Taylor Swift has long divided the court of public opinion — and her new album does little to change that.

Following its midnight release on Friday, October 3, The Life of a Showgirl received mixed reviews from music critics. Some praised its razor-sharp songwriting, while others argued it pales in comparison to her most beloved records, including 2012’s Red, 2014’s 1989 and 2020’s Folklore.

Rolling Stone gave Swift’s 12th studio album a perfect score of five stars, with assistant editor Maya Georgi writing that the singer, 35, “shoots into a fresh echelon of superstardom — and hits all her marks.” Georgi praised Swift’s lyrics as “hilarious as ever” while also noting that she is “bolder than she has been.” (The song “Wood” contains multiple double entendres about Swift’s fiancé Travis Ke

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