By Vesa Bejleri
Undeniably, Taylor Swift has been—and continues to be—one of the most influential artists in pop music.
With 12 original studio albums, over 60 singles, 14 Grammys, and millions of fans around the world, the singer’s success is widely attributed to her lyricism, infectious rhythms, empowerment, and the relatability among her audience.
Controversy, however, has surrounded her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl. Some fans have praised the album while others – even diehard fans – have criticized it, leading to a division among listeners.
“I’ve been a die-hard Swiftie since Taylor’s Debut era,” said math teacher Shannon Carey (pictured above), who organized a club at BHS devoted to Swift’s music. “When The Life of a Show Girl was coming out, I was so excited. But after my first listen, I have to admit I felt pretty disappointed.”
Carey noted the album just didn’t resonate with her and the familiar lyrics and style of Taylor Swift she had grown to love. She said she thought the writing felt “lazy and uninspired.”
The “Taylor Swift Appreciation Hive Choice,” run by Carey, did not run this year also, but it had nothing to do with the controversy over the album, she added.
The album and its 12 songs were released on October 3, 2025, with the tracks being “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,” with the latter featuring pop singer Sabrina Carpenter.
Swift hinted at the release of the album prior to its official countdown on her social media, with many easter eggs, or hidden messages / jokes, for her fans. The songs contain topics ranging from love, happiness, and healing to cancel culture, past relationships, and regret.
Upon its release, her songs were met with immediate backlash for their seemingly questionable lyrics and the intention behind some of the tracks.
“At first, I was not happy with this album,” Liliy Copolla, a junior, said to The Buzz. “I thought it sounded just like her “Reputation” album that I don’t really like. But then I went and saw the movie Taylor released explaining everything behind the album and it for some reason made me like it a lot more. Now I definitely have some [of these] songs on repeat.”
Many fans defended the album, sharing how the context of some of the songs cleverly referenced Travis Kelce, Swift’s boyfriend, and that the melodies in her songs were catchy. Some fans shared that, with the singer’s engagement, this variation in style is supposed to reflect the new, more grown-up era of Swift.
“I loved this album, it was different from her usual style but I really enjoyed it. I’ve been a fan of hers for about 3 years now actually,” said freshman Hayley Williams.
Williams also ranked her top songs from the album to be “Eldest Daughter,” and the fan-favourite “The Fate Of Ophelia.”
Others viewed the album as disappointing, sharing that it didn’t live up to her previous works and musical abilities.
“For an artist whose discography is filled with undeniable hooks and sharp, devastatingly good lyricism, The Life of a Showgirl missed the mark,” shares one of Taylor Swift’s loyal fans online.
“Opalite,” the third track of the album, was met with concern regarding the intentions behind the choice of lyrics and symbolism used. Some listeners have cited that the lyrics contain racist undertones, referencing the past relationships of Swift’s fiancé and comparisons between her and Kelce’s ex-girlfriends, who were African American.
The lyrics, “You were in it for real, she was in her phone / And you were just a pose,” from the song are said to reference an old video that has recently resurfaced online of Travis Kelce and his then-girlfriend, Kayla Nicole.
In the clip, the two were having an interaction in which Nicole refused to get off her phone, even though Kelce had asked her to. This minute interaction, added to the rocky relationship of Kelce and Nicole at the time, leading some listeners to interpret Swift’s lyrics as a jab at Nicole.
The speculated racist undertones of “Opalite” are more accented in the chorus of the track. “…Sleepless in the onyx night, but now the sky is opalite.” It is theorized by some that the symbolism of the rocks onyx and opalite are used to contrast the race of Nicole and Swift.
Defenders contradict the theory, saying that the reason for the use of the rocks in the song is to pay homage to dark times, such as an “onyx night,” and opalite to signify man-made happiness.
“Opalite” wasn’t the only controversy on Taylor Swift’s new album; many lyrics throughout her tracks seemed to include language that was not commonly seen in the singer’s previous work.
Sayings such as “girlbossing too close to the sun,” “we looked fire,” “it’s actually wild,” “f–– lit,” “boss up, settle down,” and more are mentioned in the conversation. These sayings are more related to everyday slang language among millennial speakers, something which Swift hasn’t included before to such a degree in her music.
“The songs don’t seem to have the same heart behind them; perhaps Travis Kelce is just not the greatest muse,” Carey said.
“Instead of feeling fresh or tongue-in-cheek, the references are odd and, dare I say, cringeworthy,” expressed a fellow listener. “Almost like a parody of Taylor Swift.”
Criticism has been heavy on the ninth track of the album, the song “Wood.” Listeners shared their surprise at the theme of the song, stating that it was something unexpected from her; the song includes sexual references, possibly about Kelce.
Lyrics from the song, such as “Forgive me, it sounds cocky / He ah-matized me and opened my eyes / Redwood tree, it ain’t hard to see, his love was the key that opened my thighs,” were jarring to some listeners.
A number of fans shared their thoughts, making connections to Swift possibly experimenting with a more ‘Sabrina Carpenter style’ of pop. Others speculate that this could be the singer showing a sign of maturity with her music as she grows older, referencing her current stage of life in her songs, such as “Wood.”
Although controversial in nature and filled with many contradicting theories around the music, The Life Of A Showgirl has undoubtedly been one of Taylor Swift’s most discussed albums since its release.
Let us know what you thought of the album in the comments!
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