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Swift's promotional blitz includes midnight sales, global

release parties, pop-up experiences

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Some critics praise upbeat songs, others cooler

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AMC Theatres to screen release party film

By Dawn Chmielewski

LOS ANGELES, October 3 (Reuters) - Superstar Taylor

Swift's 12th studio album, "The Life of a Showgirl," arrived on

Friday with a promotional blitz including midnight sales at

Target ( TGT ) stores, a release party at movie theaters around the

globe and pop-up experiences in New York and Los Angeles.

It follows "The Tortured Poets Department", which debuted at No.

1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and sold the equivalent of 8

million albums in the United States, according to Luminate, a

firm that tracks music sales.

Swift's latest offering is expected to be similarly lapped

up by her huge global fan base, even though the music press gave

the release a mixed response.

"With this album it's exactly where I am at in my life,"

Swift told Britain's Capital Breakfast radio show, kicking off

promotional appearances.

"I am exactly in the same spot as I was when I made this

record so it feels very accurate to my life experience right

now."

Many critics praised the upbeat songs and humour on the

12-song album, whose title track features Sabrina Carpenter.

Rolling Stone gave it five stars saying Swift "shoots into a

fresh echelon of superstardom - and hits all her marks", while

Britain's BBC called it "a triumphant pop victory lap".

Awarding it two stars, The Financial Times and Guardian

newspapers were cooler, with the former saying the album was

"charismatic as ever, but lacks sparkle" and the latter

describing it as "dull razzle-dazzle from a star who seems

frazzled".

'RARE POSITION'

Swift has been building anticipation for the album since August

11, when she posted a countdown on her website that kept fans

waiting until 12:12 a.m. ET on August 12, when she revealed the

new record.

The next day, she appeared on the "New Heights" podcast

hosted by her fiancé, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce,

and his brother, retired Philadelphia Eagles lineman Jason

Kelce. The Top-10 rated sports and pop-culture podcast provided

a friendly platform for Swift to talk about the album, which she

said had been inspired by the joy she felt while performing

around the world on her record-setting Eras Tour. The August 13

episode has surpassed 23.4 million views on YouTube.

"She occupies a very rare position in today's fragmented music

landscape: she is an active superstar with a massive and loyal

fan base," said Tatiana Cirisano, vice president of music

strategy for MIDiA Research.

These passionate followers, or "Swifties," help the artist rise

to the top of the charts, said Cirisano.

"So few can get such a massive number of people listening to

the same thing at once. So, it would surprise me a lot if the

new release did not reach her usual level of success," she

said.

Swift's globe-trotting Eras Tour was the highest-grossing tour

of all time, surpassing $2 billion in ticket sales by the time

it concluded in December 2024, according to Pollstar, a trade

publication that tracks the concert industry. That figure does

not include the boost to hotel and Airbnb ( ABNB ) rentals, restaurant

tabs and merchandise sales.

Academics have said Swift rivals other pop icons, like Elvis or

Michael Jackson, in terms of her cultural impact -- whether it's

driving tune-in to NFL gamesor leading voter registration

drives.

Business partners have been eager to tap into the phenomenon

that's been dubbed "Swiftonomics."

AMC Theatres announced plans to distribute "The Official Release

Party of a Showgirl," an 89-minute film that features the

album's first music video, "The Fate of

Ophelia," behind-the-scenes footage, and Swift's reflections on

the album's songs. It will be in limited release, from Friday

through Sunday, in more than 50 markets.

Retailer Target ( TGT ) opened some stores at midnight to sell a

limited-edition vinyl pressing of the album with a "gold

shimmer," and three CDs featuring exclusive album and poster

art.

Music streaming service Spotify ( SPOT ) opened a three-day pop-up in

New York on Tuesday, with song lyrics hidden among displays that

included a dressing room and other trappings of a concert tour.

On Friday, TikTok opened its own "Life of a Showgirl"

installation in Los Angeles.

Swift's promotional appearances include stops on "The Graham

Norton Show" on Friday, "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon"

on Monday and "Late Night with Seth Meyers" on Wednesday.