A couple of months ago, when we first heard about The Life of a Showgirl , Taylor Swift’s heavily hyped 12 th album of new material, on an episode of her fiancé Travis Kelce’s podcast , we were told it contained all “bangers .” This was interpreted to mean reliably catchy, super-accessible pop of the kind she did a decade ago on her blockbuster album 1989 , which would differentiate the LP from her recent , more contemplative output. I’d like to trouble that thesis with a quick longitudinal study.

So here goes: Eight of Swift’s last nine studio albums led off with a No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 . Let’s consider these leadoff singles in two sets: the 2010s and the 2020s. (Though Swift has racked up further No. 1s deeper into her album promotional campaigns, I’m focusi

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