Taylor Swift’s new album “The Life of a Showgirl” has stormed the charts, selling 2.7 million copies in a single day in the United States and 304 000 in its first three days in the United Kingdom, marking the biggest opening week of 2025 so far.

Released last Friday, 3 October, it has already set a new record for vinyl sales, with 1.2 million copies sold across eight collectable editions.

But while the numbers are dazzling, critical and fan reactions are far more mixed. One critic branded the 35-year-old singer’s 12th output as her “least compelling” work, while another publication went as far as to award it a single star.

Songs about her relationship with American footballer Travis Kelce have drawn particular scrutiny, and her companion film, “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl”, has been criticised by another major publication as a “lazy big screen cash-in”.

Despite the backlash, Swift remains unfazed. While speaking to an international radio station on Monday, 6 October, she laughed off rumours of retirement: “That’s a shockingly offensive thing to say. It’s not why people get married – so that they can quit their job.”

Whatever the verdict, “The Life of a Showgirl” ensures that Taylor Swift remains firmly at the centre of the cultural conversation.

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