Cleveland!
| "Cleveland!" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Taylor Swift | |
| from the album 'The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore' | |
| Released | September 25, 2026 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:26 |
| Label | Republic |
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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Listen to the song Cleveland! or Buy it on amazon
"Cleveland" (stylized as Cleveland!) is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, from The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore (2026), the deluxe edition of her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl (2025). Swift wrote and produced the track with Max Martin and Shellback. "Cleveland!" was released on September 25, 2026, by Republic Records, along with the deluxe album. A love song with styles of pop and R&B, "Cleveland!" serves as a tribute to Swift's husband, football player Travis Kelce as she celebrates their marriage while addressing criticism. The song is titled after the city of Cleveland, Ohio, and the suburb of Cleveland Heights, Kelce's hometown.
Background and release
American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, on October 3, 2025. She conceived the album with Max Martin and Shellback to reflect on her triumphant state of mind amidst the success of the Eras Tour and her relationship with football player Travis Kelce. The Life of a Showgirl chronicles Swift's experience with fame and the entertainment industry. Swift promoted the album with glamorous showgirl-related aesthetics, interviews, media appearances, and the film, The Official Release Party of a Showgirl. Three singles were released: "The Fate of Ophelia", "Opalite", and "Elizabeth Taylor", which topped the Billboard Hot 100.
On September 23, Swift announced the deluxe edition of The Life of the Showgirl, subtitled The Encore, which contains four additional tracks, including "Cleveland!"
Composition
"Cleveland!" is a "peppy, piano-driven pop tune" with "snappy, march-like snare drum hits".[1] The song "references criticism Swift has faced, including people criticizing her appearance, personality and relationship. She contrasts those comments with Kelce's acceptance of her, repeatedly singing that “'he likes what he likes and he likes me'".[2]
Reception
Reviews for the song was mixed.
Michael Savio of Slant Magazine says Cleveland! "is less “Opalite” or “Wood” than it is another screed against her critics in the vein of Showgirl duds “Cancelled!” and “Actually Romantic.”[3] Poppie Platt of The Telegraph wrote how Swift "cares more about how the world sees them together than how she sees him", contrasting songs that Swift wrote about Joe Alwyn, such as King of My Heart and Call It What You Want.
Melissa Ruggieri of USA TODAY calls Cleveland! the "catchiest among the new songs and showcases what Swift does best: Reverses the mirror with obvious self-awareness, and then tells you how much she doesn’t care what you think."[4] Chris William of Variety says the song is "almost like the direct happy sequel to “You Belong With Me,” in a way."[5]
References
- ↑ Abram, Malcolm (2026-09-25). "Taylor Swift wrote a whole song called 'Cleveland!' and Travis Kelce is the reason". cleveland. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- ↑ Meyer, Anna (September 25, 2026). "Taylor Swift's new 'Cleveland!' song includes references to Travis Kelce and Cleveland Heights". WKYC. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Savio, Michael (2026-09-26). "Review: Taylor Swift 'The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore'". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Ruggieri, Melissa. "Taylor Swift adds 4 'Encore' songs. Here's why they deserve an ovation". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Willman, Chris (2026-09-25). "Taylor Swift Still Has Unfinished Business With Her Exes — Thank God! — While Also Mooning Over Her Groom in 'The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore': New Tracks Review". Variety. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
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