As the clock struck midnight, Spotify predictably crashed on everyone’s phones while gasps rang out as the Brock Swift Society hit play on Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl.
A new Swift release always guarantees a week of online discourse and opinions — but before the stans and haters go to bat with one another, first impressions must be made. The past five years have seen nine album releases from Swift, so it’s impressive that each project can still feel like an event, uniting her most devoted fans and casual listeners.
Leaning into the album’s theatrics, the Brock Swift Society hosted a showgirl-inspired listening party. The South Block lecture hall was decked out in orange, teal and green decorations, welcoming dozens of students eager to celebrate one of the generation’s most beloved artists. I attended both to experience the album and see what Brock’s Swiftie culture looks like up close.
This is the Swift society’s second release party — their first was for 1989 (Taylor’s Version) — and first release party for a new album. From the turnout, the release party featured a mix of first year students and returning fans who had attended past events.
Brock Swift Society President Brooke Nolan said the goal of the evening was to unite Brock’s Swift community and like-minded fans. She explained that while Taylor’s albums are often personal, they can also be social in bringing everyone together. As she put it, “no haters, all Swifties.”
The night featured snacks, drinks and a photo booth fitted with orange and teal boas. The DJ made sure to include no shortage of deep cuts from Swift’s discography and lyric trivia to gauge how many diehards were among the group.
Other games included Swift Bingo — a clever activity where attendees were encouraged to mingle and fill their cards with names matching prompts like “is wearing a friendship bracelet” or “owns a cardigan.” It was a fun icebreaker that captured the social energy of the night.
These moments brought the event to life. Chatting with attendees, I got a sense of the club’s diverse fan base, from fans who couldn’t cite exactly when they became Swifties to others who knew the very song that converted them.
When the album finally played through, reactions were mixed but mostly positive. The new sound took some listeners by surprise. Opening tracks like “The Fate of Ophelia” immediately energized the crowd, while others, including the finale title track “The Life of a Showgirl,” received less acclaim. Club attendees felt the track lacked energy, but most agreed the album’s playful double entendres and self-aware glamour worked well.
After the event, I spoke with several members of the club’s executive team. They praised the album’s lighter, more romantic energy compared to Swift’s recent work. “I like the pacing better; it doesn’t really slow down,” said the club’s Media Coordinator Reece Coram.
The short track list led to a far less daunting listening experience than past Swift albums evident in the society’s immediate replay while cleaning up.
Though this isn’t meant to be a full review, after a weekend of listening, my own initial impressions have softened. What first sounded messy — like another knock to Taylor’s songwriting — has grown on me. Many songs have an earworm quality reminiscent of 1989 or reputation likely due to Swift’s reunion with producers Max Martin and Shellback.
Standouts include “Ruin the Friendship”, which shares many qualities with evermore track “’tis the damn season” and “Forever Winter” from Red (Taylor’s Version). “Wood” has received a lot of attention for being her most sexually scandalous song to date, but I can’t say it’s a low point on the record. Even with its strengths, The Life of a Showgirl misses the mark. Songs like the highly anticipated track five, “Eldest Daughter,” are riddled with weak lyricism and dated cringe references — a disappointment from someone who, just a few years ago, seemed destined to go down as one of the best.
Online, the album’s reception has been divisive, but for those who gathered at Brock, the focus wasn’t on whether The Life of a Showgirl would be a critical triumph; it was about celebrating an artist who has soundtracked their lives. “There were a lot of new friendships tonight,” said Reece. “Some girls came alone and left together.”
That sense of immediate community is what the Swift Society was built for — a place for diehard fans and casual listeners to connect over shared taste and genuine enthusiasm. The club also made it clear that everyone is welcome. Swifties and newcomers alike — including men — are welcome, with future events like record painting already in the works.
Thursday night not only marked the release of one of the year’s most anticipated projects, but also the celebration of connection, fandom and belonging. The Life of a Showgirl may divide the discourse, but at Brock it was a hit — a night of music, laughter and community that captured the best of campus club culture.