Taylor Swift has always had a gift for turning announcements into a masterclass in marketing, and this week has been no different, as she dropped the news of her new project. That’s right, mere months after wrapping up her epic world Eras Tour, the pop icon has already unveiled her next act: a new album entitled The Life of a Showgirl.
Read on to find out everything we know about the highly anticipated upcoming project.
The Life Of A Showgirl
Eagle-eyed Swifties may have already guessed some of what their idol revealed on her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s podcast this week. The final night of the Eras Tour in Vancouver last year saw Swift exiting the stage through an orange door, sparking discussion about whether this was one of her classic scavenger hunt-like clues hinting at a new release.
If you were among those Swifties who took note of the door, you’ve been vindicated. Seated next to Kelce, Swift unveiled the album cover by pulling it out of a mint green briefcase emblazoned with her initials, revealing that her new era is indeed coloured a sparkly orange and green.
When asked by Travis’ brother and co-host Jason Kelce what prompted the use of orange, she confessed that the colour felt “energetically, how [her] life has felt.” Swift confirmed that she created the album while on the Eras Tour, often flying back and forth between Sweden to collaborate with producers Max Martin and Shellback in between shows. “This album is about what was going on behind the scenes in my inner life during this tour.”
It’ll take us a minute to figure out how Swift summons the energy to perform back-to-back sold-out shows while writing and recording two entire albums. Thankfully, she’s given us much to pore over until the album’s 3 October release date.
The project, as her 12th studio album, fittingly comprises 12 tracks (with no double albums or extra tracks forthcoming this time). The tracks, in true Swift fashion, combine literary and cinematic references with modern-day slang and catchy titles. Notably, Track 5, usually reserved for the most emotional entry on any Taylor Swift album, is titled Eldest Daughter, and the final, titular track teases a Sabrina Carpenter feature.
The Life Of A Showgirl Full Tracklist
- The Fate of Ophelia
- Elizabeth Taylor
- Opalite
- Father Figure
- Eldest Daughter
- Ruin the Friendship
- Actually Romantic
- Wi$h Li$t
- Wood
- Cancelled!
- Honey
- The Life of a Showgirl featuring Sabrina Carpenter
Pop’s Princess Is Back For Her Crown
Swift also confirmed that the album was created solely with producers and longtime collaborators Martin and Shellback, marking the first project the trio has developed without any other collaborators. Previous collaborations between the three yielded chart-toppers like Shake It Off, Blank Space, and Style, which Swift listed as some of her favourite tracks and named as key influences for this album.
Seasoned Swifties will immediately think of Martin and Shellback’s influences on the star’s most energetic and bubbly tracks. All signs point to a sharp departure from the quieter, introspective synths of Midnights and The Tortured Poet’s Department, and suggest a return to the pure stadium pop influences that defined albums like 1989 and Lover. Swift explained on New Heights that one of her goals with this album was to create “melodies that were so infectious that you’re almost angry at [them],” all without compromising on vivid lyrics and meaningful storytelling. She placed the album’s roots in an “infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic place in [her] life,” and likened the production process to catching lightning in a bottle—meaning we have an album of classic Taylor Swift earworms to look forward to.
A Record-breaking Rollout
The album’s rollout began with Swift’s official website bathed in glittering orange and a countdown ticking towards 12:12 am on 12 August. On Instagram, Taylor Nation teased a carousel of Eras Tour images, captioned with a sly nod: “See you next era…” Moments later, Swifties went into a frenzy when Travis Kelce teased a special guest appearance on his podcast, New Heights, that fans quickly deduced to be a specific photo of Swift.
When the clock struck, her site briefly crashed, reloading with scant details: the album would ship before 13 October, but the release date remained under wraps. Then, once Swift did indeed make her cameo on the podcast, she took a moment to drop the news. Adorned with a swipe of orange lipstick—a deviation from her signature red—she opened a briefcase to reveal a blurred vinyl. “This is my brand new album,” she said, as Kelce’s brother and co-host, Jason, screamed.
Ever the strategist, she followed by releasing an enigmatic Spotify playlist entitled, And baby, that’s show business for you, filled with Max Martin co-penned hits—another classic Swift easter egg.
After dropping her 11th album last year, The Tortured Poets Department, while amid her billion-dollar Eras Tour, it’s a wonder how the 35-year-old has the time to create an entire new album already, but surprises are her speciality.
Though it’s been a monumental year, her greatest triumph may be reclaiming the masters of her first six albums earlier this year for a reported US$300 million.
While fans were stunned to hear of the album’s release, the moment also marks her first appearance on Kelce’s podcast, confirming the two are as loved up as ever after enjoying their downtime from touring and the NFL season.
In one clip shared to the show’s Instagram, the two, who have been dating since 2023, are even captured flirting with each other over the colour of Kelce’s jumper.
Watch the official announcement here.
This story first appeared on GRAZIA International. Additional reporting by Anika Deshmukh.
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