Taylor Swift gave fans four new songs on Friday, but The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore has not received the universal celebration its elaborate rollout might have suggested.
The expanded edition of Swift's blockbuster 2025 album adds 'Patient Zero,' 'Cleveland!', 'Pink Clouding' and 'Babylon,' all written with Max Martin and Shellback after a trip to Sweden.
Yet within hours of release, some long-time Swifties were describing themselves as disappointed, burnt out and overwhelmed by another addition to an already heavily extended album era.
Taylor Swift's 'Encore' Adds Four New Songs
Swift announced The Encore after teasing fans with her familiar Easter eggs, including replacing the letter 'O' with zeros across her social media.
Explaining the project, Swift said she travelled to Sweden to celebrate The Life of a Showgirl with Martin and Shellback following its record-breaking first week. The reunion soon turned into another writing session.
View this post on Instagram
'We did what we do when we feel anything at all: We wrote more songs,' Swift said, describing the tracks as being 'born out of pure gratitude' for fans' response to the original record. 'Patient Zero' received the biggest promotional push.
The song uses illness as a metaphor for a damaging relationship, with Swift addressing another woman involved with the same man. Its music video, featuring Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell, was premiered during Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards.
Swifties Question 'The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore'
The reaction, however, quickly became divided. One popular Swift-focused commentator, Swiftologist, wrote, 'The Encore was a bad idea,' despite calling 'Pink Clouding' and 'Babylon' 'SO AMAZING' and praising 'Patient Zero.'
The contradiction captured much of the conversation: listeners could enjoy individual songs while questioning whether another expanded release was necessary.
View this post on Instagram
On Reddit, one fan called it their 'most disappointing Taylor release' despite liking the songs more after a second listen. Another wrote, 'I just simply have Taylor Swift burnout.'
Others were considerably happier. In a separate Swiftie discussion, listeners praised 'Patient Zero' and 'Pink Clouding', while one fan said all four tracks were 'so good.'
Why Some Taylor Swift Fans Feel Burnt Out
The criticism also extends beyond the quality of four songs.
Swift has maintained a relentless release schedule surrounding The Life of a Showgirl, with multiple editions preceding The Encore. Pitchfork noted that the latest expansion follows releases including the Acoustic Collection, So Glamorous Cabaret Version and So Punk on the Internet Version.
That frequency has become part of the debate. One Reddit commenter said they felt 'a little manipulated by all the re-releases,' while another argued Swift should have stepped away after the Eras Tour and The Tortured Poets Department to 'let people miss her for a while.'
Still, plenty of fans are enjoying the new music. 'Babylon' and 'Pink Clouding' have emerged as early favourites, while others said the songs grew on them after a second listen. Business Insider also pointed out that Swift's constant output may have a fairly simple explanation: she likes working and making music.
However, the complaints about burnout haven't disappeared. Some Swifties who have followed her through the Eras Tour, The Tortured Poets Department and The Life of a Showgirl simply wanted more time before another release. For those fans, The Encore arriving with another major rollout felt like one too many Taylor Swift releases.
