Lyrics from Taylor Swift’s upcoming album Life of a Showgirl have earned eyerolls from fans, after they were revealed in anticipation of the record’s release.
Swift, 35, was lampooned by various netizens after a lyric in which she grumbles over the pitfalls of her glitzy life was unveiled to the public.Â
‘Oftentimes it doesn’t feel so glamorous to be me,’ the phrasing from the unknown song read.Â
The lyric was unveiled at a Spotify pop-up celebrating her upcoming record in New York City, along with a massive billboard in the middle of Times Square.
Swift, who was declared a billionaire by Forbes in 2024, faced backlash over the ‘tone deaf’ message, with one writing:Â ‘Aww, poor baby. She can sulk and count her millions.’
‘Taylor Swift really cosplaying the struggle like her Eras Tour grossed less than $1k,’ another wrote.
Lyrics from Taylor Swift’s upcoming album Life of a Showgirl have earned eyerolls from fans, after they were revealed in anticipation of the record’s release
Another noted: ‘She’s calling out the dark side of fame, but critics will say it’s the same old victim card in a new costume.’
On Reddit, the backlash continued, with one calling out the optics of showcasing this particular lyric.
‘Even if it turns out to be a great song, this is an awful lyric to lead with PRwise,’ one posted.Â
‘What an odd thing to say considering what most people are going through today,’ another perplexed Redditer commented.
Another wrote: ‘Agreed, it’s tone deaf. There’s a lot of us that work jobs that feel like a prison for a hell of a lot less. If you hate it so much, step back. She could still have a successful career songwriting for other people.’
Another preemptively addressed criticism over viewers taking the lyric out of context, pointing out that the phrasing was advertised without any additional explanation.
‘Yup. & here before everyone says ‘bUt ThE COnTeXT maTtErS’ when they made an intentional decision to post this lyric without context lol,’ another said.
The lyrics drew criticism from netizens, offended by the billionaire’s grumbling about her glamorous life
A Redditor said the optics of showcasing this particular lyric were not great
Swift, who was declared a billionaire by Forbes in 2024, faced backlash over the ‘tone deaf’ message
One fan, however, did make clear they were going to withhold judgement until after hearing the song, while another compared the lyric to Britney Spears’ song Lucky, a track about a misunderstood pop star.Â
Another pointed out that the criticism about the superstar was unfair, summarizing: ‘She’s extremely privileged, but she’s a person too.’
However a Redditor said the lyrics still got them rolling their eyes: ‘There are plenty of celebrities at/near her level that enjoy and/or strive for more privacy than her and don’t reheat the same complaints about fame on their albums… I’m excited for the album don’t get me wrong but I do roll my eyes at lyrics like this.’Â
It’s not known exactly what song the lyric is from, however several theorized the phrasing may be from the album’s upcoming song Elizabeth Taylor.
The Life of a Showgirl: A Spotify Experience officially opened today and will run until October 2. The immersive, three-day activation in the Big Apple welcomes ‘fans to discover hidden Easter eggs and capture exclusive photo moments, all inspired by the album,’ according to a press release.
‘It’s a chance for listeners to experience the next era before it officially arrives, surrounded by the music and visuals that have shaped their anticipation.’
Swift revealed her next album’s title in the early hours of 12 August, announcing it at 12.12am.
The following day, she appeared on New Heights, the podcast hosted by her NFL star fiance Travis Kelce, 35, and his brother Jason, to share further details of the release.
One fan compared the track to the Britney Spears song Lucky, a track about a misunderstood pop star
Another said they were going to withhold judgement until they heard the song
The Life of a Showgirl will feature 12 songs, including a collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter on the title track.
It follows Taylor’s previous release, The Tortured Poets Department, which came out in April 2024.
On 31 August, Spotify confirmed via Instagram The Life of a Showgirl had become the most pre-saved album in the history of its Countdown Page.
The album will be available to stream, download and purchase on its release date, as well as broadcast on SiriusXM.
The day prior Swift left fans ‘screaming and crying’ from joy, after announcing that she will be having a theatrical release party to celebrate her new album.
Swift revealed her next album’s title in the early hours of 12 August, announcing it at 12.12am
It’s not known exactly what song the lyric is from, however several theorized the phrasing may be from the song Elizabeth Taylor
The superstar is planning the theatrical event to coincide with the October 3 launch of her 12th studio album.
‘I hereby invite you to a *dazzling* soirée, The Official Release Party of a Showgirl: Oct 3 – Oct 5 only in cinemas!’ she shared via an Instagram post on Friday.
‘You’ll get to see the exclusive world premiere of the music video for my new single “The Fate of Ophelia”, along with never before seen behind-the-scenes footage of how we made it, cut by cut explanations of what inspired this music, and the brand new lyric videos from my new album The Life of a Showgirl.’
‘Looks like it’s time to brush off that Eras Tour outfit or orange cardigan… Tickets are on sale now. Dancing is optional but very much encouraged,’ the star added.
She wrapped up the post writing: ‘Showtimes may vary, so check your local listings. Tickets are limited and available at releasepartyofashowgirl.com.’
The Life of a Showgirl will be released on October 3.Â
