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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Temple chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
On Oct. 3, 2025, Taylor Swift released her 12th original studio album, The Life of a Showgirl. I, like many others, eagerly waited for the clock to strike midnight, with Apple Music open and ready. Listening to the album for the first time was a great experience, though some of the songs did have to grow on me. In my opinion, the album is fun, catchy, and has great lyrics. It’s very different from her last few albums, but I believe it brings back a similar sound her older music used to have, despite being a new era. After pondering it for a few days, here are my top 5 songs!
Honorable Mention: “Honey”
I don’t normally include honorable mentions when I rank songs, but I wanted to include this track because it’s so fun and very underrated. “Honey” is about the feeling when a significant other refers to you as a word that has been previously used against you, giving it a new meaning and feeling. I really love the message of this one, and the track itself is very upbeat and fun to listen to. I wish I saw more people talking about it!
5. “Father Figure”
“Father Figure” is a unique track that I didn’t expect to come from this album, but I’m glad it did! It follows the story of a mentor taking in a younger person and then later being betrayed by that person. The storytelling through this song’s lyrics is outstanding. One of my favorite lyrics is, “I was your father figure, you pulled the wrong trigger. This empire belongs to me, leave it with me.” I hope she makes a music video or short film for this song. It’s truly a compelling story; I wish it had visuals!
4. “Opalite”
“Opalite” is the happiest song on this album! It’s perfect for dancing and positive vibes. I love lyrics like, “You were dancing through the lightning strikes,” and “Sleepless in the onyx night, but now the sky is opalite.” I love the sound of this song too. It’s super fun, and it’s definitely one of my go-to happy songs!
“The Fate of Ophelia” is the most popular song on the album, and it has a great music video! This song is a great opener to the vibes of this album: upbeat and playful, but lyrically sound. One of my favorite lines is, “And if you’d never come for me, I might’ve drowned in the melancholy.” I love the music at the opening of this track too. Overall, it’s great!
2. “CANCELLED!”
“CANCELLED!” is such an interesting track, and I absolutely love the production of it. It sounds so good and I love the lyrics as well. One of my favorite lines is, “Can’t you see my infamy loves company? Now they’ve broken you like they’ve broken me, but a shattered glass is a lot more sharp. And now you know exactly who your friends are.” I think it adds to the storytelling and makes the song more compelling. Some people say that this song is cringe, but I enjoy it regardless. I think it sounds like it could be a song on Swift’s previous album, Reputation, and I love it!
This is my absolute favorite track on the album. Out of all the emotional tracks, this one, in my opinion, is the best. Just like “CANCELLED!” this song is reminiscent of the style Swift used for Reputation. I love the lines, “Oftentimes it doesn’t feel so glamorous to be me,” “I’d cry my eyes violet,” “Be my NY when Hollywood hates me,” and so many more. I love the way this song sounds, and the lyrics are great!
The Release Party
I didn’t entirely know what to expect when I went to the release party at AMC, but I had a great time! The film included the “The Fate of Ophelia” music video (played once at the beginning and once at the end) as well as the lyric videos for the other songs. I loved that Swift would explain the meaning and thought process behind each song, which gave us a way to see what inspired her writing. In between every few songs, there were segments of the behind-the-scenes of the “The Fate of Ophelia” music video, which were very interesting to me as a film major. I loved getting to watch the music video on the big screen, and the behind-the-scenes made me appreciate it even more!
Overall, I had a wonderful time with this album release. I really hope she makes the release party a tradition for her future albums. It helped me appreciate the songs more, and I loved getting to watch the “The Fate of Ophelia” music video in theaters. So far, I’m loving this album, and I recommend it to anyone who likes fun pop music!
English (US) ·