LOS ANGELES, October 3 (Reuters) – Superstar Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” arrived on Friday with a promotional blitz including midnight sales at Target stores, a release party at movie theaters around the globe and pop-up experiences in New York and Los Angeles.
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Swift’s latest offering is expected to be similarly lapped up by her huge global fan base, even though the music press gave the release a mixed response. It became Spotify’s most-streamed album of the year, hitting that milestone in less than 11 hours.
“With this album it’s exactly where I am at in my life,” Swift told Britain’s Capital Breakfast radio show, kicking off promotional appearances.
“I am exactly in the same spot as I was when I made this record so it feels very accurate to my life experience right now.”
Swift once again worked with Swedish producers Max Martin and Shellback on “The Life of a Showgirl,” the duo also worked on records including her best-selling album, ”1989,” and ”Reputation.” Many critics praised the upbeat songs and humor on the 12-song album, whose title track features Sabrina Carpenter.
Rolling Stone gave it five stars saying Swift “shoots into a fresh echelon of superstardom — and hits all her marks”, while Britain’s BBC called it “a triumphant pop victory lap.”
Awarding it two stars, The Financial Times and Guardian newspapers were cooler, with the former saying the album was “charismatic as ever, but lacks sparkle” and the latter describing it as “dull razzle-dazzle from a star who seems frazzled.”
Fans who went to the flagship HMV store in London to buy the album were nonetheless enthusiastic.
“It’s a little bit of a pivot for her,” said Dan Poliak, 62, who lives in Seattle. “But the songs are great … (the album) shows off her songwriting as always, which is her strength. And it’s fun. It’s a fun album.”
‘RARE POSITION’
Item 1 of 3 A billboard advertises “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl,” a movie celebrating Taylor Swift’s new album “The Life of a Showgirl,” in Times Square, New York City, October 3. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
“She occupies a very rare position in today’s fragmented music landscape: she is an active superstar with a massive and loyal fan base,” said Tatiana Cirisano, vice president of music strategy for MIDiA Research.
These passionate followers, or “Swifties,” help the artist rise to the top of the charts, said Cirisano.
“So few can get such a massive number of people listening to the same thing at once. So, it would surprise me a lot if the new release did not reach her usual level of success,” she said.
Even before the album was released, the Recording Industry Association of America said Swift had made history as the first and only female artist to surpass 100 million album sales. Once “The Life of a Showgirl” dropped, Google reported spikes in searches for lyrics to new songs, including “Opalite,” “Ruin the Friendship” and “Actually Romantic,” according to Google Trends.
Swift’s globe-trotting Eras Tour was the highest-grossing tour of all time, surpassing $2 billion in ticket sales by the time it concluded in December 2024, according to Pollstar, a trade publication that tracks the concert industry. That figure does not include the boost to hotel and Airbnb rentals, restaurant tabs and merchandise sales.
AMC Theatres announced plans to distribute “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl,” an 89-minute film that features the album’s first music video, “The Fate of Ophelia,” behind-the-scenes footage, and Swift’s reflections on the album’s songs. It will be in limited release, from Friday through Sunday, in more than 50 markets.
The limited release is expected to top U.S. and Canadian box office this weekend, bringing in $30 to $50 million in ticket sales, according to Daniel Loria, senior vice president of The Boxoffice Company, which provides insights to the movie industry.
Retailer Target opened some stores at midnight to sell a limited-edition vinyl pressing of the album with a “gold shimmer,” and three CDs featuring exclusive album and poster art.
“Taylor Swift-related products and merchandise have been a bright spot for Target over the last few years, helping to offset sales weakness elsewhere,” said Michael Baker, senior research analyst for D.A. Davidson, who noted a previous exclusive Swift book and special-edition vinyl record lifted the retailer’s entertainment category.
Music streaming service Spotify opened a three-day pop-up in New York on Tuesday, with song lyrics hidden among displays that included a dressing room and other trappings of a concert tour. On Friday, TikTok opened its own “Life of a Showgirl” installation in Los Angeles.
Swift’s promotional appearances include stops on “The Graham Norton Show” on Friday, “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Monday and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” on Wednesday.
Additional reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian and Sarah Mills in London and Savyata Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Toby Chopra
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