Biggest reactions to Taylor Swift’s 'The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore'' | indy100

Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott

Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore deluxe album is out now - but what are Swifties making of it?

The singer has released four brand new songs written and produced by Taylor Swift, Max Martin and Shellback, including lead single “Patient Zero”.

Directed by Taylor Swift and starring Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson, and cinematography by Academy Award winner Emmanuel Lubezki (The Revenant, Birdman, Gravity), the music video will premiere at 2026 VMAs on Sunday (September 27) where Swift will receive the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors.

Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott

"About a year ago, you guys did a truly unfathomable thing. Something that completely blew my mind… You gave The Life of a Showgirl the biggest first week for an album in history," Swift said in her deluxe album announcement.

"I took a trip to Sweden to celebrate with Max and Shellback, my two collaborators on this album. Really we just wanted to reflect and take in how grateful we were for the moment we were in, but there was a studio there and we did what we do when we feel anything at all: We wrote more songs. I hope you love them, because they were born out of pure gratitude for your exuberance for and celebration of the album we made.”

Along with 'Patient Zero,' the other tracks include 'Cleveland!', 'Pink Clouding,' and 'Babylon' - here is a breakdown for each of them:

Patient Zero

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The lead single is a a violin-driven melodic pop track where Swift is addressing a former lover’s new partner, and referring to herself as “patient zero” as metaphor to express how she was first to experience the emotional turmoil from him.

"But if you wanna party with somebody who might know/ About the devil on his shoulder under his halo," she sings in the chorus.

Cleveland!

Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates with Taylor Swift after a 17-10 victory against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game at M&T Bank Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

This is a clear love declaration to new husband Travis Kelce, who grew up in Ohio suburb of Cleveland Heights, with the lyrics "He already took me to Cleveland / And showed me The Heights."

"Now I'm wearing white," referencing their July wedding at New York's Madison Square Garden.

There is a spoken-word style bridge where Swift tells us, "You only need to find one person in this entire world who doesn't find you completely insufferable..."

Pink Clouding

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The term "pink clouding" describes "a stage of early addiction recovery that involves feelings of euphoria and elation. When you’re in this phase, you feel confident and excited about recovery."

In this context, Swift uses the term to reflect on the short-lived thrill of a romantic fling before reality kicks in, and apologises for her actions, "And the way I treated you, you never deserved it / And I swear to God, to this day / I wake up scared that I left scars on a good person."

"But I was pink cloudin' from the thrill of it / Skydivin' as you wrapped your arms around my body," she sings. "Years later, I still wonder how to tell you sorry / I didn't wanna let you down / So I left you up there on a pink cloud."

Meanwhile, sonically the track has elements of disco pop and electropop.

Babylon

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Out of all the new songs, this one is perhaps does the most with storytelling in addition to the folk guitars and cascading melodies, with 'Babylon' serving as a metaphor, on how wanting more isn't what it's cracked up to be.

Swift provides vivid details from "hanging Christmas lights with your son" and waking up on the train "with your headphones gone" and when the penny finally drops "that small town’s even smaller now in your rearview."

"You never knew it was Babylon ‘til it was gone," she cautions.

What are fans saying?

Since the new tracks dropped, Swifties and music fans have taken to social media to share their thoughts - and much like the reaction to the original album, they're pretty divided.

On the one hand, there were many who were loving the new songs, expressing which lyrics they enjoyed the most.

One person said, "Babylon by Taylor Swift."

"NOSTALGIA IS A WEAPON THAT YOU HURT YOURSELF BUT DARLING YOU END UP HURTING EVERYBODY ELSE TAYLOR SWIFT!!!!!!!" a second person wrote.

A third person added, "What people don’t realize is a taylor swift song can be fine to the average person but it really takes a phd in swiftieism to understand all the layers and connections and expansions at play here that make it truly excellent."

"My favorite genre of Taylor Swift song is where she directly confronts and pokes fun at the nonsensical criticism she receives and responds with well I’m me and I’m happy so stay mad," a fourth person commented.

"Pink clouding is like if back to december and getaway car had a child who was raised on pure self-respect. it’s the ground where “i hope you healed from the scars i left while hurting myself and not knowing how to navigate it” and “i won’t let that guilt color my future” co-exist."

"I love cleveland! bc im pure of heart and full of whimsy. Sorry to you if you don’t get it."

"Me listening to 'pink clouding' by Taylor Swift."

On the other hand, there were others who weren't a fan of the album after their initial first listens since it dropped today.

One person said, "Taylor Swift you’ve written some of the best bridges in lyrical history I know you’re in there somewhere come back to us please."

"Cleveland is the worst song she has ever put out in 20 years," a second person wrote.

A third person added, "This is all an elaborate bait and switch to prepare us for the state of grace/holy ground/cowboy like me/treacherous/right where you left me excellence of ts13."

"Would never relinquish my swiftie duties…but after 20 years sometimes you just have to say that’s nice honey and press play on state of grace," a fourth person commented.

"The old taylor can’t come to the phone right now."

"This genuinely randomest album ever I can’t wait to discuss it amongst normal people only in few years when hysteria dies."

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