Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Taylor Swift has announced the initial details of her next studio album. The Life of a Showgirl is Swift's 12th full-length project and can be pre-ordered via her official website now.
The album announcement arrived at 12:12 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on August 12, a nod to it being Swift’s 12th studio album. The Life of a Showgirl is the follow-up to 2024’s The Tortured Poets Department and its extended edition, The Anthology.
LATEST: The Life of a Showgirl cover, tracklist, and release date
During her appearance on the Kelce brothers' podcast New Heights, Swift revealed the album’s cover art, release date, and tracklist. The album will be released on October 3 and will feature one guest appearance with Sabrina Carpenter set to appear on the title track.
“And, baby, that’s show business for you. New album The Life of a Showgirl. Out October 3,” Swift wrote in a social media post shared after the podcast episode ended. "I know someone who's freaking out and it's me," Carpenter added on Instagram.
The Life of a Showgirl was recorded during the Eras Tour and will follow last year’s The Tortured Poets Department. The New Heights interview also brought confirmation that Swift produced the record alongside Max Martin and Shellback, the Swedish songwriting duo she previously worked with on hits including “22,” “Blank Space,” and “I Knew You Were Trouble.” “The three of us have made some of my favorite songs that I’ve ever done before,” she said on the podcast.
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" (feat Sabrina Carpenter)
PREVIOUSLY: The album was announced with the help of the Kelce brothers
The Life of a Showgirl was announced via New Heights, the podcast hosted by Travis and Jason Kelce. Swift, who is in a relationship with Travis, will appear on the show this Wednesday (August 13) and revealed the album title in a clip shared on Monday.
“I want to show you something,” Swift says in the preview. “This is my brand new album, The Life of a Showgirl.” Swift is shown holding a vinyl copy of the album with the artwork blurred out.
The Spotify playlist hinting at a return to pop
Another element of the meticulous The Life of a Showgirl roll-out came via a Spotify playlist hinting at two possible collaborators.
“And, baby, that’s show business for you" includes 22 Swift songs, all of which were produced by Max Martin and Shellback. The duo worked with Swift on her albums Red, 1989, and Reputation with fans speculating that the playlist suggests she is returning to the pure pop sound of those projects after focusing on folk and acoustic music in recent years.
Songs on the Spotify playlist include "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," "I Knew You Were Trouble," "Wildest Dreams," "Shake It Off," and "Style."
