Musical Digest: Taylor Swift "The Life of a Showgirl"

A beautiful, fiery orange album joins the wonderful world of Taylor Swift's discography and it is as captivating as ever.

"The Life of a Showgirl" is an album that has been in the making during Taylor's most successful tour to date; it is a fusion of personal renditions of what was happening behind the crimson curtain of the show as well as a peak into the personal life of Ms. Swift herself...

In true T Swift fashion, the lyricism is caked with eloquent bows of grandeur affirmations, doubts, and subtle nods to previous records...as if continuing the narrative and driving it forwards.

Taylor has admitted that she is excited to have an orange themed record to add to her diverse collection...and Swifties across the universe, myself included, noticed that subtle smirk in that one interview.

Rumor and legend has it that Taylor had previously curated an orange record dubbed "Karma" that never ceased the light of day. Unbeknownst to regular thereby sporadic listeners. I'm happy that it turned out that way because who is to say that "Karma" was not repurposed in the form of "Midnights" and that the right color has found its rightful, better suited accomplice in "TLOAS".

It only makes sense for this "actually romantic" record is a true love letter and rendition of love found front to back. Orange represents excitement, flourishing fun, exudes confidence and boldness which are all, coincidently, correlated to Taylor's expression for this new chapter. The life of a showgirl on tour and the romantic madness that ensued.

So there ya have it: a succinct peak behind everything that took place at the Eras tour and outside of it.

Meticulously curated to fit 12 tracks beginning with "Fate of Ophelia" to the self-titled album moniker "Life of a Showgirl" featuring Sabrina Carpenter. The tail end of the album bears significance in passing the torch, from one showgirl to another.

Starting off strong, "Fate of Ophelia" is inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet and fixates on Ophelia's fate with falling in love with someone who murdered their father and the grief and pain that led her to drown. Taylor did a fantastic job of grounding the narrative of the play and tying it back to their own modern day love story of being saved from drowning in "purgatory" by a protective male alpha...

Lyrically, she revealed that she wanted to mesh the old Shakespearean language with the modern vernacular; teetering the line of whether it makes sense or if it sounds silly to say,

"Pledge allegiance to your hand, your team..." old timey English and then followed by modern English insertion of "your vibes"

It marries the two linguistic worlds in a very cohesive, fun, flowy way.

"Elizabeth Taylor" had to be approved by Elizabeth Taylor's estate; or at least that is what Taylor mentioned during one of her radio interviews when asked if she has to ask for permission to use someone's name if they are referenced by their name explicitly. It all started with one of Elizabeth's family members referencing Taylor as the modern day Elizabeth Taylor. This song is interesting because it is a continuation of "Blank Space" when Taylor asks, "Do you think it's forever?"

"That view of Portofino was on my mind when you called me at the Plaza Athenee..." has a double meaning; it is evidently an important destination and gives an undertone of a romantic teaser of what may have happened since it is mentioned twice in the bridge. I think that it was the marketing catalyst for releasing the limited edition Portofino and Vanilla perfume orange glittery cassette tape and vinyl.

I am the proud owner of one and it has reignited my love of old music players and actually spurred a desire to start a cassette tape collection.

The song paints a picture of a beautiful and glamorous life perceived through the lens of Prada shades that are overlooking an orange sunset...but it's all a facade. Behind the glitz and glamour and diamonds are true feelings that can be as fragile as time...

"I'd cry my eyes violet...Been number one but I never had two and I can't have fun if I can't have you" referencing that if she is ever left behind, she's going to be devastated because despite all the success, she has never had two; number one hits, but never a true lover by her side that would stay.

"Hollywood hates me; you're only as hot as your last hit baby" referencing that success is fleeting and it's also very much subjective in the eyes of the industry.

"Opalite" is a song that I think would belong on "Lover" because of its clever color scheme, but also its bouncy melody. To understand why it fits on that record means that you have to understand its translucence; a beautiful milky white with subtle hints of blue or rainbow sheen. Under the light, it can flash blue, yellow, pink or lavender hues. The reason it fits so well on this particular record is because of the irridescent meaning behind it. It is meant to resemble emotional balance, tranquility and communication...so when we hear Taylor sing that she was "sleepless in the onyx night; but now the sky is opalite" as if it has cleared because "Oh my Lord, never met no one like you before, now the sky is opalite...you had to make your own sunshine, but now the sky is opalite" she's referencing a glacial, but soft way of falling in love in which her skies had cleared up upon meeting her soul mate.

"Father Figure" is a really important track for many reasons; mainly for its sample. Taylor Swift credits George Michael as a song writer for the sample as opposed to sampling the master that is presently owned by someone else. This way, all of the royalties from the streams and sales are going to his estate, as opposed to the owners who invested in the masters. It has a double meaning because this rendition is dedicated to her personal empire and how she has protected it...

"Your thoughtless ambition sparked the ignition on foolish decisions which led to misguided visions" which is hinting at her previous manager and record label, Big Machine Records, sold her catalog to Scooter Braun...which ensued a lengthy battle to reclaim her master's back.

"I protect the family...I was your father figure, we drank that brown liquor...you made a deal with the devil, turns out my dick is bigger...this Empire belongs to me, leave it with me..." which to this day gives me chills. She has had a massive fan following standing behind her and who streamed her re-recorded versions to prove a point to the big executives that behind every business decision is also the graple with artistic autonomy. Eventually Taylor won the battle and got her original master's back...buying it for a measly $360 million which is now making $60 million annually just through streams. A smart investment decision? I think so.

By crediting George Michael and ensuring that autonomy, she is giving him the respect and a voice beyond the grave protecting the legacy of his own artistry as well.

My personal favorite track is "Eldest Daughter" probably for its uncanny relatability, beautiful lyricism and catchy tune. In my immediate family, I am the eldest daughter and much like Taylor, "I have been afflicted by a terminal uniqueness/I've been dying just from trying to seem cool" broken down by simple one-liners projected from years of rejection and misunderstandings.

"When you found me I said I was busy...that was a lie" which is usually a trauma response stemming from rejection and disappointment from lover's past. The song then transitions to an innocent moment from childhood where she was physically injured from jumping up and down on the trampoline which later manifesting in shielding oneself in adulthood, learning what is cautious discretion when "your first crush crushes something hard" albeit alluding to how our innocence is stripped away and we're caught in a dream of being someone's one and only.

"When I said I don't believe in marriage that was a lie" hit me hard and I held back tears because...as an eldest daughter, I had the same exact experience. Marriage was always something I had felt was going to be very unattainable for me by virtue of my many failed relationships and the inabilty to connect with anyone who seemed compatible. Much like Taylor though, true love exists and I have to believe that.

"Ruin The Friendship" is a tribute to lovers present to loving friendships from the past...

"Abigail called me with the bad news...Goodbye...and we'll never know why. It was not an invitation, but I flew home anyway with so much left to say. It was not convenient, but I whispered at the grave, 'should've kissed you anyway'" which is giving homage to her friend, Jeff, who passed away unexpectedly. The song encompasses a theme of not living with regrets, going for it at the most unexpected turn and seeing if it does indeed ruin the friendship.

"Actually Romantic" is a song that I have the biggest struggle with because according to the social media masses, this is a diss track at Charlie XCX. There are several hints that point to it by virtue of the first verse;

"I heard you call me boring Barbie when the coke's got you brave, high fived my ex and then you said you're glad he ghosted me, wrote me a song saying it makes you sick to see my face..." alluding to "Sympathy is a Knife" where Charlie says "this one girl taps my insecurities...I couldn't even be her if I tried, I'm opposite, I'm on the other side" which to me...was a song about an existential struggle of always being pitted against one another in the music industry, insecurity over the fact that Taylor's success is insurmountable and impossible to compete with. She is the music industry standard. Then of course the title of the song is hinting at Charlie's previous song off of BRAT "Everything is Romantic" while Taylor feels that all of the attention and admiration and subtle disses at Taylor are romantic; "no man has ever loved me like you do"

Is the lyrical battle being misconstrued? Can the girls work it out on the remix? I've got both cassette tapes and there will be no slander of either in my house.

"Wi$h Li$t" and "Wood" are both love renditions for Travis Kelce, but Wood is more resounding to me because it's the first song that is explicitly promiscuous;

"All of that bitchin', wishing on a falling star never did me any good. I ain't got to knock on wood. It's you and me forever dancing in the dark...forgive me it sounds cocky he (ah!)matized me and opened my eyes. Redwood tree, it ain't hard to see, his love was the key that opened my thighs" which I love because it sounds classy, it sounds poetic and almost lovingly ethereal when it is actually vividly sexual.

Last but not least, I want to pay homage to "The Life of a Showgirl" featuring Sabrina Carpenter. The placement of this track feels very meticulous because it is almost as if the showgirl torch is being passed down to another very successful, altruistic, and loved pop star who is a showgirl in her own right.

I especially love the chorus when both Taylor and Sabrina both vocalize,

"'Hey, thank you for the lovely bouquet, you're sweeter than a peach but you don't know the life of a showgirl, babe and you're never, ever gonna...wait, the more you play, the more you pay..." and many believe that this song is actually a tribute to Britney Spears and her showgirl legacy over the years. For one, "you're sweeter than a peach" would be something that would have been said by someone from the south, the southern belle Spears herself. It's almost like a glimpse of yesterday's past and a subtle warning that not everything that glitters is bright and amazing.

The speculation comes from the first line of the song: "Her name was Kitty, made her money being pretty and witty, they gave her the keys to this city (Hollywood) and then they said she didn't do it legitly" which can hint at Ms. Spears since at the beginning of her career, she did make her money by being pretty and posing on all types of magazine covers, had a plethora of fans with her face on posters, brand deals that showcased her wit and humor and of course...unbelievable talent. Previously draped in diamonds and designers galore, did everything right until she had ventured on her own and created the best album of her career, Blackout, that continues to be a staple for pop and electronic producers. It was completely on her own accord which was meant to prove that Britney Spears knew what she was doing with her image and her sound from the very beginning. This was her way of saying, "Look, I have a direction in which I'd like to take my music creatively" met with the big executive honchos shaking their heads and saying it is not a legitimate path. To this day, it continues to inspire pop artists worldwide...but now, due to a lot of people stripping her of her autonomy and freedom for a better part of her life, "she's dancing in her garters and fishnets"

Taylor Swift and Britney Spears both have a personal relationship and I wonder if this tribute was something that Taylor had previously discussed with her, although the song could really be relevant to any previous or present showgirl alive. After all, unless confirmed by the artist herself, it is all hearsay.

Nevertheless the glowy orange flame amidst the passing of the torch has been ignited and gracefully passed down to Sabrina Carpenter.

Overall, the record was produced and written by Taylor Swift, Max Martin, Shellback. I believe that the reviews are mixed because the demographic is that of English nerds. We love our words, we love our metaphors, we love our similies, we love our word play and we love a good reference and character building. I think if this record did not resonate with some, it could have something to do with lack of literary depth...but I gotta give credit where credit is due. This record is catchy, it's clever, and it is pedantic.

You can stream the full album below and I encourage you to listen with intent: