Album review: Taylor Swift dodges Ophelia’s fate, owns stage in The Life of a Showgirl in glittering new era

As a woman in the entertainment industry, for better or for worse, Taylor Swift has always had to be a master of reinvention and The Life of a Showgirl might be her boldest era yet. At just 41 minutes and 12 tracks, the album is tight, playful and surprisingly mature — a sparkling little story about love, self-growth and stepping into a new, more mature stage of life. And the timing couldn’t be more on brand. After getting engaged to NFL superstar Travis Kelce, Swift has clearly settled into her lover-era glow while also pushing herself into new territory. This isn’t the wide-eyed fairytales of Fearless, or even the pastel daydream of Lover — it’s a version of Taylor who’s lived, loved, and is finally ready to have fun with it. The Fate of Ophelia might actually be one of her best introductions to an album in her career. It is a haunting, groovy and cinematic song that doesn’t just set the stage — it flips the script. You can feel from the very first note that this is the start of a brand new era. Part of what makes Showgirl feel so fresh is the team behind it. Swift reunited with Max Martin and Shellback, the duo who helped make 22 and 1989 the pop juggernauts they are. It’s a deliberate switch from her run with long-time collaborator Jack Antonoff, and it works — this record is pure glittery indie-pop with a cheeky wink, but also carries more weight. Think sequins with a side of soul-searching. Lyrically, the album balances fun and maturity with a heavy dose of millennial-coded language in a way that only Swift can pull off. Liken it to your folks trying to use social media. its a little bit cringe, but OK because you love them. Songs like Eldest Daughter feel like little shoutouts to fans who grew up with her, carrying responsibilities and quiet heaviness, while track number nine, Wood, leans into a more risqué, cheeky side we rarely get to see. (That one, I’ll let you listen to for yourself.) And the bookends? Flawless. If The Fate of Ophelia is the grand overture, then the title track featuring Sabrina Carpenter is the perfect encore. Their first official collab is campy, glittery, and utterly joyful but also doubles as a cautionary tale of stardom — the exact finale this show deserved. That’s not to say the record is flawless. Honey is cute but forgettable, and Wi$h Li$t along with Elizabeth Taylor did not grab me from the get-go. However, if you ask me in three months, I’ll most likely be calling them masterpieces. The Swiftie slow-burn of it all. Overall, The Life of a Showgirl feels like Taylor at her most fun and free in years. It’s exciting and theatrical, with just enough cringe-millennial energy to keep it classic Taylor. It’s a little silly, a little sad, a little sexy — and completely different from anything she’s done before. Curtain up, spotlight on! The showgirl has arrived — and she slays. My verdict? 3.75 stars out of five.