San Antonio Fans Pledge Support for Taylor Swift’s New Album

The parking lot outside of San Antonio’s Regal Alamo Quarry movie theatre was busy with traffic on Friday, October 3. It was one of 540 AMC theaters hosting an official release party for Taylor Swift’s new album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”

Many fans had no idea what they were walking into. But that didn’t stop them from throwing on their orange shirts, beaded bracelets, and diamond headdresses for the film’s 2 p.m. debut.

AMC has said that ticketholders will get to see 90 straight minutes of new Swift content, including the world premiere of her music video, “The Fate of Ophelia,” and behind-the-scenes footage from the shoot. Lyrics for each track are included on the screen, so no Google searching is needed to sing along.

The new record comes after the musician’s two-hour-long “The Tortured Poets Department,” released in 2024. That album can be described as encapsulating melancholic themes of heartbreak, betrayal, and unmet expectations. However, in this new era of Swift’s career, fresh off the 152-date Eras Tour, fans are again seeing Swift in a new light.

“I feel like she’s, like, a lot happier, like, with this album. She’s more open, and she’s real sexy, too, in this album,” moviegoer Cherokee Rymers said. 

Rymer’s friend and fellow Swiftie Mia Bender agreed. 

“It’s a lot more fun. Definitely, like, way more upbeat,” Bender said. “Different like lyrical standpoint from ‘[The] Tortured Poets Department,’ but it’s still very fun and still has some good like in-depth moments, but just like more a pop vibe.”

Not everyone was so kind to Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl.” It received criticism from the New York Post, Rolling Stone, and supporters who feel the lyrics do not match the glitzy, superstar aesthetic promoted ahead of its release. Still, the record earned over 246 million streams on its first day on Global Spotify, making it the biggest album debut of 2025. Additionally, many listeners, who pledge love to Swift not only because of her musical talent but ability to create an environment of fun, are coming to her defense and contributing to the AMC release’s $33 million domestic box office debut.

“It’s like the epitome of being a girl,” Benders explained. “Everything Taylor Swift-related is just like getting to be a woman freely, like glittery and sparkly and feminine and just like, no shame about it, and I think that’s honestly the best part of the culture of her.”