When Taylor Swift’s record-smashing Eras Tour concluded in Vancouver last December, the pop mega star shimmied her way off stage at the very pinnacle of her imperial reign. The mammoth trek spanned 149 shows in 51 cities across five continents, becoming the highest-grossing music tour of all time. The momentous victory lap not only served as a celebration of every glitter-filled era from her nearly two-decade-long career, but also gave fans a lasting time capsule of connection that felt like a truly special moment to be a part of.
Throughout those two years on the road – or should we say, in the air – Swift’s influence continued to reach new heights. She boosted economies (a phenomenon dubbed “Swiftonomics”), sparked new laws and encouraged record-breaking voter registration. She became the richest female musician in the world, and, in her personal life, entered a high-profile relationship with NFL star Travis Kelce. Her extraordinary influence was formally recognised when Time magazine named her its Person Of The Year in 2023. “To discuss her movements felt like discussing politics or the weather,” the magazine wrote, “a language spoken so widely it needed no context. She became the main character of the world.”
During this time, it felt like that momentum would propel her long into many more successful future eras. Yet, with the release of her new album, ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’, fans are finally starting to admit that the oversaturation of underwhelming new music – and the countless physical variants constantly on offer – is contributing to a sense of fatigue.
Annie, 22, from Glasgow, has been a fan of Swift since the ‘Red’ era and used to run a Swiftie TikTok page, but now feels as though “the past few years have been a case of quantity over quality”. “She’s always been an artist whose albums were just as popular as her singles because each had a clear vision and voice, but that’s been lost recently,” she explains. “It feels like Taylor hasn’t got anything urgent to say as an artist at the moment, but insists on releasing work anyway. I fear a break is needed.”
Recorded during the jam-packed schedule of the Eras Tour’s European leg, Swift indeed made a speedy return to the studio after the mixed reception to her self-described “data dump” double album ‘The Tortured Poets Department’. Promising a return to pure pop “bangers” with the help of collaborators Max Martin and Shellback, the powerhouse producers behind hits like ‘Shake It Off’ and ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’, she spent her precious days off between shows working on the new record in Sweden.
Yet within the week since the album arrived, much of the discourse has revolved around the notion that this intense work ethic could be her undoing. “At what point does being too prolific start to undercut the art itself?” one Reddit user pondered. “Put the pen down and take a break,” pleaded a fan on TikTok who attended the Eras Tour. The Guardian music critic Alexis Petridis similarly wondered in his review if the album was “rushed”, adding: “Even the immortal, it seems, sometimes need to take a break from pop’s constant churn and unceasing clamour for content.”
Adelisa, 29, from Chicago, has been listening to Swift since her ‘Fearless’ era, but also feels her recent albums are a far cry from her best work. “I’ve really enjoyed the re-releases she was doing prior to buying back her masters,” she shares. “It was fun re-living the nostalgia of those albums coming out, and some of the vault tracks have been great as well. As for new albums, I wish there was more of an emphasis on quality over quantity.”
This sense of weariness is a continuation of what many fans were starting to feel from as early as last year, as opinion pieces questioned if Swift was giving too much to her fans. As a casual Taylor Swift listener myself, who lost their voice at the Eras Tour and spent the whole summer obsessing over every sync in The Summer I Turned Pretty, I’m still waiting for more of the deep, contemplative songwriting of ‘Folklore’ or ‘Evermore’, or the sharp, shimmering pop melodies of ‘Midnights’. Knowing that Swift has worked on her last two records amidst the madness of touring feels like a brag which doesn’t celebrate her dedication so much as point to the very real possibility that these were rush jobs.
Compounding this oversaturation fatigue is Swift’s continued focus on dropping numerous physical and digital variants with different colours, bonus tracks and alternative artwork, which, at the time of writing, had exceeded 30. Adelisa says it’s “hard to argue it’s anything but excessive”, while noting Swift isn’t the only artist who engages in this practice. Annie also agrees that the “excessive album release and re-release cycle definitely puts a bad taste in my mouth”.
Hannah, 29, from Edinburgh, has been a Swiftie since ‘Love Story’ and says she still “loves” the music side of Swift’s career, but admits to finding “the number of variants a bit excessive”, adding that “all of the countdowns” advertised on Swift’s social media and website have “just been for more variants”, saying this can make it difficult for fans to decide which version they want to purchase.
Still, plenty of Swifties continue to welcome the steady stream of music and physical releases to add to their collections. Amy, 26, from Sheffield, insists that “as a fan, the more Taylor, the better”. “I truly don’t think the time between albums affects the quality,” she says, having been a fan since 2007. “I listen to Taylor Swift because I enjoy her work, just as I would continue to buy new books from authors I love.”
Polly, 28, from Cardiff, has been a fan since 2008, and also feels that regular drops are a joyful experience. “I’ve really loved the fast-paced releases. I particularly enjoyed how the fandom bolstered and created unifying digital experiences and connections in our increasingly isolated world,” she shares. ”It’s a lot, off-putting perhaps, even for some dedicated fans, and especially for casual listeners. But I absolutely loved it, and so did my Swiftie friends.”
From a purely numbers perspective, Swift’s popularity is showing no signs of waning. But it’s hard to deny that there’s been a perceptible vibe shift with ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’ that has prompted many lifelong Swifties to speak out about feeling disappointed or even exploited. As she prepares to enter a new era with a hard rock on her finger and a wedding on the horizon, a big question mark looms over where she’s headed next. Her next album is TS13, which is her lucky number. What that record might sound like is still a mystery, but there’s no doubt expectations – and stakes – will be higher than ever.
