Taylor Swift officially released her highly anticipated 12th studio album, "The Life of a Showgirl," on Friday, October 3. The album quickly garnered significant attention, not only from her dedicated fanbase but also from fellow music industry giants who publicly shared their impressions and excitement.

One of the most vocal supporters was hip-hop superstar Nicki Minaj, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to express her profound admiration for the new LP. Minaj highlighted several tracks, noting her particular fondness for "Wood," which she described as "EXACTLY what I needed tonight" and praised its deep, double-entendre-packed writing that she felt would resonate profoundly. She also lauded "Eldest Daughter" for its intentional writing and ability to connect with "AUTHENTIC lone wolves." The title track, "The Life of a Showgirl," featuring Sabrina Carpenter, also received high praise, with Minaj gushing about Carpenter's animated and in-character verse. True to her own combative spirit, Minaj also celebrated "Actually Romantic," a speculated diss track aimed at Charli XCX, quoting a line that declared, "Taylor said ‘I heard you called me boring Barbie when the Coke’s got your brain.'" She further declared, "#Cancelled is diabolical," and playfully referred to Swift as a "battle rapper," urging her to "GO IN FOR THE KILL, TAYLOR." This public endorsement follows a long history of mutual respect and support between Minaj and Swift, who resolved a brief social media spat in 2015 and have since remained champions of each other's work, with Minaj even expressing a desire to collaborate in a "heart beat" in December 2023. Swift's name notably surfaced recently in Minaj's ongoing feud with Cardi B, with Cardi suggesting Minaj should compare her sales to peers like Swift, Rihanna, and Drake.

Another major artist celebrating a mention on "The Life of a Showgirl" was 50 Cent. The rapper expressed his delight on Instagram after discovering Swift gave him a nod on the track "Ruin the Friendship." Swift sings, "And it was not an invitation/ But as the 50 Cеnt song played/ Should’ve kissed you anyway." 50 Cent proudly shared the album cover, declaring, "she shout me out, she don’t shout you out. LOL. THIS IS FOR BIG TIMERS ONLY! I’m the only shout out on the whole album." He joins an exclusive club of artists Swift has name-checked in her lyrics, including Janet Jackson on "Snow on the Beach" from "Midnights," Charlie Puth in "The Tortured Poets Department" title track, and Tim McGraw in her 2006 debut single.

During her first radio interview since the album's release, Swift herself offered insights into "The Life of a Showgirl." Speaking with Capital Breakfast in the U.K., she revealed that her fiancé, NFL star Travis Kelce, particularly favors the mid-tempo third song, "Opalite." Swift explained the inspiration behind the track, noting that "Opalite" refers to a manmade opal, and as opal is Kelce's birthstone, she found it a compelling metaphor for manmade happiness, symbolizing dancing through the ashes of past romances to find true love. She elaborated on the lyrics: "Life is a song, it ends when it ends/ You move on/ And that’s when I told you, ‘it’s alright’/ You were dancing through the lightning strikes/ Sleeping in the onxy night/ But now the sky is opalite/ Oh-oh-oh my Lord."

Swift also disclosed her personal favorite on the album: the dream-manifesting track "Wi$h Li$t." She described it as running down "a roster of all the things that would make her life complete, topped, of course, by true love." Co-produced with Max Martin and Shellback, "Wi$h Li$t" was one of the last songs recorded for the "Showgirl" sessions, and its completion gave Swift the feeling that the "perfect album" was lined up. She noted that "The Life of a Showgirl" differs from her previous albums because it "is exactly where I’m at in my life," reflecting her current experiences accurately, a rarity given the typical time gap between recording and release.

In other album news, promotional activities included screenings of an 89-minute film titled "Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl," which ran from Friday, October 3, through Sunday, October 5. The film featured the music video for the album's opener and lead single, "The Fate of Ophelia," along with lyric videos for other tracks and Swift’s personal insights. During her radio interview, Swift received thoughtful gifts from the Capital Breakfast crew, including an opalite kitten and a sourdough loaf humorously adorned with bread-based puns on album titles, such as "Actually Doughmatic" and "The Fate of Doughphelia."