Sarah Doherty, Editor

Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated album, “The Life of a Showgirl” was released on Oct. 3. With most albums, reviews were mixed at first, with some fans wanting the songwriting found in her albums “Folklore” and “Evermore,” while others were expecting a Broadway-esque soundtrack. 

“The Life of a Showgirl” was neither of those things. This album was an uplifting, love-filled album that mainly included modern pop songs with ballads mixed throughout. Personally, Swift’s music is something I have been known to enjoy, however this album threw me for a loop.

The album begins with the lead single, “The Fate of Ophelia.” This song is a very enjoyable pop song with clever writing and interesting production. Personally, this is the highlight of the album. 

The second track is “Elizabeth Taylor.” Again, this is an excellent song, with a base drop in the chorus that adds volumes. 

The third track is “Opalite,” a fun, light-hearted song about finding your own happiness in life. This song is pure enjoyment. 

The fourth track is “Father Figure,” and this is where the album starts to dip for me. The concept is clever, but the execution is confusing. While there are enjoyable parts of the song, such as the bridge, “Confuse my kindness for weakness and find your card cancelled,” the song is generally a little bland. 

The fifth track is “Eldest Daughter,” and sweet merciful Jesus, this song sucks. If this song were satirical, it would be hilarious, but she genuinely used the words “trolling and memes” in a track five ballad. This song was just a miss, the only redeeming part of it is the bridge, but even then it’s not an enjoyable song.

The sixth track is “Ruin the Friendship,” which is a cute song about regret and always taking the risk even if it means ruining a friendship. This is a really good song, but it doesn’t stand out. 

The seventh track is “Actually Romantic,” and it’s actually really corny. No thirty year old woman should call another thirty year old a “boring Barbie.” 

The eighth track is “Wi$h Li$t,” another love song with some clever lyrics and a good beat, but again, it blends in and doesn’t stand out. 

The ninth track is “Wood.” I wanted to slam my head into wood when I heard the poet that wrote “The Lakes” use the word “dickmitized” in a song. 

The tenth track is “CANCELLED!,” and it is, again, corny. I think Swift, a thirty-year old cat lady who is engaged to a frat boy football player, needs to stop trying to be edgy. 

The eleventh track is “Honey,” and this is such a great song. I feel so happy when I listen to it, and I appreciate the smart lyricism. 

The final track is “The Life of a Showgirl” ft. Sabrina Carpenter, and it is very musical theater-esque. I love the storytelling in this song, and the fun beat adds to the song’s theatrics. 

Overall, this is not my favorite album of Taylor’s, but as an artist, I will always respect her creativity and commitment.