Taylor Swift breaks streaming records once again with her new opus The Life of a Showgirl, released on October 3, 2025. The American singer's 12th studio album became the most listened-to album in a single day on several streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. This phenomenal success follows an already exceptional year for the artist, who has just become engaged to American soccer player Travis Kelce.
In the first few hours after its midnight release, the album conquered the listening platforms. On Spotify, the performance was particularly impressive. In less than 11 hours, The Life of a Showgirl became the most streamed album in a single day in 2025, dethroning Playboi Carti's Music, which had held the record since March. Apple Music and Amazon Music also confirmed similar records on their respective platforms, with Amazon Music even stating that this is the most streamed album of all time in a single day on their service. Suffice to say, Taylor Swift doesn't do things by halves.
The album's lead single, The Fate of Ophelia, is just as successful. The song became the most listened-to track in a single day in Spotify's history, a feat that testifies to the massive enthusiasm of fans. The song, which opens the album, also set a similar record on Apple Music. We told you she didn't do things by halves.
These exceptional performances don't come as a total surprise to music industry observers. Even before its release, The Life of a Showgirl had already made its mark by becoming the most pre-recorded album in Spotify history, with over 6 million pre-saves, beating the previous record held by... her own album The Tortured Poets Department, released the previous year. Taylor Swift versus Taylor Swift, the duel at the summit.
The 12-track opus was created in Sweden with producers Max Martin and Shellback, two stalwarts of the pop music industry. Taylor Swift worked on these tracks during her Eras Tour, which ended in December after becoming the most lucrative world tour of all time. The artist described these new compositions as "bangers", promising an energetic and festive album. We'll let you find out if she lived up to her word.
In the days leading up to the release, Spotify teamed up with Taylor Swift to create a three-day immersive experience in New York. Fans could discover a glittering universe inspired by the album, with photo moments, hidden easter eggs (obviously, it's Taylor Swift) and exclusive gifts. This well-honed marketing strategy helped build anticipation for the highly-anticipated release. And it certainly worked.
The announcement of the album itself caused quite a stir. Taylor Swift revealed the existence of The Life of a Showgirl during an appearance on the New Heights podcast, co-hosted by her fiancé Travis Kelce and Kelce's brother, Jason Kelce. A media moment that had already attracted over a million viewers. Everything Taylor Swift touches turns to gold.
The release of this album comes just a few weeks after Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement on August 26, 2025. During her promotional interviews for the album, notably on British radio station Heart Breakfast, the singer confided in us about her engagement ring, created by jeweler Kindred Lubeck. She recounted how she had shown the craftsman's work to Travis Kelce a year and a half before the proposal, without imagining that he would take note to design his ring. Romantic, the footballer.
On The Graham Norton Show, Taylor Swift also revealed the behind-the-scenes story of the proposal, explaining that while she was recording the podcast with Travis, he had the entire garden behind his house transformed into flowery decor for the big proposal. We'll let you imagine the scene.
This release also comes a few months after Taylor Swift announced that she had finally bought back the masters of her first six albums, putting an end to a media saga that had given rise to her famous "Taylor's Version" re-recordings. 2025 is definitely a triumphant year for the singer.
Precise streaming figures have not yet been released by Spotify, but experts are predicting colossal performances. Last year, The Tortured Poets Department opened with 2.61 million units sold, including 1.9 million in physical format. Taylor Swift remains one of the few artists capable of generating huge physical vinyl and CD sales in an age dominated by streaming. A feat in itself.
To discover The Life of a Showgirl, visit Spotify, Apple Music and all music streaming platforms. Fans can also purchase the collector's vinyl editions offered by the artist, because of course, there are several versions.
