Taylor Swift Announces 12th Album ‘The Life of a Showgirl’

Taylor Swift has officially revealed her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl. The announcement came on her website just after a countdown clock hit zero at 12:12 a.m. Tuesday.

While no exact release date is confirmed, Swift’s site says vinyl editions will ship before October 13. Fans can also pre-order a special cassette version.

Fan Theories Turn Out to Be True

Swifties have speculated for months that a new album was coming. On Monday, Taylor Nation — her official fan engagement team — posted a TikTok slideshow of 12 orange-themed photos with the caption: “Thinking about when she said, ‘See you next era…’”

Adding to the buzz, the “New Heights” podcast, hosted by Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce and his brother Jason Kelce, posted an orange teaser image just minutes before the album reveal. Early Tuesday, they confirmed Swift would appear on Wednesday’s episode. A preview clip showed her pulling the blurred album artwork from a briefcase.

Special Editions for Collectors

A limited-edition vinyl will come in “Portofino orange glitter,” according to her site’s pre-order page. Swift is also offering a cassette version for fans who love retro formats.

Follows Record-Breaking Era

The Life of a Showgirl follows her 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department, announced at the Grammys and released during her record-breaking world tour. That tour grossed more than $2.2 billion, making it the highest-grossing tour of all time.

First Album Since Regaining Full Catalog

This will be Swift’s first release since regaining ownership of her entire discography. In May, she revealed she had purchased her catalog — originally released through Big Machine Records — from private equity firm Shamrock Capital.

Over recent years, Swift has been re-recording her first six albums as “Taylor’s Version” releases, adding unreleased tracks and Easter eggs for fans. The project began after Scooter Braun’s purchase of her masters and reflects her mission to control how her songs are used.

Proven Chart Success

So far, she has released four re-recorded albums: Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version), Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), and 1989 (Taylor’s Version). All debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. In 2023, she became the woman with the most No. 1 albums in history.

With The Life of a Showgirl, Swift is set to begin another highly anticipated era — and fans are already counting the days.

SOURCE: BBC News