A Taylor Swift life chapter is again immortalized on record as the new album “The Life Of A Showgirl” puts a bookmark on where Swift is currently at. And it’s in a good place with her recent career triumphs: a record tour, winning all her song ownership, and finding ‘the one’ among others.

All these qualify as big wins, and one would think Swift would stop and smell the roses. But we all know resting on her laurels isn’t for T.S. as she’s perpetually driven to hit a musical homerun.

Swift reunites with Max Martin and Shellback to flesh out the glittery sequined sonic visions of Taylor Swift for “TLOAS” kicking off with mid tempo and moody “Life Of Ophelia.” With synth bass stabs, Swift spins on Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and imagines herself as ‘Ophelia’ but with a positive twist (hint: she wins the man in the end).

It’s the same moody storytelling vibe on “Elizabeth Taylor,” where Swift tackles fame's fickleness. “You’re only as hot as your last hit,” the singer intones an oft-quoted adage about fame, and underneath the sheen is a tale about finding love that can stand the withering klieg lights of show business.

Swift, Martin, and Shellback mine ’70s pop and soft rock melodies on “Opalite,” and it’s easily the catchiest of the dozen tracks on “TLOAS.” A personal favorite is the outro chorus melodies used for one of Swift’s more rousing verses: “this is just a storm inside a teacup / but shelter here with me my love / thunder like a drum, this life will beat you up / this is just a temporary speedbump, but failure brings you freedom.” No wonder Swift has expanded her fanbase to include Dad-Swifties (and moms) who see her as a role model for their daughters.

Meanwhile, the sonic stylings for “Father Figure” harken back to 2017’s reputation, exploring power dynamics and exploitation in show business that T.S. would know about and have experience in. Spoiler alert: TS wins in the end.

There are many high points for sure. One is funky “Wood” with its Stevie Wonder-esque “For Once In My Life”-styled intro with chewy bubble gum melodies set alongside driving basslines to power Swift’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics of: ‘forgive me, it sounds cocky / he dick-matized me and opened my eyes / Redwood tree, it ain’t hard to see / his love was the key that opened my thighs.’ Swift writes an ode to her soon-to-be permanent relations in “Honey” and it’s a glimpse to how these days are the sweetest for our heroine.

Those weaned on “Folklore” would appreciate “Eldest Daughter” for the songwriting gem that it is. Other highlights include: soft rock flavored “Ruin The Friendship” ; Weezer-esque pop on “Actually Romantic” and Swift about cancel-culture on “CANCELLED” ; and TS-style love song "Wi$h Li$t."

Title track “The Life Of A Showgirl” takes the spotlight, though, and is Swift’s fly-in-the-wall look into showbiz. ‘Married to the hustle’ she sings at one point, as it’s about navigating life in the public eye, showbiz industry realities as much as it is about love and contentment. Having Sabrina Carpenter prominently here is Taylor acknowledging a fellow ‘showgirl’ and heir apparent. Works wonders for the marketing clout as well.

An interesting comment the wife mentioned prior to the writing of this article. “Taylor Swift is not afraid. She doesn’t overthink her next career move. She’s not the greatest, but she’s consistent, and before you know it, she’s there singing at every phase in your life.”

I agree on all but disagree on one.

Taylor Swift is one of the greatest.