8 takeaways from Taylor Swift's new album, 'The Life of a Showgirl'

toggle caption Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott

Taylor Swift created her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, as she was touring her discography around the world and falling in love with her now-fiancé, Travis Kelce — all under an incredibly bright spotlight.

When she announced its release on a widely-watched August episode of Kelce's New Heights podcast, she promised a peek into "everything that was going on behind the curtain" during her grueling, record-breaking, 21-month Eras Tour.

"This album isn't really about what happened to me on stage, it's about what I was going through offstage," Swift said.

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Swift, one of the biggest pop stars in the world, has a reputation for writing highly confessional songs even as she tries to keep parts of her personal life private — a balancing act that she especially seems to grapple with on The Life of a Showgirl.

Armed with bright melodies, bold beats and referential lyrics, Swift takes shots at the industry and fame itself while swooning over Kelce and the life they are building together. The 12 tracks are packed with takedowns of unnamed critics, wry odes to her beau and hints at what the showgirl has her sights set on next.

Here are eight key takeaways.

The album pulls no punches

Swift said on New Heights that the album comes from an "infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic place." But a lot of the songs on it have much darker undertones,