Live From Mars

• Reacting to Your Taylor Swift "The Life of A Showgirl" Hot Takes (with Steven Sullivan)

  Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive full album reactions, reviews, and bonus content: https://vinylbymars.substack.comTaylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl has officially made history, selling over 4 million copies in the U.S. and 5.5 million worldwide. But did it actually live up to the hype?In this week’s episode of Live From Mars, Alex is joined by fellow Swiftie and friend of the pod, Steven Sullivan (@stevensully1), to unpack your burning questions and hot takes about Taylor’s record-breaking twelfth studio album. Together, they revisit their original predictions, debate if the “showgirl” concept worked, and discuss where Taylor goes next.We cover everything:First impressions and how opinions have evolvedWhether Showgirl delivered on its conceptThe highs and lows of the tracklistThe “Canceled” and “Eldest Daughter” discourseIf “Wood” deserves a single and Sabrina Carpenter remixGrammy predictions and what’s next for TaylorChapters:00:00 - Intro03:48 - Steven returns04:18 - Did we actually like Showgirl?10:20 - Album highs and lows17:50 - The “Showgirl” concept debate25:30 - Writing and production discussion36:10 - Did it come too soon or too late?47:20 - “Wood” and Sabrina Carpenter50:20 - Grammy predictions53:59 - Final thoughtsFollow Alex:TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@vinylbymarsInstagram: https://instagram.com/vinylbymarsYouTube: https://youtube.com/@vinylbymarsSubstack: https://vinylbymars.substack.comLinktree: https://linktr.ee/vinylbymarsTo provide feedback, please fill out this survey: http://bit.ly/livefrommars-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Breaking Down Taylor Swift's "The Life of A Showgirl" Track by Track (with Seth Betzler)

  Subscribe to my Substack for exclusive full album reactions, reviews, and bonus content: https://vinylbymars.substack.comTaylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl is finally here, and it’s already breaking every record in sight. But does it actually live up to the hype?In this week’s episode of Live From Mars, Alex is joined by a friend of the pod and resident Swiftie, Seth (@dramakingbooks), to unpack Taylor’s twelfth studio album in full. Together, they break down how Showgirl stacks up against past eras, if the reunion with Max Martin and Shellback delivers, and why fans are so divided over the album.We cover everything:Track-by-track reactions and one-word reviewsWhether the “Showgirl” concept was successfulTaylor’s record-shattering first-week sales and beating Adele's decade-long recordThe most controversial lyrics and production choicesWhy “Eldest Daughter” might be her weakest Track 5 yetBest, Worst, and Fav songs from The Life of a ShowgirlChapters:00:00 - Intro04:00 - First impressions and expectations09:30 - Marketing vs. album reality17:00 - Track-by-track: “The Fate of Ophelia,” “Elizabeth Taylor,” “Opalite,” “Father Figure,” “Eldest Daughter,” and more55:00 - Final rankings and where Taylor goes nextFollow Alex:TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@vinylbymarsInstagram: https://instagram.com/vinylbymarsYouTube: https://youtube.com/@vinylbymarsSubstack: https://vinylbymars.substack.comLinktree: https://linktr.ee/vinylbymarsTo provide feedback, please fill out this survey: http://bit.ly/livefrommars-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• The Road to Taylor Swift's "The Life of A Showgirl" (with Steven Sullivan)

  I’m now live on Substack! Every week, I’m sharing two pop music newsletters, exclusive album reactions and written reviews, early access to all YouTube reactions, and so much more. Check it out at https://vinylbymars.substack.com/.Taylor Swift’s twelfth album The Life of a Showgirl is days away. In this episode of Live From Mars, Alex is joined by Swiftie creator Steven Sullivan to map out Taylor’s road to this era, what the Max Martin and Shellback reunion could mean, and why this release feels pivotal after The Tortured Poets Department.We cover everything: • Why Showgirl feels like a true reset after the Eras Tour and TTPD • What to expect from the Max Martin and Shellback partnership • Our hopes, fears, and bold predictions for the album • Vinyl variants, rollout choices, and how fans are reacting • First-week sales projections and awards outlook • What success looks like for the lead single and the album overallIf you’re a Taylor Swift fan, you don’t want to miss this conversation.Chapters: 00:00 — Intro + why this era feels pivotal 02:41 — Meet the guest: Steven Sullivan 05:40 — Post-Eras context and how TTPD shaped expectations 11:30 — Max Martin & Shellback: what the reunion signals 18:30 — Rollout talk: variants, promo, and strategy 34:20 — Fanbase sentiment and expectations 35:50 — Hopes, fears, bold predictions 43:50 — First-week sales projections 46:20 — Final thoughts + what comes nextTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vinylbymarsInstagram: http://instagram.com/vinylbymarsYouTube: https://youtube.com/@vinylbymarsLFM: https://linktr.ee/livefrommarspodSubstack: https://vinylbymars.substack.com/To provide feedback, please fill out this survey: http://bit.ly/livefrommars-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Did Sabrina Carpenter's "Man's Best Friend" Stick the Landing? (with Nick Palmai)

  I'm now live on Substack! Every week, I'm sharing two pop music newsletters, exclusive album reactions and written reviews, early access to all YouTube reactions, and so much more. Check it out at https://vinylbymars.substack.com/.Sabrina Carpenter’s seventh album Man’s Best Friend is here — just one year after Short n’ Sweet. In this episode of Live From Mars, Alex is joined by Sabrina superfan and resident expert Nick Palmai to break down the album track-by-track.We cover everything:• How Man’s Best Friend compares to Short n’ Sweet• Our first reactions and favorite tracks (“Tears,” “House Tour,” “When Did You Get Hot?”)• The hits, misses, and standout lyrics• Whether this album came too soon after Sabrina’s breakout era• Predictions for first-week numbers, surprise singles, and what comes nextIf you’re a Sabrina Carpenter fan, you don’t want to miss this deep dive.TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vinylbymarsInstagram: http://instagram.com/vinylbymarsYouTube: https://youtube.com/@vinylbymarsLFM: https://linktr.ee/livefrommarspodSubstack: https://vinylbymars.substack.com/To provide feedback, please fill out this survey: http://bit.ly/livefrommars-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Taylor Swift's New Era Is Near: "The Life of A Showgirl" Deep Dive

  Taylor Swift has officially announced her 12th studio album The Life of a Showgirl and I’m breaking down everything we know so far. From her surprise New Heights podcast appearance to the visuals and tracklist to the long-awaited reunion with Max Martin and Shellback, this episode dives into why TS12 feels like a turning point in her career.I’ll also cover the Sabrina Carpenter feature, whether this is a return to 1989-style pop or a brand-new reinvention, and answer your fan-submitted questions about the sound, singles, deluxe editions, and if Taylor will tour again.Plus, I’m officially launching my Substack. Free subscribers get my Now Spinning newsletter every Friday with New Music Friday highlights, while paid subscribers unlock full album reviews, uncut reaction videos, Twitch archives, exclusive interviews, and access to the Life on Mars Discord. Join at vinylbymars.substack.com.Chapters:0:00 -- Intro and Europe trip recap1:35 -- My Substack announcement7:36 -- Taylor’s "The Life of A Showgirl"21:21 -- Answering Your Taylor QuestionsSubstackSpotifyApple PodcastsTikTokInstagramYouTubeX (formerly Twitter)To provide feedback, please fill out this survey: http://bit.ly/livefrommars-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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