They Want to See You Rise, They Don’t Want You to Reign: Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” Meets Mixed Reviews Across the Internet
Taylor Swift, a fourteen-time Grammy award-winning artist, songwriter, director, tycoon, actress, and doctor of fine arts, is both praised and loathed across social media for her loyal fanbase. Upon the release of her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, her masses of critics have become divided. Many claim the record sounds “AI-produced,” and that Swift’s lyricism has “fallen off” compared to her more melancholy and poetry-rich discography, such as Folklore and The Tortured Poet’s Department. According to many listeners who enjoy Swift’s newer, more upbeat sound, deep roots of systematic and societal misogyny are being brought to light: it seems it’s only alright for a woman to be successful while she’s suffering.
TS12 was written while Swift was lighting up the stage on her record-breaking Eras Tour, where fans gathered in stadiums and created communities online to keep up with the phenomenon. The tour grossed $2 billion overall, and spanned a total of 632 days across 51 cities and five continents. During one of her Los Angeles shows, where the re-recording for her infamous record 1989 was announced worldwide, rumors of a relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce began to spark, as he made her a friendship bracelet (an Eras Tour token) with his phone number and tried to give it to her backstage. Their romance was a headlining topic on social media for the whole year that passed until the Eras Tour ended, and throughout that time, the couple was seen supporting each other by showing up to the other’s shows and games, cheering them on from the sidelines.
During the Eras Tour shows where Kelce was in attendance, he was revered and celebrated. Fans quickly fell in love with the athlete due to his loud love for Swift. In contrast, Swift was slandered by football fans for “ruining football,”, with her appearance at games, and was even heavily booed by the stadium where the Chiefs had their second consecutive superbowl participation in February of 2025. The pair kept away from the public eye until August, where The Life of a Showgirl was announced by Swift on the Kelce brothers’ video podcast, “New Heights.” Later that same day, Kelce proposed in the backyard of his home in Missouri, and their relationship continues to be of remarkable attention. The release of the album fueled the focus, as most of its tracks seem to be about the relationship, as well as her unmistakable elation.
more photo variants from The Life of a Showgirl
swift posed for numerous photoshoots for the album’s promotion. variants can be found in CD and record inserts, as well as packages ordered special from her website.
Critics have since swarmed Tik Tok, Instagram, YouTube, X and Reddit, as well as their comment sections. Taylor Swift is under fire, yet again, for her lyrical and textural choices within her music, and how her new genre differs from her last. For example, New York Post reporter Johnny Oleksinski called the album a “frankly laughable blend of clunky cliches, awkward sex jokes and a real Salisbury Steak of celeb beefs that make you shake your head, not shake it off.” This has appeared to be a theme within her discography; the same occurrence happened during the release of The Tortured Poet’s Department, Midnights, the sister albums of Evermore and Folklore, and so on. So called “fans” have put the songwriter on trial for differing her music influences and tone upon each release, and the latest has opened many people’s eyes to a harsh reality deeply ingrained in our culture.
Now that Taylor Swift is happy, and portrays it as such in her art, the poetry and creativity she brings to her craft has become obsolete. As a society, we have become comfortable living in our own misery and we unconsciously discredit anyone who has escaped their own. This is especially the case for women in power, whether through artistic approaches, political and administrative suffrage or the working class heroes and homemakers that make the world go ‘round. With a woman such as Swift, someone with great influence and power across the globe, becoming happy and fulfilled in her career, self-image, partnership and potentially motherhood, the systemic patriarchy burdening feminism and the growth of womankind loosens its grip ever so slightly. Women might begin to see a life of fulfillment and authority over oneself as more attainable, and that it doesn’t compromise one’s power or credibility. From a totalitarian lens, this would cause trouble, to say the least. The argument is clear: women only have validity in the eyes of the masses of social media if they are oppressed, and therefore “relatable.”
Swift is one of many artists most regarded for her songs encompassing love and heartbreak, and every lingering feeling that comes with it. Her fanbase is built on people of all ages, genders and identities who find comfort in her music, as well as the vast community of Swifties she inspires. Relatability has been considered Swift’s greatest tool at her disposal for public outreach, and with it she’s built an empire off of her songs. “What you’re going through in your life is going to affect whether you relate to the music that I’m putting out at any given moment,” Swift said herself, while speaking on Apple Music’s The Zane Lowe Show on Tuesday morning. However, as consumers let’s consider this as well: art as a whole is also purposed to facilitate empathy and knowledge by broadening perspectives, not only as a source of being seen. Art is also subjective, and as cliche as the statement is, art to some isn’t considered art to others. There is no ultimate definition of it, or the understanding that it facilitates.
Embarking on this new era, Swift gracefully delivers the opportunity to join her in celebrating the small, yet meaningful aspects of life. My favorite track from the album is a tough tie between “Cancelled!” or “The Fate of Ophelia,” the leading single. Fans, enjoyers and critics alike, can have their own perspectives and feel free to share them however they’d like. In the end, all press is good press, and Swift herself is living in opalite skies.
