The title track of Taylor Swift’s 2025 album is also its last track. “The Life of a Showgirl” song talks about a fictional showbiz girl named ‘Kitty’ who rises the echelons of fame and lives to tell the tale. Let’s take a deep dive into these lyrics.
Taylor Swift released her twelfth studio album, ‘The Life of a Showgirl,’ on October 3, 2025. She calls this album a culmination of a lifetime of experiences and it’s “beautiful,” “rapturous” and “frightening.” The album was produced by Max Martin, Shellback, and Taylor Swift herself.
“The Life of a Showgirl” is the only track on the album with a collaboration. Taylor Swift says she did not have to look far and wide to spot Sabrina Carpenter as a collaborator for the track as she herself is an ‘ultimate showgirl.’
In an Amazon track-by-track review, Taylor said this song is really special to her and “It is the story of a fictional showgirl named Kitty and how my character in the song goes to see her perform and is completely inspired by her. But rather than responding with, like, fakeness, she tells it like it is. And she kind of warns me off of this lifestyle because it’s much more than just the glitter and the glamour. There’s a lot else that comes with it. so it’s kind of an ode to show business and the women who move through those pitfalls and obstacle courses…”
Taylor Swift also mentioned that her most recent The Eras Tour inspired this album quite heavily.
Listen to “The Life of a Showgirl” by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift “The Life of a Showgirl” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
In the beginning of the song, Taylor introduces us to the protagonist of the song — a big star named ‘Kitty.’ Kitty has made a name for herself in the show business by being pretty and witty. We get to know that she is no ordinary superstar because she has received the keys to the city — a very high honor. But just like every other superstar the jealous folk claimed that she did not get there by her own merit. A lady has her ways, they said. But Taylor bought a ticket to one of her concerts and witness first hand the effort Kitty puts to her shows — Kitty is dressed to impress, has fifty-something ensemble of dancers, and she did not miss a single step. Taylor had to meet her.
Taylor waited for the superstar at the backstage door. When Kitty finally came backstage Taylor said to her “You’re living my dream.” Taylor Swift wanted to be a big popstar like Kitty.
Wait, the more you play, the more that you pay
You’re softer than a kitten, so
In the hook of the song, Kitty advises Taylor about the not-so-glamorous side of the show business. Kitty tells Taylor that the higher you get in the show business ladder the more you pay for each step. And these are costly prices such as freedom, mental health issues, enemies, business decisions, creative decisions, losing friends, stalkers, balancing personal relationships, and the list goes on and on.
Not everyone is cut out for the show business and its glory.
The inclusion of Sabrina Carpenter in this particular song is no coincidence. While she has proven to be a very potent show business girl recently, she has also received backlash over her sexually stimulated songs, music videos, and concert performances. This is the same ‘illegitimate’ ways Kitty was accused of when she became a renowned superstar.
In the second verse by Sabrina Carpenter, she adds more background to the life of Kitty. She was a girl born to a rich family in an affluent neighborhood. From a young age she was a menace thanks to the dysfunctional parents she was born in to. Her father pursued other women all his life and her mother had no power to stop him. So she took to drugs and played tennis. This is a very typical trope of an American broken family with too much wealth.
So, Kitty wanders off the first chance she gets and wants to fill the need for love and affection she never received growing up.
She said, “I’d sell my soul to have a taste of a magnificent life that’s all mine”
Kitty had no mentor to warn her of what she is getting into. She was so desperate for any form of attention, she went straight to the source–the show business–where the whole world loved superstars and screamed her name wherever she went. This looked so appealing for Kitty and she dived head first–signing away her soul to anyone who could sign her for spotlight.
Doors did open for Kitty in the show business becuase she was pretty and witty. She was the perfect mold for show business. It took her right in and chewed her into exactly what they wanted out of her–a symbol that sells.
In the bridge of the song, Taylor and Sabrina sing how young Taylor took this advice from Kitty to heart and treaded carefully. Taylor Swift has had numerous set backs in her illustrious career so far. She was the sweet, innocent, scrawny, and geeky girl from West Reading, Pennsylvania. Nobody in the industry took her seriously until she became a too dominant force to deal with. She has set and broken countless records and won countless awards at this point. Another artist in the industry could easily feel threatened or humbled by her that they would want her gone from the game.
But I’m immortal now, baby dolls
I couldn’t if I tried
Taylor Swift could not have spoken about her status in the game any clearer than this. She is a force to reckon with. She has built an army around the world that is capable of moving economies and governments. Even if she stopped making music after this album her name will be written in stone in music record books for a very long time to come. Taylor could not bury her showgirl era even if she tried!
In the final chorus of the song, Taylor begins to repeat the same things, in first person, that Kitty had warned her about before. Taylor says she is married to the hustle now–album, world tour, album, world tour on repeat. She knows the game in and out now. She has seen the glitz and the glamour and the bitter and ugly of this life.
Pain hidden by the lipstick and lace (Lipstick and lace)
Sequins are forever
The life of a showgirl is full of make up, colorful clothes, and ‘marketing’ an idea of perfectness to the consumer. No matter how much you suffer behind the curtains, when she is on stage and the spotlight is on her, her eyes dry up, a smile rips through her lips, and she gets to work. This is the life of a showgirl.
Taylor here plays on the more popular catchphrase ‘diamonds are forever.’ This usually signifies a traditional woman who enjoys a quite and a luxurious life with a husband, kids, dogs, and a white picket fence house. Sequins represent a lady who has pursued the life of a showgirl. Either way, both of these women have no turning points. They are in this life for life!
What a fitting song to end the album.
Let us hear what you think about this song in the comments below. Read the complete lyrics of the song on Genius.