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Few artists pay attention to detail like Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour star has turned marketing into an art form. She enjoys scattering clues about her future projects into every appearance. It’s a way of winking at the Swifties, who love spending time decoding them, connecting the dots, and forming theories and speculations about their idol. Her twelfth album, The Life of a Showgirl, is no exception. The American singer-songwriter chose her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s podcast to announce the pre-order release on August 12 at 12:12.
Her website turned orange (glittery, as the most observant noted), with a big countdown ticking to that moment. She replaced her social media profile pictures with a lock in the same color. A shade that seems to dominate Taylor’s next Era.
The meaning behind Taylor’s lipstick
The most attentive fans combed through the teaser of New Heights, the podcast Travis Kelce co-hosts with his brother Jason, both stars of the American National Football League, with Taylor as a special guest. On this occasion, the pop star traded her signature red lipstick for a more orange tone. In a preview clip, she can be heard making an apparent reference to the theme of colors: “It looks good on you!” she says to her boyfriend, who is wearing a light-blue hoodie from her merchandise line. “It’s the color of your eyes!” he replies.
The connection to The Tortured Poets Department
Another hot topic right now is the tone and themes of Taylor Swift’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl. Her record-breaking world tour (149 dates on five continents, grossing $2 billion – the highest ever) culminated with the release of her eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD). A work that delves deeply into a dark moment in Taylor’s life: the end of her long relationship with British actor Joe Alwyn, the feelings of isolation and loneliness, bitterness, and resentment that can follow the end of an important love story. Perfect examples of this mood are tracks like Down Bad, Fresh Out the Slammer, and The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.
However, there is one song that stands out from the rest and seems to herald a “new era” of happiness and carefree days with Kelce: I Can Do It with a Broken Heart. At its core, it’s still about Taylor, or her persona, and the need to perform for the audience at any cost – even with a broken heart. But while the subject may sound unsettling, the author presents it with lightness. On stage, she appeared smiling, wearing a top hat, a sequin-covered suit, and carrying a tap-dance cane, accompanied by cabaret-style dancers. It’s no coincidence that for this very song, Taylor invited her boyfriend on stage during The Eras Tour in London, at Wembley, on June 25, 2024.
Many now see it as a nod to The Life of a Showgirl.
The Life of a Showgirl: themes, origins, aesthetics
One certainty is the timeline of Taylor Swift’s twelfth album, which she must have started writing amid the Eras Tour, traveling across five continents for a year and a half until December 2024. Is this, then, the life of a showgirl referred to in the title? Given Taylor Swift’s tendency to draw from her own experiences to tackle universal themes, it’s a safe bet. The question remains whether she will tell her story in the first person or through fictional characters, as she did in folklore and evermore, both released in 2020.
Finally, let’s indulge in a bit of speculation: one cannot overlook the massive success of last year’s film The Last Showgirl, which marked the artistic revival of Pamela Anderson. Seeing the former Baywatch star referenced in some way in Swift’s work (a cameo in a video, perhaps?) would be a tribute to female resilience and to that sisterhood Taylor has often celebrated throughout her career.
Taylor’s playlist for the new album
To build anticipation among fans, Taylor Swift has shared a playlist ahead of the release of The Life of a Showgirl, titled And, baby, that’s show business for you: 22 tracks united by two names – producers Max Martin and Shellback.
The playlist ranges from Bad Blood to Blank Space, from Shake It Off to Style. Enough to make fans exclaim: “Taylor’s new era will be POP!”. In reality, it’s a return to the past: after a long collaboration with Jack Antonoff, which earned her two Grammys (for Midnights in 2022), the singer now seems ready to explore new paths.
