Butterflies in the stomach, impatient wandering around the room, holding back an anticipatory happy squeal — all hardcore Swifties know the feeling of a release night. I watched the Spotify timer go down, counting down every second. Then, all at once, at 11 a.m., a whole new era opened up to me.
I didn’t expect to like this album. Being the biggest fan of Taylor Swift’s “Folklore” and “Evermore”, I was afraid of this transition back to happier, “glitter gel pen” music. I was surprised to find that “The Life Of a Showgirl” awakened a part of me I didn’t even know existed.
As I expected, “Eldest Daughter” is a brilliant new addition to Swift’s long line of fifth tracks. Once again, Taylor Swift casually wrote a poetic masterpiece and left me crying on the floor. I admit, it was slightly underwhelming, but I believe it takes a certain state of mind to fully connect with it. But nothing could have prepared me for the song “Actually Romantic”, which left me shocked. The one song title I didn’t give much attention to ended up being the absolute winner of the album and has been on repeat ever since — and it’s only been a few hours.
On Sunday, we got a music video for “The Fate Of Ophelia.” Not only is it one of the most creative videos yet, Swift wrote and directed it herself. The song didn’t stick out to me at first, but now, I can’t get it out of my head. Some other honorary mentions include the songs “Father Figure”, “Wood” and “Ruin the Friendship”. They are some of the most catchy songs I’ve ever heard and they’re unlike anything Swift has ever done before. Along with the visuals, they made me feel like I was at the very core of a glimmering Gatsby-style party.
In this album, Swift managed to capture something incredibly unique: the spirit of showbusiness, with all of its shine and betrayals. Her music is constantly changing, but one thing is clear: she will never fail to reach our hearts.
