Taylor Swift released her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, last week. The new album is riding on the high of some very successful tours and a fresh engagement. Swift is definitely feeling her success. Swift has always been a controversial artist, and this album is no exception. She maintains a pop vibe and persona, but many debates have been sparked about the quality and meanings of some of these new lyrics.
The Fate of Ophelia
Swift’s first single from the album and first on the tracklist sets up a theme: she’s in love. It’s not a secret due to her public relationship and engagement with the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce. The album is filled with references to their relationship, and it clearly inspires fun pop instrumentals.
Ophelia, in this song, refers to the character from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, who dies after going mad from her ill-fated love life. Some have said that the song undermines the weight and strength of such literary characters. Others argue that Ophelia is just a catchy symbol for the greater concept of madness that Swift is trying to evoke.
Eldest Daughter
When this song appeared on the track list, many fans were expecting another lyrical feat from Swift. However, the choices to use slang such as “bad bitch” and “savage” in the hook were off-putting for some. Some critics even accused them of being intentional racist micro-aggression. It can be argued that these lyrical choices were intentionally cringy, but that doesn’t mean everyone will like them.
This song is also an exhibit of this album as a response to The Eras Tour. These lyrics reference the pressure artists like Swift are under, as well as the constant critique and drama. Unfortunately, this album may not have helped that, as she’s under fire for several songs and reasons.
Actually Romantic
Although Swift’s relationship with Charli XCX has stayed civil in the public eye, this song seems to be a clear diss track on the hyper-pop artist. The artists have a long documented online history of being appreciative of each other, with Charli opening for her in 2019. After Charli made some off-color comments about Taylor’s fans, however, the vibe changed.
Charli wrote “Sympathy is a knife” on her 2024 album BRAT. Fans speculated that the lyrics of the song suggested a feud with Taylor, though Charli took to X to dispell those rumors. Either way, “Actually Romantic” seems like an obviously spoofed song title based on Charli’s “Everything is romantic.” Fans have split opinions on if it’s actually shade from Swift, but it’s scandalous nonetheless.
taylor swift has never been a feminist or a “girls girl” she has only used her influence and fame to bring down other female artists because at the end of the day she is a privileged billionaire white woman pic.twitter.com/9vnrJSnXrY
— julie 🇵🇸🍉 (@mechanicalbri2e) October 5, 2025
Wood
We see more, and some would say too much, of Kelce in this track. Swift is no stranger to a fun, slightly sexy, love song, but this one didn’t feel genuine for many. While switching to raunchy side could just be a personal evolution, it feels like Swift is trying to keep up with younger vulgar pop stars such as Sabrina Carpenter (who is featured in the album’s finale).
CANCELLED!
This song comes from a woman who is clearly fed up with being in the spotlight, or at least wants us to think she is. This one combines the issue of “Eldest Daughter” and “Wood”, where the lyrics feel a little off color, and the edgy personality just doesn’t read right compared to what we were expecting. It also sparks a larger debate around cancel culture, and if people are ever actually cancelled—or if they deserve it.
Although it’s not for everyone, most Swifties can find redeemable songs or qualities in this album. It’s undeniably a pop album, and that’s not for everyone. However, it’s objectively better to see an artist make mediocre music while happy than to watch their public breakdown.
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