A New Era Begins

Taylor Swift has everybody talking — again — with the release of her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” The 12-track record was released on Oct. 3, 2025, and the sequence of back-to-back pop bangers takes her listeners on a journey through life behind the record-breaking, 21-month-long, 3 ½-hour show of The Eras Tour.

With every album Taylor Swift releases, she seems to be breaking her own records and clearing every chart. “The Life of a Showgirl” debuted No.1 on the Billboard Top 200, selling over 4 million units, and every track made it to the top 12 spots on the Billboard Top 100, according to Billboard. The more listeners there are, the more criticism she receives. The release of this album has caused a divide between fans, a deep analysis on her lyrics, and been a symbol of a new era in her music and in her life.

Since she made a guest appearance on her fiancé Travis Kelce’s podcast “New Heights” in August to announce “The Life of a Showgirl,” Taylor’s fans have been highly anticipating her love album produced by Max Martin and Shellback, who she also worked with on some of her biggest hits off “Reputation” and “1989.” Her previous album “The Tortured Poets Department”is a thirty one song lyrical masterpiece that contains some of her most honest and poetic work alongside albums such as “folklore”and “evermore” but it was made clear her twelfth album would be a total shift from this style of music.

A Divided Fanbase

Once the album was released, some fans were dancing around to the songs, but others were harshly judgmental about the style and lyricism. The community of Swifties is divided.

Songs like “Opalite” and “Elizabeth Taylor” have a new-yet-timeless pop sound to them while still possessing her storytelling skills. This album is full of joyful yet complex tracks.

From love songs like “Wi$h Li$t” and “Wood,” to songs addressing her power in the industry such as “Father Figure,” and even a song rumored to be about her beef with Charli XCX “Actually Romantic,” there are various topics covered in this album, but it all comes back to the cohesive sound and theme of what life as a showgirl is really like.

Several Mounties have enjoyed listening to these songs and are supporting Taylor.

“I’m glad she is happy again after her last albums all being sad. It’s really fun!” Olivia Esbensen ‘27 said, who can be found dancing to the upbeat songs such as “The Fate of Ophelia”.

It is easy to compare the tracks on the album to her previous songs, especially at first listen. Nearly every time Taylor puts an album out it gets compared to her last album by fans, and they complain about why the last one was so much better. Then, within a few weeks it grows on them and they appreciate it much more over time. These fun songs written with a “glittery gel pen” are appreciated by some, but not by all.

“I don’t think this album is any good. The lyrics can’t even compare to the lyrics of any of her other albums which makes it hard for me to like it” said Grace Doyle ‘27.

Lyrics Under a Microscope

Understandably, listeners have a hard time believing the same woman who wrote “All to Well Ten Minute Version” incorporated words such as “savage,” “fire,” “trolling,” and “memes” in her songs.

Every track five on Taylor’s albums is a heart-wrenching beautifully written ballad, or a depressing lyric concealed by a catchy beat. So when these gen Z “brain rot” lyrics were heard on track five “Eldest Daughter”, many were caught off guard. Many listeners interpreted these lyrics to have a deeper meaning.

“Taylor is saying these words because she is old and outdated, not because she is trying to sound cool. It is similar to an older sibling trying to be in on the younger sibling’s slang but sounding corny” Carter Howlett ‘27 said.

Taylor says she is not “savage,” because that is what is constantly being posted about her in headlines and on social media. It is not millennial or pick me, she is describing what she hears and what is said about her.

Another song facing a lot of backlash is “CANCELLED!”, where Taylor says, “did you girl boss too close to the sun?”

“I honestly think people are expecting it to be like a tortured poets department. It’s not. It’s a different album. She’s at a completely different point of her life” Sarah Dietch ‘26 said.

Many Mounties agree with this quote, citing she was depressed and at a bad point in her life when she wrote “The Tortured Poets Department”. Overall, the album has a different and new vibe to it.

The Showgirl Must Go On

“I like ‘folklore’, ‘evermore’, and ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ much better, but I still enjoy some of these songs. And, I am happy for her!” Emma Watson ‘27 said.

Although it is not everyone’s favorite album, Taylor Swift is happy in her life and proud of her work, which is worth noting.

“The Life of a Showgirl” is a piece of work that reflects the current wild joy of Taylor Swift’s life. It is a fun, upbeat, happy, and light hearted album.

“The Life of a Showgirl” may not please everyone, but it doesn’t need to. Whether fans love it or hate it, Swift continues to prove that she is in control of her own narrative. The release of this album is another example that the showgirl must go on.

“It’s important to remember that ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ might not be your vibe, but it’s still good. You can’t go into it expecting evermore because that’s not what you are going to get” Sarah Dietch ‘26 said.