Taylor Swift’s ‘Life of a Showgirl’ Shoutout Has 50 Cent Hyped

• Taylor Swift’s new album Life of a Showgirl was released on Friday, Oct. 3, with many fans citing possible references to celebrities and artists.
• Swift specifically mentioned rapper 50 Cent in the song “Ruin the Friendship,” and he couldn’t contain his excitement.
• Nicki Minaj also offered a strong reaction to Life of a Showgirl, while Spotify revealed it became the most-streamed album in a single day of 2025...at noon ET.

Taylor Swift has been rumored to have several songs over the years that reference various high-profile celebrities, for various reasons. However, it’s rare to hear Swift name-drop someone specifically on a song, and if she does, it’s cause for celebration, which rapper 50 Cent, also known as Curtis Jackson, proved by his response to getting a hat-tip on Life of a Showgirl.

Swift’s highly anticipated album dropped on Friday, Oct. 3, and not surprisingly, the reactions poured in from fans. Although no reaction was quite as enjoyable as 50 Cent’s after hearing his name on the track “Ruin the Friendship.”

"And it was not an invitation / But as the 50 Cеnt song played (Song played) / Should've kissed you anyway (Anyway)," Swift sings.

50 Cent’s Reaction to Taylor Swift Name-Dropping Him on ‘Life of a Showgirl’

The longtime rapper and member of G-Unit took to Instagram on Friday morning and made sure everyone caught wind of the shoutout he received from Swift.

“@taylorswift s--- is popping right now, she shout me out, she don’t shout you out. LOL THIS IS FOR BIG TIMERS ONLY! @50centaction wait I’m the only shout out on the whole album,” he wrote.

It’s hard not to appreciate 50 Cent’s reaction, and it’s fair to say that any artist or celebrity who earned a full-blown name reference would probably feel the same, even if they wouldn’t publicly say it. So, for that, credit to Jackson for reacting to it like the big deal that it is.

Reactions Pour in About Swift’s ‘Life of a Showgirl’

While there was no shortage of comments about Swift’s new album, one celebrity who made a few headlines was Nicki Minaj. There’s been speculation that the song “Actually Romantic” features a diss directed at Charli XCX, which Minaj responded to by fanning the flames a bit.

"Taylor said ‘I heard you called me boring Barbie when the coke’s got your brain,’” she posted on X. “Why all the SAG’s giving out lashings tonight? Oh wow. And #Cancelled is diabolical. Let’s go TAYLOR!!!!!!

In a follow-up post, Minaj wrote:

“GO IN FOR THE KILL, TAYLOR. LET’S GO!!!!”

Swift also made waves by mentioning Real Madrid’s soccer team, with the club posting a response on X to the reference in the song “Wi$h Li$t.”

???? NOW PLAYING: @taylorswift13 - Wi$h Li$t (2025) pic.twitter.com/4mHCXcnRVh

— Real Madrid C.F. ???????????????? (@realmadriden) October 3, 2025

This led to La Liga opponent Sevilla FC firing off its own response by stating they’ve “Always been more of a Dua Lipa fan anyway.”

Always been more of a Dua Lipa fan anyway ???? https://t.co/DRoQrYHVjT

— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) October 3, 2025

It appears The Life of a Showgirl is sparking some other rivalries, even in completely different countries. In terms of popularity, Swift’s new album also sprinted past the competition for 2025, as Spotify revealed at roughly noon Eastern Time, that Life of a Showgirl became the most-streamed album in a single day this year (with 12 hours still to go).

Related: Jimmy Fallon Reveals How He Booked Taylor Swift on ‘Tonight Show’ Post-Album Launch