NEW YORK, United States — In a surprise announcement, pop superstar Taylor Swift revealed on Tuesday that her 12th studio album, titled “The Life of a Showgirl,” is forthcoming.
The news came in dramatic fashion, as a countdown clock on her official website concluded at 12:12 a.m. Eastern Time.
The Grammy-winning artist disclosed the album title in a teaser video for her upcoming appearance on the “New Heights” podcast, co-hosted by her boyfriend Travis Kelce and his brother, Jason Kelce.
In the clip, Swift pulled out a mint green briefcase marked with her initials, “TS,” and announced, “This is my brand new album.”
The surprise announcement coincided with a social media frenzy, ignited by a carousel of 12 photos Swift posted on Instagram with the caption, “Thinking about when she said ‘See you next era…,’” a classic example of the “Easter eggs” she is known for.
The new album will be Swift’s first original release since she successfully acquired ownership of her entire music catalog.
In a significant development for her career, she announced in May that she had purchased her music “outright with no strings attached, no partnership, full autonomy,” from a private equity company. Reflecting on the accomplishment, Swift wrote, “To say this is my greatest dream come true is actually being pretty reserved about it,” adding that the success of her Eras Tour made the acquisition possible.
This milestone follows a contentious 2019 sale of her first six albums’ master recordings to producer Scooter Braun’s company, Ithaca Holdings. Swift alleged she was not given the opportunity to buy her catalog at the time, prompting her to embark on a project to re-record her albums.
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She has since released “Taylor’s Version” albums for “Red,” “Speak Now,” “Fearless,” and “1989,” each featuring a number of previously unreleased songs she coined “from the vault.”
While no release date has been announced, the album is currently available for pre-order on her website in vinyl, cassette, and CD formats.
Fans are eagerly awaiting more details, which are expected to be revealed when her full podcast appearance on “New Heights” is released on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET.
“The Life of a Showgirl” will be the artist’s first new work since her 31-song double album, “The Tortured Poets Department.”
