Maura Brunt ‘27
EE Staff Writer
At the beginning of last month, on October 3rd, the long-awaited album of the world-renowned artist Taylor Swift, The Life of a Showgirl, was finally released. This album was announced on August 12, 2025, at 12:12 am, a play on how it would become her twelfth original album. It was announced with a countdown on her website, with more information promised on the New Heights episode that would be released the day following her initial announcement. This was a unique reveal for Taylor Swift; it was her first time appearing on the podcast, which was run by her boyfriend, at the time, Travis Kelce, and his brother, Jason Kelce. Many believed it was her attempt at having more control over the narrative and exhibition of her album: having more say and influence on what would be posted, and the questions that would be asked, while also being in a more familiar environment. Unbeknownst to her at the time, after the podcast’s recording, she was led to her backyard, where Travis Kelce proposed to her, starting a new chapter in her life, which relates well to the love and happiness reflected through her album.
The album was written while she was performing for The Eras Tour, her 2-year tour, which included over 44 songs from most of her previous albums, sung and performed each night. During the European leg of the tour, she would fly over to Sweden in between tour dates to create the album with its producers: Shellback and Max Martin. Overall, the album consists of 12 different songs, shorter than most of her albums, specifically in contrast to her previous album, The Tortured Poet’s Department, which had 31 songs. However, the songwriter claimed “It’s just right” feeling that all the songs were perfect. This album, in comparison to her others, did not just differ in size but also in the overall lyrical work and tone, causing both criticism and support among different fans.
The Life of a Showgirl illustrates the behind-the-scenes of an artist’s life by highlighting both the highs and lows. Swift created it as more of a pop album, unlike some of her more recent folk albums. The album features happy beats and shorter lyrics. Some of the biggest hits include The Fate of Ophelia, Opalite, and Elizabeth Taylor.
For the release of this album, Taylor Swift experimented by releasing its corresponding watch party in theaters. “The Official Release Party of a Life of a Showgirl” was played in theaters from October 3rd to October 5th, running for 89 minutes. In this listening party, the audience got to see an early screening of the music video of her lead single, The Fate of Ophelia, while also learning behind-the-scenes into the making of the video. In addition, they got an early view of some of her lyric videos and also got to watch clips of her explaining the significance behind each of her songs. Overall, this idea was a success as the movie made over $50 million despite only running for a weekend; many people – both the younger and older generations – showed up to the theaters in sparkles ready to sing.