Taylor Swift announced her 12th studio album, The Life Of A Showgirl, on October 12, but it turns out the news was hiding right under our noses this entire time
The unstoppable pop sensation Taylor Swift confirmed the release of yet another album, The Life Of A Showgirl, on October 12, leaving devotees in complete meltdown – but it appears the announcement was concealed right beneath our very eyes this whole time.
If being a Swiftie signifies anything, it requires perpetually deciphering mysterious clues because this artist certainly doesn’t approach matters lightly.
With every launch, whether that involves a music video, an album, or a tour, Taylor Swift delights in concealing enigmatic hints, suggesting possible song titles, themes, collaborations and beyond.
As it happens, the clues were lurking right beneath our very noses.
Outlining her motivations for steering her extraordinary career in this manner, Swift previously revealed to the Washington Post: “When I was 15 and putting together my first album… I decided to encode the lyrics with hidden messages using capital letters. That’s how it started, and my fans and I have since descended into colour coding, numerology, word searches, elaborate hints, and Easter eggs.”, reports the Mirror US.
“It’s really about turning new music into an event for my fans and trying to entertain them in playful, mischievous, clever ways. As long as they still find it fun and exciting, I’ll keep doing it.”
The colour orange
The colour orange With her latest release, Taylor Swift has introduced a fresh colour to her musical universe. Each of her albums has been associated with a specific colour, which helped distinguish them during her Eras Tour performances.
However, the one colour we haven’t seen yet is orange – the central hue of The Life Of A Showgirl.
Swifties may have overlooked that orange was subtly hinted at throughout various elements. During the start of the Eras Tour, there were only a few instances where Taylor donned the colour orange, including a surprise acoustic performance with Sabrina Carpenter.
This has led fans to speculate about a potential collaboration with the pop singer on the new album.
One of the visuals displayed on the big screen during the Eras Tour, known as the Lover House, showcased a house with different rooms – each room illuminated with the distinct colours of each era. Towards the tour’s conclusion, an orange door began to emerge, symbolising an unseen colour and a possible new album.
On the final night of her 149-night tour, she seemed to step through that very orange door – now understood as a metaphor for her transition into a new era, The Life of A Showgirl.
Very specific number
The number 12 also plays a significant role in The Life Of A Showgirl. As her 12th studio album, it was announced on August 12, and there were numerous subtle hints pointing towards this.
After all, if there’s one thing we know about Miss Swift, nothing is ever left to chance.
It was precisely 12 weeks ago that the pop sensation revealed she had finally acquired the masters to her entire catalogue.
In her announcement, she kicked off by writing “hiiiiiiiiiiii” with exactly 12 ‘i’s – because why wouldn’t she?
Fuelling the speculation further, she shared a clip on social media last October at Hard Rock Stadium, positioned in front of an ‘A12’ sign.
Eagle-eyed supporters were swift to clock this detail, well aware of Taylor’s penchant for numerical games, interpreting it as a clue that ‘album 12’ was approaching.
Showgirl themes
Taylor appears to have been flirting with ‘showgirl’ concepts for quite some time, evident even during her 2022 Midnights era.
In the ‘Bejewelled’ music video, she performed alongside burlesque legend Dita Von Teese whilst donning a feathered ensemble beneath a glittering amber spotlight.
Might this have been an early teaser?
Then there’s her most theatrical showgirl moment during the Eras Tour’s rendition of ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart’ from her latest offering, The Tortured Poets Department.
The routine features her portraying an exhausted entertainment industry figure before her backing dancers, clad in formal suits and top hats, transform her into the sparkling pop icon we recognise her to be. As anticipation mounts for her 12th studio album, and fans delve into its concealed intricacies, the excitement is palpable as they decipher the clues left by Taylor Swift.
Who knows what’s next? If it’s anything like her past releases, there’s bound to be more surprises in store.