Unless you live under a large rock without sunlight and food, you know that Taylor Swift has not only gotten engaged to Travis Kelce, but also came out with her twelfth album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” For not only Swifties but also the entire music industry and the vast majority of people on social media, both of these events are huge.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement on August 26, captioning their Instagram post “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.” The post had millions of likes and views in just minutes, and currently has 37 million likes.
Diving into the background of their relationship, the two started in a romantic way that would only be written in books and movies. Kelce attended Swift’s Eras Tour concert in July of 2023 and failed to give her his friendship bracelet with his number on it. Later in July, he talked about this failed attempt at catching her attention on his and Jason’s, his brother’s, podcast, “New Heights.” In September, only two months later, Swift was seen sitting in a family box with Kelce’s mother at a Chiefs game, putting a giant label on them for the media. From then on, Swift and Kelce were in the public eye as the couple of the year, often seen supporting one another at her concerts or his games.
For Swifties, the news of their relationship brings excitement and happiness. We’ve seen her through terrible love stories, and now she is with someone whom she clearly loves and enjoys spending time with.
Because of their engagement and relationship, which seems light-hearted and adorable to the public eye, everyone geared up for a love album. And, it is just that.
There were high expectations for “The Life of a Showgirl,” foreseen to be a fun, pop album that gave good vibes. The album came out on October 3, and since then has received some of the most chaotic reviews of any of her albums yet. Some people hate it, some people love it, and here’s why.
Swift’s newer music has typically packed more of a lyrical punch, especially seen in her the “Folklore” and “The Tortured Poets Department” albums. However, “The Life of a Showgirl” is sad, clearly centering around being a contagiously joyful record. It is slightly startling how light-hearted the near entirety of her twelfth is, compared to many of her other albums that are packed with depressingly relatable lyrics.
Swift has flirted with the idea of a love album before, like in “Reputation,” where nearly half of the album centered around her ex-boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, and their relationship. “The Life of a Showgirl” is filled with love, where many of the songs feature references to Kelce.
One thing is for sure–Swift is undoubtedly confident in herself and her relationship. No longer wrapped up in sad lyrics, Swift has turned the page of her songwriting into love-filled, upbeat lyrics that represent her happiest, current moments, and we’re here for it.
