Taylor Swift has spent nearly two decades building an image as the ultimate role model for young girls — but her latest album cover is sparking a wave of backlash from parents who say they no longer want their daughters idolizing her.
Swift, 35, revealed the artwork for her upcoming 12th studio album The Life of a Showgirl during an appearance on her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s New Heights podcast. The cover shows her submerged in water with only her face above the surface, sparkling in showgirl-inspired glam.
As always, whenever Taylor Swift drops something new, the comment sections explode into pure chaos. Fans, critics, and everyone in between rushing to weigh in.
While the pop icon described the look as a playful nod to her exhausting nights on tour — “My day ends with me in a bathtub, not usually in a bedazzled dress,” she explained — some parents online weren’t buying it.
“I thought this was a crime scene photo,” one critic wrote, according to Bored Panda. Another added, “That cover is screaming 80s!”
Some compared Swift’s look to other stars. ”This is unfortunately screaming that current Jennifer Lopez crawling on the stage look….” one comment read, while another person said, “She has turned into Kylie Minogue.” Others went further: “What is the white Beyoncé is going on here?!” and “Put some freaking clothes on.”
”I don’t get the title. Also these pictures are not appropriate for little girls so i definitely don’t wanna hear you swifites say otherwise,” another on said.
Not everyone agreed, though. One fan fired back at critics: “Do yall channel this energy when other stars dress in similar show girl styles? Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Sabrina, Christina Aguilera, Marilyn Monroe… eye ROLL.”
And looking at the comments overall, most were overwhelmingly positive and supportive. Which isn’t all that surprising – after all, the majority of people following Swift on social media are die-hard fans.
During the podcast, Swift opened up about writing the album during her Eras Tour.
“Working on this, I was physically exhausted at this point in the tour, but I was so mentally stimulated and so excited to be creating,” she said. Her NFL star boyfriend chimed in: “Literally living the life of a showgirl.”
Kelce also praised his girlfriend as “the best songwriter in the world.” Swift playfully shot back, “Says my boyfriend.”
The 12-track record features songs like The Fate of Ophelia, Elizabeth Taylor, Father Figure, Ruined the Friendship, Wi$h Li$t, and the title track, The Life of a Showgirl, a collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter. Swift says the album tells the story of “everything that was going on behind the curtain” of her tour.
But alongside the glitter and glam, questions linger about whether Swift’s new image is too over-the-top for the millions of young girls who still look up to her.
As one mother bluntly put it online: “I don’t want my daughter idolizing this. She used to be a role model — now she just looks like every other starlet in feathers and sequins.” What do you think of Taylor Swift’s new album cover — bold artistic choice or crossing the line?
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