Taylor Swift & Sabrina Carpenter's The Life of a Showgirl leaked collab sparks backlash: Swifties call it 'serious disappointment'

Time of India

3 days ago

In case you missed it, Taylor Swift has officially announced her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl. The news dropped on August 12 at exactly 12:12 AM ET through a teaser for her upcoming appearance on boyfriend and NFL star Travis Kelce's New Heights podcast with his brother, former NFL player Jason Kelce. The reveal sent the Swiftie world into overdrive, with fans dissecting every detail and spinning countless theories about the album's concept.
But excitement quickly turned bittersweet. Alongside the theories came the disappointing news that the album—along with its cover art, tracklist, and concept photos—has already been leaked online, despite the fact that no release date has been announced.
Taylor Swift's upcoming studio album The Life of a Showgirl, allegedly leaked online.
According to viral leaks circulating on social media, the project consists of 12 tracks and 10 bonus tracks, sparking debate over whether this could be one of the most significant music leaks in recent memory. Swift has faced similar issues in the past, but this time, the situation feels more serious.
If the circulating clips—which we won't be sharing for obvious reasons—are authentic, it appears that every song, including instrumentals, has surfaced online. For fans, it's a strange mix of concern and disbelief, as the entire era seems to have been exposed before it even began.
Now that the leaks are everywhere, Swifties are discussing the new era, and some Swifties have expressed disappointment in the alleged title track, which is rumoured to feature Sabrina Carpenter—who previously opened for several dates on Swift's Eras Tour. A collaboration between the two feels plausible, especially since, in their glittery orange teaser ahead of the album announcement, Taylor Nation—Swift's official fan club—shared a photo of the Manchild singer. The leaked material has only added fuel to that theory.
Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter's The Life of a Showgirl collab sparks negative reactions from Swifties
On the Taylor Swift subreddit, r/taylorswift, Swifties discussed in depth the upcoming album's leaks, and the general consensus was concern regarding the title track, The Life of a Showgirl, which features Sabrina Carpenter.
One long-time fan described themselves as an 'OG Swiftie', recalling the days of MySpace and burning CDs of LimeWire downloads. While they were confident they would love the new album, they admitted feeling 'pretty serious disappointment' over the title track, The Life of a Showgirl—rumoured to feature Sabrina Carpenter. They felt the collaboration seemed 'almost like an attempt at staying relevant in an ever-evolving pop climate' and admitted they had 'yet to enjoy anything Sabrina has done.'
Another fan expressed their scepticism, recalling their 'mess' Espresso performance during the Eras Tour. The fan added, "I particularly love Florida with Florence. Not saying that Taylor is old and all. I just mean Sabrina seems a bit of a marketing choice and not an artistic one. Since she name-dropped Stevie Nicks in Clara Bow and Nicks also wrote a poem for TTPD, I really thought we would get a Stevie Nicks collab. But well...
And I'm sure the song might turn out to be really good. But it might still feel a bit off. Sure, has Sabrina been in the industry for a really long time? Yes. And that does give her some authority and expertise on fame. But i really don't know. I'm sure I'm being sceptical for no reason."
"Elder millennial here and also not a fan. My take on Sabrina is that she took on this hyper-sexual persona to get popular, so I have the same concern you have. Obviously Taylor doesn't have to earn more popularity, but we know she has a fear of becoming irrelevant. So it does seem like she's picking up this style that Sabrina, Chappell Roan and others have been riding on," a third Swiftie shared.
Will Taylor tour for The Life of a Showgirl?
Although the Eras Tour wrapped up just nine months ago after its nearly 21-month run, many fans believe the new album, and the leaks that appear to hint at its concept, have 'tour' written all over them.
One fan wondered whether Swift might take the album on the road, noting that while she 'deserves as long a break as she wants', the title alone 'sounds like it's written to be performed'. They speculated she might even opt for 'a cheeky residency or something.'
Another fan replied that their 'worst fear was a short three-month stint at the Sphere in Las Vegas, given how well it fits the theme," joking that 'tickets would probably be like 20,000.'
Some fans question the authenticity of leaks
Meanwhile, some fans have questioned the authenticity of the leaks, noting claims that these files have been circulating on Facebook since July but only gained traction after Swift teased her album.
'If the leak is real, I'm just wondering why all the lyrics would be on the same page,' one Redditor pointed out. Another added, 'For TTPD, every page of the insert had maybe two or three songs at most—never a whole page of all the lyrics. I think for all her albums she separates them. I don't know; I might be wrong.'
Others agreed that the formatting felt suspicious. 'It just doesn't make a lot of sense to me, knowing there have been leaks in the past, for there to be a full page of all lyrics,' one commenter said. Another took an even firmer stance: 'I'm camp fake leaks. The biggest clue for me is that it's so easy to find—typically these things are removed rapidly.'
With AI-generated content flooding social media, separating genuine material from fabricated art has become increasingly difficult, making fans' scepticism all the more understandable.
What do we officially know about The Life of a Showgirl so far?
The Midnights hitmaker announced her 12th studio album in true theatrical style in a New Heights podcast teaser with her beau Travis Kelce by her side. She unveiled the title by pulling out a blurred, mint-green briefcase stamped with bold orange 'T.S.' initials, instantly sparking fan theories.
The striking orange-and-mint-green palette—already seen in her stage outfits, billboards, and even a glittery countdown clock—has quickly cemented itself as the album's visual identity.
Swift has also dropped a Spotify playlist titled And, baby, that's show business for you, featuring 22 tracks produced entirely by Max Martin and Shellback, a strong clue to the sound fans can expect. While she's yet to confirm the release date, pre-orders are open now, with shipping set to begin ahead of October 13, 2025.
Meanwhile, Swift is expected to share more details on her upcoming album during her Wednesday (7 PM ET) appearance on the New Heights podcast.