Hey, everybody, just a quick note that if you're looking for our number one songs of 2012,

that episode that was due out today, we're going to post that on Thursday of this week

so that we can bring you this special episode from our friends at Pop Culture Happy Hour.

NPR Music's Stephen Thompson and Am Powers set down to talk about the inescapable new album from Taylor Swift.

It dropped this past Friday, a dozen new tracks on everything from her relationship with Travis Kelsey to fame,

simmering beef with a fellow pop star, and a whole lot more.

So again, from Pop Culture Happy Hour,

here's Stephen and Anne. So we should note that Anne and I are recording this on Thursday,

October 2nd. We've both had the life of a showgirl for about 36 hours. You would not believe the agreements that we signed in order to hear this thing

ahead of time. This conversation is going to revolve around the album's 12 songs. We haven't seen

anything she's released theatrically. We haven't seen any of the videos. And hopefully she doesn't

drop a ton of additional songs like she did with the

tortured poets department.

And I've come to think of you as something of a Taylor Swift whisperer.

You've written about her extensively.

I know you're a fan.

I greatly trust your judgment when it comes to Taylor Swift.

What do you think of the life of a showgirl?

Well, I was excited when she announced this album because I am also a massive fan of Max Martin

and Shelbach, her two collaborators on this record, the Swedish producers, with whom she

worked on her incredible run of banger-saturated albums about 10 years ago now.

You're talking about red, 1989.

...