song in 2024 that is rumored to be about Swift, but the song wasn’t a diss track; rather a vulnerable piece about feeling insecure about one of her boyfriend’s friends.

This album is truly a hit or miss. None of the songs left a permanent mark on me, and I finished listening to the album feeling the same as I did when I started.

Sophie's Take

Taylor Swift’s 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, was released on October 3rd, 2025. It was written in the summer of 2024 with Max Martin and Shellback, producers she had worked with on one of her most successful albums, 1989. Swift recorded it in Sweden during the European leg of her Eras Tour, and this album was supposed to represent the behind the scenes of that time of her life. With its upbeat melodies, it is very danceable and full of joy.

The melodies of this album are incredible. Except for track 5, ”Eldest Daughter,” which features a soft piano melody, all the songs’ beats make people want to dance. Most of the album is very strong pop, but there are also influences of jazz, disco, rock, and indie music. Some of the criticism against this album complains that the songs sound too similar, but each one has its own unique flair that separates it from the others.

Taylor Swift is known for her excellent lyrics and storytelling, something that critics call lacking in this album. While it is true that this album isn’t as poetic as her last one, The Tortured Poets Department, and includes slang words, which many people hate, it also has some excellent lyrics in it. One of the most lyrical songs in this album is the first track, “The Fate of Ophelia,” which contains lines such as “I might’ve lingered in purgatory” and “‘tis locked inside my memory / And only you possess the key / No longer drowning and deceived.” Some of the other lyrical highlights from the album include “you were dancing through the lightning strikes / Sleepless in the onyx night / But now the sky is Opalite,” from “Opalite”; from “Father Figure,” “Your thoughtless ambition / Sparked the ignition / On foolish decisions / Which led to misguided visions”; “do you want to take a skate on the ice inside my veins / They ripped me off like false lashes” from the title track, “The Life of a Showgirl.”

Despite these great lyrics, much criticism is still facing Swift’s lyricism in this album. The biggest of this is centered on the fact that she uses slang words in her songs, particularly in “Eldest Daughter,” (which features the lines “this isn’t savage” and “we all dressed up as wolves and we looked fire), as well as the now infamous line in “CANCELLED!” “did you girl-boss too close to the sun?” While these words definitely seem abrasive and out of place on a first listen, they actually correlate to the themes Swift sings about, which in these two songs is the internet. Furthermore, Taylor Swift stated in an interview that she chose to use slang words due to taking on a different persona in these songs. As she often weaves different characters and narrators in her songs, this take makes a lot of sense and detracts from critics’ views.

While it is fair that this album isn’t as good as its predecessors and that Swift and her team overhyped it before its release, the amount of hate it has received is undeserving. Overall, it’s still a good album and is a nice, happy record to dance to.

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About the Contributors

Lyric Koch, Editor-in-Chief

Lyric Koch is a senior at Carlisle High School. This is her fourth year in Periscope and second year as Editor-In-Chief, and she is excited to continue writing for one final year. She is an active member of Carlisle’s indoor and outdoor color guard, a Coffeehouse poet, and president of National English Honor Society. She also enjoys reading and writing, and her favorite book is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. She is strongly passionate about music, specifically artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Taylor Swift, Noah Kahan, and Zach Bryan.

Sophie Haque, Editor-in-Chief

Sophie Haque is a junior at CHS and is a Periscope staff member for the third year. She is grateful and excited to take upon the role of editor-in-chief. At CHS, she is part of both the quizbowl and academic decathlon teams. In her free time she loves to read, write, sing, and listen to music, especially Taylor Swift’s.

Kennedy Beates, Staff Writer

Kennedy Beates is a senior at CHS, she is the main photographer for Periscope. In her free time she enjoys reading, spending time with friends, volunteering, and supporting family. She covers a wide variety of things, from prom to football games, she covers whatever is needed. After High School she is planning on going to college to major in criminal justice and minor in psychology.