Taylor Swift is one of my favorite artists, so of course I've listened to The Life of a Showgirl a lot since its release. To start with, I'd say I liked the album a lot more than I expected to overall. A lot of songs she's done with Max Martin and Shellback in the past aren't my favorites, although I do like most of them to an extent, so knowing this whole album was done with them made me a bit weary. I tempered my expectations early.
My song ranking has definitely changed from when I first listened to the album, and I wouldn't be surprised if it changes again. That being said, this is my current ranking, starting with my least favorite:
12- Actually Romantic
In general, I think I just don't usually like diss-type songs very much. I do like the idea of the song and some of the lyrics, but it's definitely my least listened to on the album.
11- Eldest Daughter
I already like this song a lot more than I did on my first listen. I love the bridge. But, while I guess you could say I'm technically the eldest daughter of my family, since I only have an older brother, I definitely relate more to the brief youngest child portion of this song. Us youngest children truly did grow up in the wild. I won't be surprised if this song continues to grow on me as time goes on.
10- Wi$h Li$t
Similarly, this song has also grown on me a lot since my first listen. Actually, I'm pretty sure this one was my least favorite originally, so it's already moved up two spots. It felt boring to me at first, but that actually happens to me with a lot of songs on the first listen. It's like there are some songs that I can't hear properly until I listen to them a few times for some reason. Just a cute love song with a nice, sweet sound. For me it feels like a good song to listen to on a rainy day.
9- Wood
Unlike the last two songs, I'd say my feelings on this song have been pretty consistent. It's a nice, fun song. Not my favorite on the album, but I do like it well enough. I listen to it here and there. To be honest... I think Wi$h Li$t is on the verge of overtaking it though. I'm listening to each song while writing this, and yeah, I just feel like listening to Wi$h Li$t again now.
8- Honey
This one's spot in my ranking has been a bit more tumultuous. It started as one of my favorites, then I quickly lost interest, but now it's making a steady rise again. My favorite part of the song is the pre-chorus near the end.
7- CANCELLED!
I'd say this one was a couple spots higher during my first listen. I mentioned with Wi$h Li$t how a lot of songs sound boring to me at first and then grow on me during subsequent listens, but the opposite is also common. A song I love on the first listen can begin to feel flatter as I keep listening to it. CANCELLED! seems to fall into the latter category, but I'm still enjoying it for now. I love a good villain anthem song.
6- The Fate of Ophelia
I think this one has fallen a few spots in my ranking, but that's more so because of other songs growing on me rather than me starting to like this song less. It's interesting because while I do like this song a lot, it can also feel a bit grating if I listen to it too much. Lyrics and concept are enjoyable.
5- The Life of A Showgirl (Ft. Sabrina Carpenter)
This was one of the songs I was the most curious about before I heard the album. I like a fair number of Sabrina Carpenter songs, so it's only natural that a song with both Taylor and Sabrina would pique my interest. However, I actually felt disappointed with it after my first listen. It would have been much lower in my ranking at that time. But, like Wi$h Li$t, this one was another grower. Unlike Wi$h Li$t though, it grew on me much faster and much more intensely. Even on the second listen I already liked it a lot more than on the first. The concept reminds me of Clara Bow from The Tortured Poets Department, but I'd say I prefer this song.
4- Father Figure
Another that would have been ranked lower after my first listen. To be honest, while I already liked the sound of this song from the start, I don't think I was following the story at all during my first listen. Once I understood the story and what was happening in the song, it quickly became one of my favorites. If someone tries to take advantage of your kindness, eventually you reach your breaking point and have to knock them down a few pegs to put them back in their place.
3- Ruin the Friendship
I loved this song from the first listen. It kind of reminds me of her older songs, which makes sense given the subject matter. Songs like this are hard to rank though. This is one of the songs I've listened to the least on the album, but that's just because I don't always want to listen to a song that makes me feel like crying. It doesn't mean I don't love the song.
2- Elizabeth Taylor
This song is just a vibe. I liked it from the first listen, but I'd say it has risen a few spots still. I don't have much to say about this one. I just love the sound, and the lyrics are solid enough that they don't bring the song down.
1- Opalite
I've talked a lot about how songs have changed in my ranking since my first listen.... But this one has not. It was my favorite then, and it's my favorite now. The chorus is just so fun, and in general I have always loved songs that are about contrasting past troubles with current happiness. Songs about perseverance, about the rainbow after the storm. Definitely my go-to song at the moment
In conclusion, I'd say it's a good album overall. It's not in my top five Taylor Swift albums, but it's not one of my least favorites either.
