American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has thrilled fans by announcing her 12th studio album during an appearance on her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s podcast.
The multi Grammy-winning star broke her 555-day silence on new music releases when she revealed “The Life of a Showgirl” during a casual chat with NFL tight end Travis Kelce on his “New Heights” podcast.
Fans watched eagerly as Swift’s website countdown ended at 12:12 am ET on August 12. The midnight release captured Swift and Kelce in a playful conversation about her creative process. She opened up about her musical trip while Kelce took on interviewing duties. The album title came from her experiences as she balanced her personal life with performing, especially during her massive Eras Tour.
“I wanted to capture that duality between the person on stage and the person who goes home afterward,” Swift told Kelce during their conversation.
The announcement rides the wave of Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour which saw her play 149 shows in 53 cities and generated $2.2 billion in ticket sales over its two-year run, standing as the highest-grossing tour ever for two straight years.
It also marks a big change from Swift’s usual album launch strategy. She chose the Grammy Awards stage to announce “The Tortured Poets Department,” and her previous releases came with detailed social media campaigns and hidden messages.
Clues
Swift dropped a series of subtle but deliberate hints that ultimately unveiled The Life of a Showgirl. One of the most noticeable clues appeared on her official website, which transformed to feature a glittering orange background—evoking a glamorous, showbiz vibe—alongside a mysterious countdown timer set to expire at exactly 12:12 a.m. Eastern Time on August 12.
Taylor Nation, Swift’s official fan account, shared 12 photos of her orange outfits right before this change. They captioned it “Thinking about when she said ‘See you next era…’”. The post appeared exactly 12 minutes after New Heights teased a “VERY special guest”.
The number 12 stood out everywhere. Swift’s 12th album wasn’t the only connection – she also cleverly included 12 “i’s” in her May letter about owning her masters, writing she was “thiiiiiiiiiiiis close”.
Fans can now pre-order The Life of a Showgirl in vinyl, CD, and cassette formats. However, according to Swift’s official website, the physical copies will be available from October 13. The official release date for the new music is yet to be confirmed.
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