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Taylor Swift released her highly anticipated album, The Life of a Showgirl, to a rather mixed response online. While many of her fans defended her — as they are known to do — the rest of the internet wasn’t really impressed, not with the songs nor the lyrics.

To start with, many people thought the album would sound very different.

But some fans believe that it’s ‘The LIFE of a Showgirl’, meaning a behind the scene look at her life, not an album about showgirls.

Nonetheless, some of the reactions to the album are… not good.

Many were shocked Swift’s fans, known as the Swifties, weren’t rushing out in her defence.

A lot of the criticism was over the lyrics, because to be very honest, most people didn’t find them profound or even very good. For many, it was like Swift’s work was regressing.

For others, the lyrics weren’t the comeback they thought they’d be listening to.

Many thought the lyrics just didn’t work.

Especially since she’s often referred to as a lyrical genius.

The album re-started some old fan theories about just how involved Swift’s partners are in the song-writing process.

A Nicki Minaj shoutout was not well received either.

People called Swift a “white Nicki Minaj”.

Others wished she would take her time with her albums.

There were some songs that had people cringing, like the song ‘Actually Romantic’, which people claim is about singer Charli xcx. In it, there was one lyric some people agreed with — Swift saying someone called her “boring Barbie”.

One song that had people particularly riled up was ‘Cancelled’, in which Swift sings about her friends who have been cancelled. Some of her friends have been ‘cancelled’ for supporting Donald Trump and his MAGA movement, while others have been cancelled for their support of Israel.

But beyond all the criticism were some realisations about unacknowledged privilege.

Did you listen to the album? Let us know what you thought about it in the comments.