Taylor Swift faces critical setback as 'The Encore' ranks last on chart

Taylor Swift’s latest release, The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, has received some very poor reviews from music critics.

The four song release has scored just 39 out of 100 on Metacritic, putting it at the bottom of list of 237 albums released in 2026, according to TV Fandom Lounge.

Several reviewers have raised concerns about the songs, saying they do not offer enough new ideas. The criticism has also come from people who already enjoy Swift’s music.

A reviewer from The Telegraph even admitted to being a Swiftie but was still unhappy with the new tracks.

“I’m a Swiftie, and even I think these new songs are terrible,” the reviewer wrote.

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The Guardian, however, also questioned why Swift keeps returning to similar ideas in her lyrics. Meanwhile, The Independent criticised her song “Cleveland!”, calling its writing some of her worst.

TV Fandom Lounge also questioned whether Swift’s huge success has left her with less reason to try something different. The website pointed to the many versions of The Life of a Showgirl, saying fans would need $741.24 to collect all 38 editions.

Moreover, the poor reviews tell only part of the story. Swift’s original album reportedly sold 4.002 million album equivalent units in its first week, showing that her music still attracts huge numbers of buyers.