Taylor Swift’s 'Showgirl: Encore' becomes second-worst-rated pop album of the decade on Metacritic

Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore is currently rated 43 on Metacritic, making it the second-worst-reviewed album by a pop star this decade, according to TV Fandom Lounge.

Released on September 25, the album features four new tracks including "Babylon", “Patient Zero”, “Cleveland!” and “Pink Clouding”.

The score for the new release is reportedly comparable to Katy Perry’s 143, which received 35 on Metacritic in 2024.

Critics from several outlets also questioned Swift’s latest songs and their creative direction.

The Telegraph review described the release bluntly, “I’m a Swiftie, and even I think these new songs are terrible. The Life of a Showgirl: Encore Edition is just as derivative and flat as the original album.”

The reviewer added, “She no longer has the incentive to take creative risks. No producer or record label boss would dare offer a critical opinion. It’s a crying shame. Modern pop’s greatest voice risks rubbishing her own legacy because she’s scared to take a day off.”

The Guardian, meanwhile, criticised Swift’s recurring focus on her critics, writing, “For all that she laments the haters, she sure does write a lot of songs about them.”

The Independent also criticised “Cleveland”, calling it “some of her worst writing”.

Consequence offered another assessment, describing Swift as a “predictable, bordering-on-bland caricature” and arguing that the songs lack a distinct identity.

Despite the critical response, Swift’s previous Showgirl release achieved 4.002 million album-equivalent units in its first week, highlighting the continued strength of her commercial reach.