Taylor Swift’s highly awaited album The Life of a Showgirl debuted at midnight on Friday, and within minutes the massive wave of listeners caused Spotify to struggle with heavy traffic. Fans, famously known as Swifties, rushed online in such large numbers that the platform experienced disruptions.
The 13-song album had been building hype for weeks, and as soon as it was released, streaming traffic skyrocketed. Data from DownDetector revealed that thousands of users reported glitches, freezes, and loading issues across both mobile and desktop devices worldwide.
Spotify itself fueled the excitement by spotlighting the release on its official X account, urging fans to stream immediately. But the overwhelming flood of log-ins became too much for the servers, leaving many listeners frustrated as they tried to play the new tracks in the early hours.
Swift celebrated the launch on Instagram, describing the project as one of her most personal works yet. She expressed pride in sharing the album, while also thanking longtime collaborators Max Martin and Shellback for shaping its sound. In her words, “If you thought the show was wild, wait until you look behind the curtain. The Life of a Showgirl is here.”
Although Spotify recovered after a short downtime, the brief crash once again highlighted the extraordinary demand Swift generates with every new release. By the time normal streaming resumed, all 13 tracks had already surged to the trending charts, reaffirming her position as one of pop music’s most powerful voices.