LOS ANGELES: Taylor Swift’s announcement of her twelfth studio album The Life of a Showgirl has delighted fans worldwide — but not everyone in Hollywood is celebrating.
According to entertainment outlet Radar Online, Britney Spears and Pamela Anderson are both reportedly upset, claiming Swift’s new visuals borrow heavily from their iconic looks without giving proper credit.
Sources, cited by Radar Online, said that Spears believes elements of her 2001 Dream Within a Dream tour costume have been echoed in Swift’s album artwork.
The cover features the singer in a rhinestone bra, fringed armbands, and a bejewelled nude thong — an outfit insiders say closely resembles Spears’ Bob Mackie-designed stage costume.
One friend of the pop star told Radar Online that Spears “even feels she should have a credit in the liner notes of the album,” adding: “Britney worked with Bob Mackie on that look, and it’s a piece of pop history. To see it repackaged without so much as a nod feels wrong.”
Anderson, meanwhile, is said to believe Swift’s album era bears striking similarities to her 2024 film The Last Showgirl.
A source quoted by Radar Online said the project’s “colour palette, the vintage Vegas aesthetic, it’s all over Taylor’s new visuals.”
While Anderson is reportedly not angered by the inspiration, the source stressed that she feels acknowledgement is warranted: “Pam isn’t upset by the inspiration, but she believes recognition is deserved. Credits in the liner notes for her and Britney would be the classy thing to do.”
Industry commentators, cited by Radar Online, said that Swift is widely recognised as a “visual storyteller” who often draws from different eras and cultural references.
However, they noted that “influence and homage walk a fine line,” and that Spears and Anderson “just want that line to include recognition for their influences.”
Swift announced The Life of a Showgirl during an appearance on her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s podcast New Heights.
She described the upcoming record as an exploration of her life offstage during the Eras Tour, calling it “exuberant, electric, and vibrant.”
The album is due for release on 3 October and reunites her with long-time collaborators Max Martin and Shellback.
One of the album’s promotional images shows Swift in a bathtub — which she reportedly clarified represents her end-of-show routine rather than an overtly sexual photoshoot.
A source told Page Six that Kelce has been a significant influence on this new artistic direction, giving Swift “the confidence to explore a sexier side” while still maintaining her boundaries.
Neither Swift, Spears nor Anderson has publicly commented on the reports.
