Taylor Swift is back again with her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” which captures Swift’s weakest and most overrated work yet. From start to finish, the album leaves listeners bored. The new songs’ themes of regret, heartbreak, and love are arranged in a repetitive, uninspired production that fails to stand out.
“The Life of a Showgirl” debuted on Oct. 3, 2025, and focuses on Swift’s past romantic relationships with Joe Alwyn and Matty Healy. Typically, knowledge of an artist’s personal life enhances the listening experience; however, in this case, it has the opposite effect. As a former fan, that familiarity actually diminishes the pleasure of listening. Hearing Swift cast shame on other women and rehash past relationships feels dull, and it seems as if she’s becoming the rich, stuck-up person she once criticized in songs like “Mean” from “Speak Now.”
The lyricism on “The Life of a Showgirl” lacks personality and doesn’t possess the same emotional depth as her past work, particularly on the emotive 2012 album “Red.” Swift’s writing here illustrates a detached pop star rather than the relatable artist who first won over fans.
As a long-time Swift listener, I used to love her music and would even say I qualified as a “Swiftie.” However, as her sound became more mainstream and somber, I found myself listening to her music less. I no longer enjoy her recent releases and wish she would return to her best work—her 2014 album “1989.” Those songs were innocent, creative, and most importantly, relatable. At the time, Swift was writing about romance and the experiences of being a young woman, but now her music feels darker and more peculiar.
In this confusing and controversial album, Swift includes puzzling undertones. The opening track, “Opalite,” appears to reference her fiancé Travis Kelce’s ex-girlfriend, Kayla Nicole, a sports reporter with whom Kelce dated for five years. The couple appeared to be in a serious relationship; however, Swift critiques the public’s perception of her fiancé’s past relationship. It feels unnecessary for Swift to write a song about his ex—by dwelling on the past, she gives the impression that she is insecure in her relationship with Kelce.
In a complete 180, the sixth track, “Ruin a Friendship,” carries a deeper meaning beneath its upbeat melody. This track revolves about Jeff Lang, a boy Swift went to high school with. In the song, she expressed regret over not acting on her romantic feelings for him at the time. Lang, who passed away in 2010 was a close friend of Swift throughout high school and remained a lifelong friend. As I mentioned before Swift should not be reminiscing over her past loves and regrets. She should be in the moment with her fiancé.
Overall, this album feels like a collection of random and mismatched songs that were awkwardly assorted on the same record. Swift fixates on her insecurities and regrets, circling endlessly around her past relationships. “The Life of a Showgirl” was two out of 10 stars for me.
