This article initially appeared in a print edition of the Hilltop Monitor published Oct. 6, 2025.
The Fate of Ophelia
Certified banger. Keeps her literary references (Ophelia, but make it a bop), flips them into something upbeat and happy. Feels like the thesis of the whole album: she used to be sad, reflective, drowning in metaphorical rivers, but she’s been saved from her tragic fate. Now we get a pop album to celebrate. Honestly? Shakespeare could never.
Elizabeth Taylor
Solid follow-up. Continues the themes from the opener, production is fun, and the drums are BACK.
Opalite
So much fun! About creating man-made happiness, just like opalite is man-made (and shoutout to our favorite Kansas Citian, Travis Kelce, whose birthstone this is).
Father Figure
Taylor sings about buying her masters back like a boss. She doesn’t just own her work — she is the music industry. Scooter Braun is crying somewhere.
Eldest Daughter
Switches up the vibe (maybe necessary after the strut of the last track). Looks at why Swift became who she is. Some say the lyrics are shallow and expected more depth. Personally, my issue isn’t the words — it’s the production which feels kind of boring.
Ruin The Friendship
Meh. Not terrible, not memorable. A filler track you skip after the second listen.
Actually Romantic
Iconic. Should honestly be sung by Reneé Rapp. People think it’s a diss track aimed at Charli XCX (a response to “Sympathy is a Knife”), which… fair. But Taylor has a long line of haters, from pop girls to the literal President Donald Trump. So this could be about anyone! Either way, it’s deliciously petty.
Wi$h Li$t
I support her dreams, but in this political climate, do I want to listen to Taylor sing about wanting to be a tradwife? Not really. Still, she’s allowed to put “wife and mom” on her vision board. (We all had embarrassing Pinterest boards in 2014, let’s not judge too hard.)
Wood
My favorite track on the album. It’s stuffed with double entendres, and while some people have called lines like “new heights of manhood” cringe, I think it’s hilarious. Let her be goofy! Let her flirt! If we survived “Me!” we can survive her being horny.
CANCELLED!
This one stirred the pot. Critics called it tone-deaf and privileged. And yeah, she is a billionaire. But here’s the thing: she owns it. The song balances her acknowledging unfair criticism while also flexing that her life is actually great. She’s not pretending to be a struggling underdog anymore, she’s saying, “Yup, I’m rich, famous, and thriving, and you still hate me.”
Honey
Sweet but not a standout. The lyrics are solid though, about how pet names used to feel condescending, but now that she’s in love, they’re actually… well, honeyed. Cute, but not the one I’ll be replaying.
The Life of a Showgirl (Ft. Sabrina Carpenter)
My least favorite. It may be the title track, but it doesn’t capture the themes or energy of the album at all. Sabrina kills the bridge, but the rest? It feels like they cut a Midnights B-side and just slapped it here for marketing.
Key Takeaways
- Taylor Swift is a millennial, which means some lyrics are destined to be “cringe.” (Sorry, Gen Z, she’s not writing exclusively for TikTok captions.)
- She is in love. Like, nauseatingly, hopelessly, Disney-princess-in-the-last-ten-minutes-of-the-movie in love.
- She knows she’s on top, and at this point nothing can stop her (Father Figure, CANCELLED!, Actually Romantic).
- Despite the album’s title, this isn’t really about the gritty behind-the-scenes life of a showgirl. It’s about Taylor winning. In love, in fame, in life. It’s her victory lap, moving from sad-girl reflections to upbeat, sparkly triumph.