Taylor Swift’s return to her well-known Pop music, The Life of a Showgirl proved me, and everyone else, right. She just keeps getting better. 

The album, which Swift shared on fiancé Travis Kelce’s podcast, was written during her record-breaking Eras Tour, captures the raw emotion, extravagance, pain, and humor of her life. 

The first song doesn’t open with a bang, instead, “The Fate of Ophelia” draws the listener into a dreamy daze. The song, inspired by Shakespeare’s Ophelia, who drowned herself due to grief and despair. Swift tells the story of someone being rescued by someone they love. From the first 30 seconds of the song, I was entranced by Swift’s new sound. While it reminded me of some of my favorite 2010s Swift bops, it had a hint of something new. She has switched up her style, and I’m loving it. 

Moving through the album, songs like “Ruin The Friendship” and “Wood” detail Swift’s love life, while others give listeners a glimpse into parts of Swift’s celebrity that we have only ever speculated about before. As a Swiftie myself, I was excited to ascertain new things about one of my favorite singers. By the end, I felt like I had learned more about her relationship with fame and the music industry than I had in my 10 years of being a fan. 

In contrast to her last album, The Tortured Poets Department, which features 31 songs on its digital version, this new album consists of only 12 songs. That is not to say it is of any less quality, The Life of a Showgirl actually kept me constantly excited for all 41 minutes, waiting for the next song to begin. 

While all the songs had me wanting to dance around, none of them appealed to me quite like “CANCELLED!” did. The song, which sounds straight out of Reputation, Swift’s sixth studio album, mocks today’s “cancel culture”. Swift criticizes the toxic modern-day cancelling of celebrities like herself. She poetically conveys the idea that people will find anything to hate or condemn, so why should she bother trying to keep up? Swift explains that her friends have also been “cancelled”, and because of that, they can all relate to each other. 

“At least you know exactly who your friends are,” Swift sings in the chorus of “CANCELLED!”, “They’re the ones with matching scars.” 

“CANCELLED!” sums up Swift’s purpose in this new album. She doesn’t care what you think. 

But if she decided to ask me, I would tell her that her eloquent lyrics, head-bopping beats, and instantly recognizable voice all add to the thrilling experience of listening to The Life of a Showgirl.