"Clearly someone woke up and chose violence" - Internet reacts to The Guardian rating Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” 40 out of 100

British publication The Guardian recently reviewed Taylor Swift's new album, The Life of a Showgirl, and rated the LP 40 out of 100, giving it a 2/5 star rating. Swift's 12-track album was released on October 3, 2025, two months after she first announced it in August 2025 and 10 months after she concluded her record-breaking "The Eras Tour" in December 2024.

In its review, The Guardian described The Life of a Showgirl as "dull razzle-dazzle from a star who seems frazzled." Furthermore, the review suggested that Taylor Swift's reunion with Swedish duo Max Martin and Shellback fell flat when compared to their previous hits in 1989 and Reputation.

"But anyone anticipating something similar from Showgirl is in for a shock: the fizzing electronic pop of Reputation and 1989 is conspicuously absent. Instead, its primary currency is breezy, easy-on-the-ear soft rock: acoustic guitars, misty synth tones, subtle orchestrations and breathy backing vocals," the review read.

The review also revisited Swift's claims of “keeping the bar really high” when she first introduced the album on Travis Kelce's New Heights podcast in August, implying that the final product fell short of the expectation she set.

"More startling still is the distinct lack of undeniable hooks and nailed-on melodies. The rest floats in one ear and out the other: not unpleasantly, but you might reasonably expect more given the amassed songwriting firepower behind it, and Swift’s claims of “keeping the bar really high.”"

The Guardian also claimed that Taylor Swift's lyrical prowess in the new album was nowhere near as good as her past work, adding that the metaphors in the song Wood "constitutes weak writing from someone who made her name, at least in part, by being a sharper, wittier, more incisive lyricist than her peers."

The Guardian's review of The Life of a Showgirl was met with varied responses from netizens on X, with one user writing:

"Clearly someone woke up and chose violence."

Several Swifties rose to defend their favorite singer, calling the publication "irrelevant."

Meanwhile, others seemingly agreed with The Guardian's review, calling it "genuine." One user dubbed the album "bland" as opposed to its showgirl-esque title.

Meanwhile, Rolling Stone gave The Life of a Showgirl a 5/5 star rating, adding that Taylor Swift hit all her marks "from new, exciting sonic turns to incisive storytelling." Riff Magazine gave the album 9/10. The Times and The Independent gave the album four stars each, while The Telegraph gave it three stars, saying it “lacks the drama of her earlier music."

Taylor Swift thanked Max Martin and Shellback for helping her "paint this self portrait"

Taylor Swift recently shared a statement just hours before her album's release via social media. In her statement, the singer revealed that she was proud to share the album with her fans and followers, and gave a special shoutout to her "mentors and friends," Max Martin and Shellback.

"I can’t tell you how proud I am to share this with you, an album that just feels so right. A forever thank you goes out to my mentors and friends Max and Shellback for helping me paint this self portrait. If you thought the big show was wild, perhaps you should come and take a look behind the curtain...The Life of a Showgirl is out now."

Rumors of Taylor Swift reuniting with the Swedish producers circulated on social media after she released a playlist titled And, baby, that's show business for you, on August 12, 2025. According to Billboard, the playlist contained 22 songs that the duo produced from 1989, Red and Reputation, including commercial hits like Blank Space and Bad Blood.

During her appearance on her now-fiancé Travis Kelce's podcast on August 13, Taylor Swift confirmed that Martin and Shellback were the producers for her new album. The singer also revealed that she flew to and from Sweden amid her tour to work on The Life of a Showgirl, saying:

"I played concerts. I did like three in a row. I had three days off. Then I flew to Sweden, went back to the tour and worked on this...I was physically exhausted but so mentally stimulated and thrilled to be able to create... Max Martin is my mentor...We did everything in Sweden, it was just the three of us and I said that I wanted to be just as proud of this album as I am of "The Eras Tour."

The 12-track album includes a feature from Sabrina Carpenter on the title track. Carpenter had joined Swift as one of the opening acts on "The Eras Tour" in 2023 and 2024.

Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift at The Eras Tour - New Orleans, LA (Image via Getty)

Meanwhile, Taylor Swift recently revealed that she was engaged to her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. On August 26, the couple took to Instagram to post about the happy news, captioning it, "Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married."

About the author

With a strong love for the English language cultivated from a childhood filled with reading, Juhi aims to take her readers on a literary journey with every word she writes.

When she's not busy putting her pen to paper, Juhi can be found indulging in her hobbies, such as embroidering and crocheting, while binge-watching TV shows.

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Edited by Juhi Marzia