ALBUM REVIEW: The Life of a Showgirl

Album: The Life of a Showgirl

Artist: Taylor Swift

Label: Republic Records

Grade: B

On Oct. 3, Taylor Swift’s 13th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, was released. Although the hype leading up to the album was huge, especially with Sabrina Carpenter being featured on the title track, it felt a bit rushed, considering her previous album, The Tortured Poets Department, came out just under 18 months ago.

While Swift’s lyricism remains superior, it felt as though she didn’t pay as much attention to the musicality of the tracks. Many songs reminded me of ones previously recorded by other artists. For example, the beginning of “Wood” sounds almost identical to The Jackson 5’s intro to “I Want You Back,” “Actually Romantic” has similarities to the Pixies “Where Is My Mind?,” and the chorus of “The Life of a Showgirl” sounds like the Jonas Brothers’ song “Cool.”

One song that stood out to me off the album was “Ruin The Friendship.” It feels like something that could’ve been written for one of her earlier albums such as Fearless or Speak Now. The song told a beautiful yet tragic story of Swift’s childhood friend who passed away at a young age and her regret over never admitting her feelings for him. It’s reminiscent of high school and full of nostalgia. Swiftie’s also get a mention of Abigail, another of Swift’s childhood friends, who hasn’t been referenced since Fearless.

Overall, Swift made another chart-topping album, but with a bit more attention on the musical side, The Life of a Showgirl could’ve easily been another one of her masterpieces.

— Abby Weidman