"But you don't know the life of a showgirl, babe." Join us for our immediate reactions to Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl album! We break down our first impressions track by track, exploring the sophisticated lyricism hidden beneath high-energy pop production, the album's theatrical motifs, and how Taylor uses the showgirl concept as both performance and vulnerability. From the literary references in "Fate of Ophelia" to the musical callbacks throughout, we discuss how this album ties together themes from across Taylor's discography while introducing bold new perspectives on fame, relationships, and growing up in the spotlight.
Mentioned in this episode:
- Hamlet
- Macbeth
- Dante’s Inferno
- Rapunzel fairy tale
- Elizabeth Taylor
- Jackson 5
- George Michael
- The Godfather
- Scandal (TV show)
Episode Highlights:
[00:30] Our initial reactions to “The Life of a Showgirl”
[07:39] Fate of Ophelia - Shakespeare references and literary vibes
[12:28] Elizabeth Taylor - Loneliness of fame and purple eyes
[14:34] Opalite - ABBA vibes and haunted houses
[17:42] Father Figure - Industry power dynamics and masculinity
[21:42] Eldest Daughter - Track 5 emotions and millennial core
[27:06] Ruin the Friendship - High school storytelling and Abigail callback
[30:55] Actually Romantic - Diss track energy but supportive message
[34:39] Wi$h Li$t - Evolving desires and life phases
[40:02] Wood - Adult themes with childhood superstitions
[45:03] Canceled! - Something wicked this way comes
[47:54] Honey - Terms of endearment and passive aggression
[52:00] The Life of a Showgirl - Behind the scenes vs performance
Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!
- TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
- Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
- YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
- Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
- Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
- Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro
Contact us at aptaylorswift@gmail.com
Affiliate Codes:
Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!
Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.