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On 3 Oct, at 12pm Singapore time, a shockwave could be felt across the musical world as Taylor Swift dropped her new album The Life of a Showgirl. This highly anticipated release is finally Out Of The Woods, and Swifties across the world are devouring it as we speak. This includes the Swift fans in our office, who dived into a listening session soon after the album came out.
Here are the track rankings after our initial listens by the 3 biggest Swifties in the office:
As you can tell, our office favourite is track number 3,‘Opalit’. Even our editor, who is not at all a Swiftie, agreed it’s the best track. But let’s not jump ahead to it. Let’s explore this new era, from tracks 1 to 12.
Disclaimer: I am more of a casual fan compared to my friends who are hardcore Swifties. Please don’t CANCEL me if you disagree with my rankings and opinions, or if I miss any references!
1. The Fate of Ophelia
‘The Fate of Ophelia’ is a great opener to Taylor Swift’s 12th main studio album, and is also the first single on this album to get a music video, which was released just a few hours ago. It has an addictive rhythm, and I especially loved the synth instruments used. The song’s lyrics seem to point towards Taylor’s feelings towards her fiancé, Travis Kelce, who saved her heart from “drowning”.
All that time, I sat alone in my tower
You were just honing your powers
Now I can see it all (See it all)
Late one night, you dug me out of my grave and
Saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia (Ophelia)
For the uninitiated, Ophelia is a character in the famous William Shakespeare play, ‘Hamlet’, who drowns. This is probably why the main album cover and this song depict Taylor in a similar position.
2. Elizabeth Taylor
‘Elizabeth Taylor’ ranks pretty low on my personal list, but I did enjoy the strong drum beats that it has. This track is a reference to the actress of the same name, and I think Taylor cleverly uses facets of her life to bring out her own feelings about love.
3. Opalite
‘Opalite’ is simply opal-lit. With its infectious tune, I believe this song will be on most people’s list of favourite tracks from this album. It has a slight “retro” feel to it and was an immediate banger to me the moment I heard it. This whimsical track is a reflection of Taylor’s journey with finding love, and just oozes positivity. My favourite track on this record for sure.
It’s alright
You were dancing through the lightning strikes
Oh, so sleepless in the onyx night
But now the sky is opalite
4. Father Figure
‘Father Figure’ is my least favourite song from ‘The Life of a Showgirl’. But objectively, I don’t think it is a bad song. It also interpolates George Michael’s original single in an interesting way.
It just didn’t capture my interest for long and its lyrics don’t suit my tastes. We have theories, though, that this song is sung from the perspective of an influential figure during Taylor’s early career years, who also later turned on her. Ahem, Borchetta?
5. Eldest Daughter
I’ll be honest, I am still trying to figure out what ‘Eldest Daughter’ is really about. But I am a sucker for heartfelt acoustic songs like this, so it sits at second place on my list. I also love how “simple” this song is in terms of production as compared to the rest of the tracks on this album.
It offers a nice break and gives the album a more diverse sound, though it might make it just slightly less cohesive. Many Swifties would probably have been excited about this fifth track, as track 5 on Taylor’s albums is usually special. And I think it lived up to the hype, at least for me.
6. Ruin The Friendship
The more I listen to ‘Ruin The Friendship’ and look at discussions online, the more I agree that this song has a sad backstory involving a friend of Taylor’s during her younger days. The lyrics and melody express a regretful tone, while being juxtaposed with a slightly upbeat rhythm. Though this track is not one of my personal favourites, I like the meaning behind it and the retro flair.
7. Actually Romantic
Without getting too much into the drama, ‘Actually Romantic’ is heavily theorised as a song that was written as a response to some artistes who had some friction with Taylor. What I love about this track is its sassy and sarcastic tone, and the electric guitar riffs that support it so well.
8. Wi$h Li$t
‘Wi$h Li$t’ is pretty high up on my personal list, as I really like its theme and message. It takes ideas and goals that many people have with regard to fame and riches, and contrasts them with Taylor’s wishes at the point she is at in life today. It seems that right now, nothing can compare to her getting married, settling down and building a family.
9. Wood
Knock, knock. If you know, you know. ‘Wood’ is a criminally catchy song with even more “illegal” lyrics. It had me in the first half, not gonna lie. Many of us also immediately found the intro of the song reminiscent of ‘I Want You Back’ by The Jackson 5. But 30 seconds in, it turns into its own thing. I love the groove of this song, but not so much the lyrics, so it shall sit right in the middle of my list.
10. CANCELLED!
This is another track with strong electric guitar accompaniment, which adds to the whole rebellious vibe that it is going for. To me, ‘CANCELLED!’ is more than just about Taylor’s experience with cancel culture, but also has an added meaning of standing by her friends even when the world is against them. This song also reminded my colleague of ‘I Did Something Bad’ and ‘mad woman’. I quite like it!
11. Honey
‘Honey’ is another sweet little song that references Travis Kelce on this album, and I don’t mind it. It is not the most memorable track for sure, but I like the way Taylor paints a picture of how the word was redefined for her through her relationship.
And when anyone called me “lovely”
They were finding ways not to praise me
But you say it like you’re in awe of me
And you stay until the morning
Honey
12. The Life of a Showgirl (feat. Sabrina Carpenter)
And finally, we reach the title track of this album. I feel it was the most appropriate way to conclude this album, as ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ serves as both a reflection of life in showbiz and a cautionary tale to those who want to enter it. Sonically, there were also portions that felt very stage musical-like, which fit the theme of the song so well.
It was also a nice touch of soundbites from The Eras Tour at the end of the song, since this album was written during Taylor’s historical tour. Sabrina Carpenter’s part in this duet was also perfect, though a thought did cross my mind about how amazing she would also have sounded on something like ‘Opalite’.
So, there you have it! We’re officially in a new era of Taylor Swift. What are your thoughts on the new album?
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