Taylor Swift nearly broke the internet when she revealed her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, on boyfriend Travis Kelce’s podcast — but are there more surprises in store?
Less than one day after Swift’s announcement, her official Taylor Nation X account sparked curiosity while replying to a fan who wanted to hear the new songs already.
“We can’t find the key! Lost it in Vancouver,” read the Thursday, August 14, post, which was accompanied by a crying emoji and the official hashtag for The Life of a Showgirl.
The upload also featured an image of an orange lock — which Swift, 35, used as the preliminary illustration for the new album before sharing the Mert and Marcus cover — on a sparkly orange background. In the middle of the lock was a small rendering of Swift’s Eras Tour stage.
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Swift, who closed out the tour in December 2024 with three performances in Vancouver, wrote the entirety of The Life of a Showgirl in between concerts.
“I would do three shows in a row, [and then] I’d have three days off,” Swift told Travis, 35, and Jason Kelce on the Wednesday, August 13, episode of their “New Heights” podcast. “I’d fly to Sweden, [then] go back to the tour. I was physically exhausted at this point in the tour, but I was so mentally stimulated and so excited to be creating.”
Swift reunited with producers Max Martin and Shellback, whom she previously worked with on her Red and Reputation albums.
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“It meant the world to me to have this creative experience, where we knew that we had to bring the best ideas we’ve ever said,” the 14-time Grammy winner explained. “I also know the pressure I’m putting on this record by saying that, but I don’t care ’cause I love it that much, and I’m so proud of it. It just comes from the most infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic place I was in my life. So, that effervescence has come through on this record.”
Swift insisted that The Life of a Showgirl won’t have any bonus tracks outside of the 12 listed on the back cover, but fans are convinced Taylor Nation’s X post is hinting at another potential announcement on the way.
“Suspicious,” one fan wrote via X, with another adding, “Release the tapes!”
A third, meanwhile, wanted to know whether Taylor Nation was “implying there’s a key to be found” to unlock the album before its October 3 release date. (Swift had locked pages on her website earlier this week before sharing the cover and tracklist.)
“Hold up. Last Vancouver show — 12/8 [is] the reversed date of TS12 announcement (8/12). What are you planning for 12/8??” another fan theorized. “Documentary? New tour? What is happening?”
