Taylor Swift - The Life of a Showgirl - Music - English Version

On 3 October, Taylor Swift released The Life of a Showgirl, and I waited until my lunch break to listen to the album with my daughter at home. I loved the first song but was a little resistant to the rest of the album, knowing that my first impression would not be the most important one. Getting into a new work, unless it's what you idealise, requires more than one listen. I confess that my expectations were very high because of the choice of producers Max Martin and Shellback, producers she worked with on the iconic 1989 and Reputation. The Life of a Showgirl grew on me, there were some songs that didn't dazzle me, we are a long way from Blank Space, Shake it Off or New Romantics, not to mention all the other pop hits she made with them. It even seemed that the sound resembled that of Jack Antonoff. I resisted my first impression and took refuge in listening to it again, but this time alone, with all the time in the world and with the acoustics that this album deserves. With everything in place, I gave the album a second chance and this time, a world of musicality opened up to me. The internet was almost entirely divided, and many had dismissed the album as one of the worst she had ever released. On my second listen, I was more dazzled, and the song that drew me into this universe was The Life of a Showgirl. This song is epic, with Sabrina Carpenter giving a fantastic performance. The theme, the lyrics, the combination of voices, the music finally managed to get me excited about a sketch of the project. There were already three with Opalite in the mix. By the time I went to see the video for The Fate of Ophelia at the cinema, I had made peace with the album, so much so that when I heard it was the clean version, I was a little sad! Who doesn't like to hear that she has a bigger ‘Dick’ than the men who cheated on her or that a lot of wood makes her open her hips. I liked Taylor's explanations of all the songs and the videos with the lyrics. By then, I was hooked on the album and Figure Father was growing on me. And out of nowhere, what was a lukewarm album became an exquisite piece with complex universes to discover in each song. The most interesting thing is that, even though I love the first single, when I put the album on, I listen to it all the way through. And this is a sign that, contrary to what many say, it is a surprising and cohesive album.

I've been trying to finish this message for some time. I'm going to mark the songs with stars to emphasise my choice.

The Fate of Ophelia 

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The Fate of Ophelia 

Taylor Swift starts off strong with The Fate of Ophelia. It is very well produced, with the drums and bass creating a space that made me smile at the beginning of the song. The story is about the character Ophelia from Shakespeare's Hamlet. In the play, Ophelia dies after having her heart broken, and in the song, Taylor says that her relationship with Travis Kelce saves her from this terrible fate. The lyrics are a hymn to life and happiness - and the metaphor created with Ophelia's death contrasts with the moment Taylor finds herself in. She had already rewritten the ending of one of Shakespeare's plays with Love Story from her album Fearless, which was the hit that made her known to millions of people. And if the beat is contagious and Taylor's voice is on point, the video helped make this song even more iconic. It's the best video, after All Too Well 10-minute version, which remains my favourite. The execution is perfect, with several paintings that display an unusual aesthetic beauty and are full of symbolism, beginning with a reproduction of Ophelia's painting and continuing to evolve throughout the story with allusions to the evolution of art, featuring characters linked to mythology, painting, dance and music since the Romantic period, with references to various artists: Ophelia by Friedrich Wilhelm Theodor Heyser; the sirens of Ulysses by Homer; Marilyn Monroe; the group The Ronettes; Busby Berkeley and his water dance; cabaret dancers such as the Moulin Rouge in Paris, to the atmosphere of George Michael's video Flawless.

 

       

   

Elizabeth Taylor 

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Elizabeth Taylor

 

Elizabeth Taylor is a very interesting song. She was very important for women's emancipation, she was an icon/diva of pop culture and she was an activist in the LGBT community, being one of the most fervent activists when AIDS was at its peak and helping Reagan to finally talk about the disease - which he had long ignored. She was a great friend of Michael Jackson, especially when he was in trouble with the law. She was also, and this is where the connection with Taylor Swift's song comes in, married seven times. Her most famous marriage, in every sense of the word, was to Richard Burton, whom she married twice. In the song, Taylor asks if it is worth investing in her relationship and finally marrying her current boyfriend, who has already proposed to her. Will it last forever? She asks those who have had great difficulty maintaining their relationships, whether because of her, the actions of her husbands, or the weight of fame. She is afraid it will not last, but she wants to do everything she can to achieve her happy ending.

Opalite

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Opalite

Opalite is a very happy, danceable song full of good energy. The lyrics are about Travis Kelce who, like her, according to Taylor, had not yet had the relationship that gave him butterflies in her stomach or sparks like the one they have today. They were meant to find each other, and the fact that the heavens are sending good vibes is mainly due to their mutual desire for a lasting relationship. Opalite is a metaphor that applies to all new relationships: the sky is blue, synonymous with luck and eternity.

Father figure 

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Father Figure

Father Figure has a very special place in my heart, and that's because George Michael was credited as the songwriter. There is an interpolation of the lyrics from his song of the same name. The two songs have nothing in common... Or do they? Father Figure is about her Masters and how she was deceived by the man she considered a father: Scott Borcheta. There were other artists who tried to reclaim their Masters, the best known being George Michael, who lost his case against Sony. It was at that time that he released what I consider to be his best album, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1. He did not advertise the album and did not appear on the cover or in the videos he made himself. The most emblematic of all was Freedom 90. The lyrics of the song are revealing of how she felt when the deal was made behind her back. "Loyalty is not what it used to be".

Eldest Daughter 

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Eldest Daugther

I can't understand why some people don't like this song. Eldest Daughter is a song that makes me cry... Taylor explains that it's about the contrast between the persona that exists for the public and the true essence of the person. She is an older sister and to the people she loves she is a whole person, sincere and who will never abandon them. This album has many musical references, and this song reminds me of the guitar chords in Radiohead's High and Dry in the chorus.

Ruin the Friendhip 

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Ruin the Friendship

Ruin the Friendship is a song with an extraordinary ending. We all dance along to the first part with its infectious, upbeat rhythm and the theme that is so evident in the song. The surprise in the song with the finitude of her friend destroys me... I think we have all experienced a situation like this, whether in love or with family members. When what is described in the song happens, it is obvious that we are left with that doubt - We should have loved and cherished that person more while they were here. She is right!

Actually Romantic

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Actually Romantic

The first time I heard Actually Romantic, I didn't like it very much because I'm not a big fan of diss tracks — I avoid listening to ThanK you aIMee from the album TTPD, so there's your proof — but... BUT, I ended up loving it because the music is spectacular and the lyrics are full of humour. I don't think it's just because of Charli XCX's song Sympathy is a Knife, but if it is, that's fine. Sympathy is a Knife is my favourite Brat song, so I listened to it over and over again and always heard rumours that the lyrics were about Taylor Swift. In fact, some passages seem to refer to her: ‘Don't wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend's show. Fingers crossed behind my back, I hope they break up quick’. 

We are talking about Matty Healy, the singer of The 1975 and now husband of Charli, the band's drummer. Charli talks about her insecurities, but she knows - she was certainly there when this whole romance started and ended, that Taylor Swift cried over the loss of her relationship with Matty throughout the album TTPD. Anyone who listens to Peter, loml, knows how much she suffered... A lack of compassion, of sensitivity - everything can be perceived in Charli's attitude. Taylor Swift chose to respond with a fun song, full of sensuality, the ending with ‘La-la-la-la, romantic’ is divine.

Wi$h Li$t

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Wi$h Li$t

Wi$h Li$t is really a song about a Wi$h Li$t, about what everyone wants, and now she just wants her boyfriend. What you hear on the internet about Taylor wanting to get married and have children who look like Travis is the most ridiculous thing I've ever read. She just wants to emphasise the person she has chosen to marry and have children with. She has everything, but she wants to be happy with someone else. Are you mad!?

Wood

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Wood

Well Wood is another song that, for me, is a masterpiece. It begins by saying that she no longer needs to knock on wood to find the person she wants to live with. "The prophecy" has been broken and she has someone with whom she can live fully. The lyrics are very entertaining and allude to Travis Kelce's most intimate side. We, good women... with many wish lists, simply say: ‘Good for you!’

CANCELLED!

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CANCELLED!

CANCELLED! could be about many people. It's not my favourite, the intro is a bit slow, but as the song progresses, the production starts to build, creating an intoxicating atmosphere when the violins come in. Some say it's the most similar to the album Reputation, and I can see why, because she was cancelled and came back with this album produced by the same producers. In the context of the lyrics, which are the most important thing, she emphasises that friends who were with her at the time of her cancellation and who are now victims of it can always count on her. She does not turn her back on those who helped her during the darkest period of her career. I cannot specify who she is talking about, but we will always have the beginning of Gorgeous and the iconic cover of the album Folklore.  

Honey 

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Honey

Honey is a cheerful, upbeat and well-produced song. It is about a word that can be said in a negative, derogatory way that can hurt, but when said with love, it becomes special. 

The life of a Showgirl 

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The Life of a showgirl ( com Sabrina Carpenter)

The Life of a Showgirl featuring Sabrina Carpenter is epic. I love everything about it! The atmosphere really alludes to the title, and Sabrina's performance is perfect. It's obvious that The Eras Tour is the backdrop. There are no superlatives to describe how much I love this song.

Here is my interpretation of Taylor Swift's new album and how an album that started out as misunderstood became one of my favourite albums of the year.

Listen and enjoy, because it's a gift that Taylor gave us during her tour. She went from being super sad with TTPD to sharing her moments of happiness with us. I don't know if there are any artists as generous as her.

I love her and I will continue to stand by her. 

https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_of_a_Showgirl