It’s showtime! Taylor Swift‘s The Life of a Showgirl has finally arrived after months of buildup, complete with 12 new songs.
Released on Friday (Oct. 3) and produced entirely by the pop star, Max Martin and Shellback, the album finds Swift looking back on her past two years of life — which she largely spent on the road on her global Eras Tour. On “Father Figure,” she interpolates George Michael’s 1987 hit of the same name, and on title track “The Life of a Showgirl,” Sabrina Carpenter joins her for their first official duet since touring together last year.
“The Fate of Ophelia” serves as the LP’s lead single, with Swift premiering a music video for the track in her The Official Release Party of a Showgirl event that will run in theaters all weekend.
Arriving about 18 months after 17-week Billboard 200-topper The Tortured Poets Department, the 14-time Grammy winner’s newest full length almost feels like a complete 180 for her. Following the black-and-white aesthetics and melancholy lyricism of TTPD, the high saturation and sparkles associated with Showgirl — which is comprised of flashy pop bangers — feel even more vibrant.
Leading up to the release of Showgirl, Swift kept fans guessing about the project through a number of methods. Teaming up with Spotify, the singer dropped a handful of lyrics through a pop-up immersive experience in New York City, and with Apple Music, Swift revealed even more snippets by capitalizing “random” letters in her lyrics.
On Friday night, Swift will appear on The Graham Norton Show to promote the album. In the coming days, she’ll do the same on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night With Seth Meyers.
Listen to Swift’s new album The Life of a Showgirl below.
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