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Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ Sets Spotify Records on Release Day

The pop-focused return to Max Martin with Shellback underscores lyrics centered on her relationship with Travis Kelce.

Overview

  • The 12-track album arrived October 3 with a single guest spot, a title-track duet with Sabrina Carpenter.
  • Spotify confirmed it as the most pre-saved album in the platform’s history and the top single-day streamer of 2025 within hours of release.
  • A companion 89-minute documentary is screening in more than 100 countries through October 5 and has sold about $15 million in U.S. tickets.
  • Reviews are divided, with The Guardian faulting thin hooks and pacing, Billboard calling it one of her most cohesive projects, and The New York Times noting a newly optimistic tone.
  • Songs reference her engagement to Travis Kelce, touch on industry battles over her masters, and include some of her most explicit material to date.