Review: 'The Life of a Showgirl' Lacks Substance
Taylor Swift's 12th studio album, 'The Life of a Showgirl', promises a glimpse behind the glamour, but fails to deliver.
The album's promotional imagery featured bodies covered in rhinestones and burgundy stage curtains fading into shadow, setting the tone for a record about performance.
Written and produced by Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback during The Eras Tour, 'The Life of a Showgirl' leans into spectacle, teasing a confession behind its glittering facade that is never revealed.
- 12 tracks that showcase Swift's ability to slip between contradictory personas, leaving the listener uncertain about which one is real.
- The album's opener, 'The Fate of Ophelia', serves as a microcosm for the entire album, being both dazzling and awkward, and wholly inconsistent.
The sparkling synth pop track rewrites the story of Shakespeare's doomed character, Hamlet's love interest.
Author's summary: Taylor Swift's 'The Life of a Showgirl' lacks substance behind its glittering facade.