Taylor Swift Album Review

The Life of A Showgirl is Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album that debuted Oct. 3, Friday at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time. This exact date is especially significant because the date 9/3 adds up to 12, a nod to the fact that this is her 12th album, and is the number Swift wanted to focus on as she uses numerology many times for her albums as easter eggs. 

Kaia

Mahlani

The Fate of Ophelia:12.5/13 10/13  

Elizabeth Taylor: 12/13 8.5/13 

Opalite: 12/13 13/13

Father Figure: 11/13 7/13

Eldest Daughter: 8/13 11/13

Ruin the Friendship: 11/13 13/13

Actually Romantic: 8/13 8/13

Wi$h Li$t: 7/13 12/13

Wood: 10/13 11/13

CANCELLED!: 13/13 12/13

Honey: 6/13 7.5/13

The Life of a Showgirl: 7 /13  9.5/13

Overall Review: 

Kaia’s Review: It is definitely a different album than what people expected and has a new style of more pop-infused music, rather than storytelling like her other albums, such as Folklore and The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD). Some people, like me, think it’s different and enjoy it, while others do not so much. People had some mixed reviews and felt this one wasn’t as connected to her other albums or was lacking direction. 

There have definitely been mixed reviews overall on the album, and personally, I think this one isn’t her best. The first time I listened to it, I thought it was okay, but some of the songs have now grown on me. I think for this album specifically, Taylor was more versatile and wanted to do something different. It was aimed towards a more pop-infused style of lyrics and music, and steered from her original “storytelling” vibe as in the lyrics in TLOAS aren’t as much, or are more “basic”. This album, I felt, was already her style and genre of music that she wanted to bring back from 1989, her fifth studio album. 

This album is similar to her other albums, but is considered the first “pop album” since 1989, heavily focused on that style. As her type of music has Shakespearean references in her lyrics, it has that tone and feel of the whole album itself, including quite a few dramatic influence elements, such as in Elizabeth Taylor or Fate of Ophelia—which is based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and is inspired by or immersed in soft rock. Although I would say most of these songs in this album are part of or should belong to other albums, such as TTPD or Reputation, in my opinion, I liked TTPD more solely because of the creative, unique expression, variety of verses, lyrics, narration,  and flow of the album. 

For me, this was not her best album of course, but I appreciated the pop-infused sound. However,  I dislike some of the lyrics as they are her style, but some originality I was looking for and has that storytelling vibe, but less, and more Shakespeare references as from her songs before. Even though many didn’t like this album, which is understandable–only 71% did, which is her worst-rated album yet, I still liked it and enjoyed listening to her music.  I enjoyed each of the songs separately, but not much as a whole album. As a Swiftie, I will always listen to her music, and I can’t wait to see what else she releases.

Mahlani’s Review: As a listener for five years, I typically like Taylor Swift albums when I can relate to the songs with my own experiences and relationships.  However, this album is an outlier in Swift’s catalog, making it currently one of her lowest-rated albums yet. There are some songs I really like due to the catchy melodies, smug lyrics, and overall chaotic pop sound. I also lean more towards the lyrical storytelling of songs and the lessons that can be learned from different situations, but this album has a different approach to how the messages are conveyed. But when listening with an open mind, and not letting mine, nor others’ personal opinions and criticisms, plague my mind, the album was a fun break from the typical songs that Swift has previously released. 

I would say that in Swiftism terms, TLOAS is sonically a mix of both 1989 and Reputation, with the soft rock sound of some of the songs, with a pop undertone and smirky lyrics of fearless. While the lyrics may not be evermore or folklore level, they do carry deeper meanings when thinking about the specifics of everything. But with every play of the album, I start to like it more and more. And while I can’t say that this is her best album, the album doesn’t need to be a personal favorite to be a success.