Photo by: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot
Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl gives the world a peek into the hidden universe of show business—and it is not all that the public makes it out to be. This album was released on Friday, October 3, and featured work by artists Max Martin and Shellback, whom Swift has collaborated with most recently on her 2017 album, Reputation. Swift has stated that she sees this album as the complete opposite of her last release, The Tortured Poets Department. While her last album uncovered the poetic side of songwriting, with raw emotions and striking details, this new album portrays the stage role of show business, highlighting the flirty and sarcastic nature that comes with it. Swift comments, “The character of the showgirl is…the other aspects of a person’s personality where you’re… funny and feisty and… having a blast and flirty and… sort of tongue-in-cheek…”
Some of the most streamed tracks of the album so far are “The Fate of Ophelia,” a song about a modern-day relationship that incorporates Shakespearian themes; “Opalite,” a track named after a synthetic stone to represent that beautiful things take work; “Elizabeth Taylor,” inspired by the actress that Swift admires for her ability to ignore public criticism and handle it with humor; “The Life of a Showgirl (feat. Sabrina Carpenter),” a song about a fictional performer who is loosely based off Swift’s grandmother; and “Wood,” a song that shows Swift’s more superstitious side. The cover to this album (pictured above) is a nod to the famous painting Ophelia by John Everett Millais, with some of the same “Easter eggs” featured in “The Fate of Ophelia” music video.
Since its announcement, this album has broken multiple records. These include most pre-saved album in Spotify history; most streamed album within twelve hours of its release in Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music history; most record sales within the first week of its release; and longest ever interview on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. It also broke box office records as the highest grossing limited time film at over $50 million.
Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl has shown us all what it’s like to be in show business, but it has also revealed that behind every sparkly façade is just another person with a story to tell. It’s obvious that Swift’s creative journey is far from over, as we watch her continue to push boundaries and explore new themes and elements of pop music. She has once again proven her versatility as a songwriter while also reminding us why she remains one of the most influential people the music industry has ever seen.
