Today in Focus From boom to backlash: has Taylor Swift lost her touch?
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Oct 10, 2025 
Laura Snapes, Deputy Music Editor at The Guardian, and Alexis Petridis, Chief Pop and Rock Critic, dive into the backlash surrounding Taylor Swift's latest album. They unpack the mixed critical reactions and explore controversial marketing tactics, like multiple vinyl variants criticized for exploiting superfans. The duo also critiques the album's musical quality, noting its derivative sounds. Finally, they discuss Swift's evolution as an industry powerhouse and speculate on her creative future, hinting at potential themes of marriage and motherhood.
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Swift As A Cultural Economy
- Taylor Swift operates like a one-woman industry who repeatedly breaks sales and streaming records.
- Her eras tour even boosted the UK economy by around one billion pounds, showing cultural and economic reach.
Backlash Beyond One Album
- The Life of a Showgirl prompted intense, polarised backlash about quality and tone.
- Critics argue the album raises broader questions about Swift's brand, messaging, and what she monetises.
Variant Strategy Drives Resentment
- Fans accused Swift of exploiting superfans via multiple vinyl and CD variants to boost sales.
- The announced promise of 'no extra songs' felt undermined when regionally limited medleys forced collectors to buy multiple copies.