Michigan Senator Reviews Swift Album

Abdul El-Sayed offered his opinion on Taylor Swift's newest music during a podcast appearance last month. The newly elected U.S. senator from Michigan discussed the expanded edition of Swift's recent album on the show.

The songstress released the original version of the record in October 2025. She followed that release with an edition containing four additional tracks in September 2026. El-Sayed addressed this specific expanded version during his interview.

Liz Plank, the host of the "Boy Problems" podcast, asked El-Sayed directly if the album was actually good. El-Sayed, who will become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate, noted that his daughter is a major fan of the artist before giving his verdict.

He stated that the project is not the best work in Swift's catalog. However, he described it as an effort to push boundaries outside her usual comfort zone. He compared the album to an artist flexing a different muscle.

"Of course not," El-Sayed said in response to whether it was as good as her most natural work. He argued that artists should be empowered to take risks even when the results do not resonate with everyone. He viewed the record as evidence of an artist evolving rather than playing it safe.

El-Sayed has previously shown his familiarity with Swift's work through social media. On July 3, the day of Swift's wedding celebrations, he posted a video to his accounts. The video used lyrics from Swift's 2008 hit "You Belong With Me" to draw contrasts between himself and his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers. He captioned the post, "Happy Taylor wedding…err, July 4th weekend!"