If you’re just talking numbers, Taylor Swift’s new album “The Life of a Showgirl” is an unqualified success. When it dropped Friday at the stroke of midnight, it shattered single-day streaming records on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon. Its companion film, “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl,” topped the theatrical charts for the weekend as well, bringing in $33 million and besting films from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Dwayne Johnson.

But the critical reception to “Showgirl” has been a bit more complicated.

While legacy outlets have mostly raved, online reactions have been decidedly mixed — even for a Taylor Swift album. Considering its resounding financial success, when it comes to negative reviews, she may well shake it off. But if she’s concerned about continuing to evol

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