She’s done it again.
Eighteen years of music, 11 platinum studio albums and six headlining tours. Taylor Swift is pop music’s it-girl, and she doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
Swift announced her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl” on Aug. 12. She announced it while being a guest on her fiancé, Travis Kelce’s podcast, “New Heights”.
‘Swifties’ (Taylor Swift fans), including me, went insane — especially because @taylornation on Instagram had teased the album with 12 photos of Swift dressed in orange the night before, with the caption “Thinking about when she said ‘See you next era…’”.
When this was announced, I was filled with anticipation for whatever announcement was about to come. When Swift formally announced her album on Instagram, I, along with many of my friends, started counting down the days until we get to hear her new music.
So what’s in store for this next era? I believed, before the album was announced, that it would be a love album about Kelce, because of their strong, ongoing relationship, which still might be the case. However, the title, “The Life of a Showgirl”, hints more towards her career and persona as an entertainer, which may be even better. No offense to Kelce, of course.
The tracklist for the new album consists of the following tracks: “The Fate of Ophelia,” “Elizabeth Taylor,” “Opalite,” “Father Figure,” “Eldest Daughter,” “Ruin The Friendship,” “Actually Romantic,” “Wi$h Li$t,” “Wood,” “CANCELLED!,” ”Honey” and “The Life of a Showgirl” featuring Sabrina Carpenter.
“Eldest Daughter”
After having read the tracklist, I was a bit confused about the song title “Eldest Daughter” because Swift is the only daughter in her family. She is, however, the oldest sibling, having a younger brother named Austin. I was still perplexed with the song title because why didn’t she title it “Eldest Sibling?” I honestly believe it might be a metaphor for her status in the music industry, being the role model for younger and newer artists. Only Swift knows, and I’m excited to find out.
“Ruin the Friendship”
I believe the track “Ruin the Friendship” may be about her ex-friendship with actress Blake Lively. I was a bit disappointed to hear this, since Swift and Lively have been friends since 2015. The two reportedly broke apart due to Lively’s legal battle with Justin Baldoni back in 2024, to which Swift said she felt “exploited.”
To add context, the film “It Ends With Us” starring Lively and Baldoni had some of its script changed by Swift. I don’t know much about the process behind this, but I do know that many Swifties, including myself, are disheartened by the whole situation. At least we might get a jaw-dropping song because of it.
“CANCELLED!”
Could “CANCELLED!” be about the 2009 VMAS debacle with Kanye West? Let’s be honest, it definitely sounds like it. Infamously, West interrupted Swift’s speech as she accepted the award for Best Female Video for her song “You Belong With Me.” He said that Beyoncé deserved the award, instead of Swift.
To this day, Swifties and Kanye West fans still have disputes over this instance, arguing about whether West made Swift famous, or vice versa. This song may, and probably will, take a stab at West.
“The Life of a Showgirl” featuring Sabrina Carpenter
I was ecstatic to hear that Sabrina Carpenter would be featured on the title track of the album. Ever since seeing Carpenter live in October of 2024, I became a devoted fangirl. In fact, I have five posters and two of her vinyl records in my room. I would consider myself a ‘Carpenter’ as well as a Swiftie.
Carpenter, a fellow pop artist, opened for The Eras Tour from Aug. 2023 to March 2024. Along with being the opener, she also performed with Swift in the “surprise song” segment on two occasions. The two popstars have an admirable friendship and publicly support one another, which of course, makes me incredibly euphoric. With this collaboration, I finally get to listen to the two popstars on a track together!
Something my Swiftie brain realized was that track 11, “Honey,” may correspond with a lyric from one of her previous songs, “Karma,” when she sings “sweet like honey, karma is a cat,”which just happens to be the 11th track of her tenth studio album, “Midnights”.
Knowing Swift, and her ever so confusing self, I don’t think she did this by accident. This could be an easter egg that only the mastermind Swift herself could come up with, or it could be absolutely nothing. Either way, I’m extremely interested in hearing this song, and maybe this prediction, come to life.
“The Life of a Showgirl” has already broken a Spotify record for being the most pre-saved album in history. It is predicted that when the album is released, the Spotify app will crash due to Swifties worldwide trying to listen to the album.
So what’s next for Swift? The truth is, I don’t know. Being the unpredictable musician she is, only she knows what the future for her music holds. Whatever it is, I’m certain that it will be phenomenal.
Looking at her past albums, it’s crystal clear that she works hard to get what she wants. And what we, as Swifties, want. New music, new outfits, and best of all, a brand new era for us to enjoy before she steps back into that studio to do it all again.
