"Folklore meets 1989" - Fans react to Taylor Swift saying "The Life of a Showgirl" is all about pop melodies without losing the story-telling

Taylor Swift has shared more details about her upcoming album, The Life of a Showgirl, during her appearance on Travis and Jason Kelce's podcast, New Heights Show, on August 13, 2025. The podcast episode premiered a day after the singer announced her 12th studio album, scheduled for release on October 3, 2025.

During the episode, Swift shared that the album's vibe leans more towards "infectious" pop melodies that hinge on lyrics that are "vivid but crisp and focused and completely intentional.” Furthermore, she added that the album was full of "bangers" that came from the "most infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic place I was in in my life."

“This album is about what was going on behind the scenes in my inner life during this tour, which was so exuberant and electric and vibrant. I’m so proud of it. And it comes from the most infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic place I was in in my life, so that effervescence has come through on this record. So as you said, bangers,” she said.

Taylor Swift's comments about The Life of a Showgirl's theme were met with excited responses from Swifties on X, with one fan predicting a crossover of her pop hit 1989 and her more introspective 2020 LP, Folklore.

"Folklore meets 1989… oh she is GETTING that AOTY!"

Several Swifties echoed this sentiment, praising Folklore for its storytelling and being excited for what the upcoming album holds.

Some added that Taylor Swift was finally giving the fans what they wanted by combining elements of her "two best albums to make a masterpiece."

Meanwhile, others wondered if trying to imitate either album would detract from the original's authenticity.

Taylor Swift's new album will include 12 songs

Taylor Swift recently unveiled the tracklist for her upcoming album, The Life of a Showgirl, on her Instagram page. The album will feature 12 songs, including a cover of George Michael’s Father Figure and a collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter on the title track. For the uninitiated, Carpenter was one of the open acts on Swift's "The Eras Tour."

Here is the full tracklist of The Life of a Showgirl:

The Fate of Ophelia
Elizabeth Taylor
Opalite
Father Figure
Eldest Daughter
Ruin the Friendship
Actually Romantic
Wi$h Li$t
Wood
Cancelled!
Honey
The Life of a Showgirl (with Sabrina Carpenter)

Taylor Swift reunites with Swedish producers Max Martin and Shellback on The Life of a Showgirl. The Swedish duo last collaborated with Swift on her 2017 album, Reputation, and have also produced tracks on Red and 1989.

Taylor Swift previously dropped Easter eggs about the reunion by curating a playlist of 22 of her songs produced exclusively by the Swedish duo as part of her album announcement on August 12.

During her podcast appearance with boyfriend Travis Kelce on August 13, Taylor Swift explained that she recorded the album while on "The Eras Tour," adding that she had to fly back and forth from Sweden to work on the songs.

“I would do like three shows in a row. I’d have three days off. I’d fly to Sweden, go back to the tour, and was actually working on this. I was physically exhausted at this point in the tour, but I was so mentally stimulated and so excited to be creating," she said.

According to Billboard, The Life of a Showgirl is available in four different limited edition variants on the singer's website. The deluxe CDs reportedly include different cover art, a jewel case, an 8-page collectible booklet, three photo cards, a jewelry box, and a keychain/bag charm/necklace/bracelet.

Priced at $17.99, the variants are named "It's Frightening" edition, "Sweat and Vanilla Perfume" edition, "It's Beautiful" edition, and "It's Rapturous" edition.

Taylor Swift's previous album, The Tortured Poets Department, was released in 2024 as a double album and went on to earn six Grammy nominations.

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Edited by Tiasha