Tonight all these lives converge here
The mosaics of laughter and cocktails of tears
Where fraternal souls sing identical things
And it’s beautiful
It’s rapturous.
It is frightening.
———
I can’t tell you how proud I am to share this with you, an album that just feels so right. A forever thank you goes out to my mentors and friends Max and Shellback for helping me paint this self portrait.
If you thought the big show was wild, perhaps you should come and take a look behind the curtain...
The Life of a Showgirl is out now.
Hi, I'm here again because Taylor Swift's 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, was released today! Since its announcement last August 12, it has been at the back of my mind. Her previous album was such a masterpiece, and as she described this as a pop album that has infectious beats that you couldn't help but vibe and dance with, I anxiously waited for it. The time blurred and faded, and now we're here.
Let me tell you that when I heard The Fate of Ophelia, I was blown away. It instantly set the tone for the album, and I think it's such a great first track. I love the storytelling on how she combines the old Shakespearean feel of this tragic character with newer, modern concepts that turned her fate upside down. I love how it gives a nod to her newfound happiness. It's like a sequel to The Albatross and reminds me that The Prophecy has changed.
After the first song, I was just high on the new sounds, lyrics, and beat. I had tears when Opalite and Eldest Daughter played. I think I resonated with these songs the most because as an eldest daughter, life wasn't as easy as I intend people to see. It's not easy to be vulnerable, not when everyone around me expected me to be a kind of person who can weather anything. It's hard to show who I truly am because there are parts of me that aren't as good or as glamorous or as kind as people seem to associate me with the person they know. And with Eldest Daughter, the line where it says "Every eldest daughter was the first lamb to the slaughter, so we all dressed up as wolves and we looked fire", that hit me like a ten-wheeler truck. Being an eldest daughter strips you away of childhood in a way, because in a Filipino household, the Ate is always expected to be independent, to be a role model to her younger siblings, to be selfless, to be the one who will help the parents with caring for the younger children, and do the chores. And while that builds up your character, it doesn't erase how you are forced to grow up quickly. You learn how to set aside your wants to cater others' needs first. And maybe that's why I cry, because as an eldest daughter of an eldest daughter, it doesn't give me joy to be letting out all these frustrations, knowing that what I feel has been felt by my mother first. So yeah, thank you, Taylor, for making this song for me. lol
Some songs sounded familiar, like the beats are similar to her older songs. Like Wi$h Li$t sounded like Glitch, and it actually makes sense why I'm so obsessed with it. One song that stood out to me was Opalite, and I now understand why this is Travis Kelce's favorite track. It is such a happy song, and I love the message of how even after all the bad relationships that you've been in, you still deserve to be happy, and that you will definitely find someone who will turn your black skies to opalite. That you can make your own happiness, too, even after all the lightning strikes you've experienced. And I think that is just so beautiful. This, presently, is my favorite song on this album.
When I finished my first listen, I was underwhelmed. This happens to me a lot when I listen to an album for the first time because everything is just brand new, and you don't know the lyrics, and the beat takes you by surprise. There are 12 songs in this album and it's like sensory overload at the first go through, so of course, I had to listen to it again. With Taylor Swift songs, aside from the melody and the beat, it's the lyrics that shine through every one of her songs. After going through the album again, now with lyrics on the side, I found a new appreciation of Showgirl. Songs like Actually Romantic, Wood, CANCELLED!, and Honey grew on me.
You'd think by now, Taylor would have nothing to write about anymore. That she'd have nothing to show for anymore because how can she outdo herself with every album every time? And let's face it, TTPD was such a brilliant piece of work. But then she just does. She just proves us wrong every time because The Life of a Showgirl, while at first listen may sound underwhelming, but after a deep dive, I realized it's a culmination of her past and a declaration of her present. Taylor is a master of her craft and she just gets better and better. I'd say some of her lyrics in this album is subpar compared to Folklore, Evermore, and The Tortured Poets Department, but it's intentional. I believe this album is mostly glitter gel pen with a little bit of a fountain pen sprinkled here and there. But it's still a unique album in itself and it adds a charm up to her already shining collection of masterpieces.
Though not a favorite of mine, The Life of a Showgirl is a great album. I love pop Taylor and at this point, I will eat up anything she shares with us. I'm a sheep wherever Taylor is concerned. x
Favorite Tracks:
- Opalite
- Wi$h Li$t
- Father Figure
- Actually Romantic
- The Fate of Ophelia
- CANCELLED!
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