Swifties were sent into meltdown on Tuesday when Taylor Swift announced she would soon be releasing her 12th studio album – The Life of a Showgirl.
The Style hitmaker, 35, shared the exciting news on her boyfriend Travis Kelce‘s New Heights podcast and her loyal fans were quick to realise that as always she had been dropping hints about the record for months beforehand.
Taylor has previously revealed that she even sometimes plans hints ‘three years in advance’ because she knows how smart the Swifties can be.
And it appears she was dropping clues about her newest album almost a year before actually announcing it, while some fans are now convinced that the project was in the works even before she released her 2024 heartbreak album The Tortured Poets Department.
Many hints involve the clever use of numbers and a presence of the colours orange and green which are the theme of her new Era.
So what hints had Taylor been giving us about The Life of a Showgirl?
Swifties were sent into meltdown on Tuesday when Taylor Swift announced she would soon be releasing her 12th studio album – The Life of a Showgirl
The Style hitmaker, 35, shared the exciting news on her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s New Heights podcast
Concert sign
Last October, the singer shared a video of herself walking through Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium holding one of her cats – wearing an orange sweater.
The venue, home of the NFL team Miami Dolphins, was being transformed ahead of her Era’s Tour residency there.
In the background of her and her cat was a sign for the seating section: ‘A12’.
Now, however, with Swift’s 12th album announced announced on August 12, the dual meaning has finally been made crystal clear.
The Hard Rock Stadium’s own TikTok page posted the video again on Tuesday morning, captioning the post: ‘A12 meant August 12 Swifties! We were an Easter egg all along.’
Last October, Swift shared a video from Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium with ‘A12’ a visible sign
Fans went wild when they realised, penning on X ‘A12??? orange jumper??? that smirk???? she planted this Easter egg back in October 2024 y’all like the power of Taylor swift is crazy’
Fans went wild when they realised, penning on X ‘A12??? orange jumper??? that smirk???? she planted this Easter egg back in October 2024 y’all like the power of Taylor swift is crazy.’,
‘A12 meaning august 12th Taylor Swift you are insane.’,
‘I can’t do that anymore. A12!! XDDDDD it’s always something.’,
‘Not Taylor giving us so many Easter eggs. I remember us all trying to find out what A12 meant and now we finally know. Taylor Swift is a mastermind.’
Eras tour clues
Since the opening night of The Eras Tour, the clock which appeared on the stage before she comes on was always set to countdown from 2:24 at every show.
August 12 when she announced the new album came on the 224th day of the year.
Taylor has often used number sequencing for dropping hints about upcoming announcements.
Fans have also been quick to point out that during her final exit from the Eras Tour stage when the final run of shows ended she left via an orange door.
Since the opening night of The Eras Tour, the clock which appeared on the stage before she comes on was always set to countdown from 2:24 at every show
Another use of the colour orange was in the music video for her 2024 song I Can Do It With A Broken Heart
Her Lover house from the Eras tour also burns down into orange flames during the show
This used colours to signify that she was walking off into her next Era – The Life of a Showgirl – which is orange themed.
Another use of the colour orange was in the music video for her 2024 song I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.
The video was a compilation of clips from behind the scenes of the eras tour.
In one scene her dancers are seen holding orange feathers to practice dancing with – even though they were actually white when used on the tour.
Orange and green outfit
Last year on August 12 Taylor gave us a very early Easter egg when she wore a stylish co-ord in the colours of her future album.
It came exactly a year ahead of her announcing the album.
Taylor made a bleary-eyed exit after hosting a lavish thank you party for her tour team at private members’ club Annabel’s in Mayfair, London on that night.
Despite partying until 3am the hitmaker looked flawless in a £2,500 Vivienne Westwood plaid co-ord as she was spotted heading home after the celebrations.
The eye catching outfit boasted a cropped blazer and skimpy mini skirt which perfectly showcased Taylor’s long toned legs.
She completed the look with a chic ruffled white shirt and lime green platform heels and ankle socks.
Last year on August 12 Taylor gave us a very early Easter egg when she wore a stylish co-ord in the colours of her future album
She also wore yellow much more during the later stages of the Eras tour
Taylor made sure the plush venue was kitted out with a free bar and organised six 52-seater coaches to transport people back to hotels around the city.
A source told The Sun: ‘Taylor is one of the most generous pop stars out there and she threw this party to thank her team for their hard work.
‘She hired out Annabel’s for the night and put on a free bar so her team could let their hair down.
‘They will be back hard at work tomorrow for the first night at Wembley. It was packed in Annabel’s as there were 200 of them there, but it was a great night. Everyone was so appreciative of Taylor’s efforts.’
Eras tour book
Last year Taylor released her Eras tour book which featured snaps from the record-breaking run of shows and unseen pictures.
On the last page of the book the phrase: ‘See you next era…’
And tellingly the background of that page was orange – another colour signal of what was to come.
The X account for her boyfriend Travis’s podcast shared a clip of her announcing the new LP on Tuesday.
On the last page of the Eras Tour book the phrase: ‘See you next era…’ appears over an orange background
Her orange Lover bodysuit appeared to foreshadow The Life of a Showgirl era
‘So I wanted to show you something,’ Taylor said in a clip as she sat next to Travis. Then she pulled out a white case with ‘TS’ written on the side in orange block letters.
‘This is my brand-new album, The Life Of A Showgirl,’ Taylor said proudly as she held up a vinyl version of the album, which was censored in the video.
Travis’ brother Jason Kelce let out a piercing scream of joy as soon as the album title escaped her lips.
‘TS 12!’ Travis cheered excitedly, referencing The Life Of A Showgirl’s status as her twelfth studio album, as the announcement clip came to an abrupt end.
Album sequence theories
Some fans have even gone as far as to suggest that Taylor had already started having ideas for The Life of a Showgirl even before she released her last album The Tortured Poets Department.
One scene from the Anti-Hero music video shows Taylor as a series of different characters.
One of which is dressed in showgirl-esque orange sequin outfit which some have taken as a hint that even during her 2022 Midnights Era she was looking three years ahead.
Some fans have even gone as far as to suggest that Taylor had already started having ideas for The Life of a Showgirl even before she released her last album The Tortured Poets Department
Fans penned on X: ‘The way Midnights to TLOASG makes sense and TTPD was the interruption to that sequence in the way that folkmore was between Lover and Midnights.. both TTPD and folkmore were albums she described as “having to make” given her circumstances and weren’t originally planned.’,
‘Yes! I totally agree. TTPD was never a planned album but something she had to do and now we are back on track which is why they never closed off the eras because there was still more to come with TS 12.’,
‘Yall she was already writing TTPD at this point by the time tour started she had planned at least two re records and two brand new albums. She hinted 3 years in advance she did and we MISSED it.’,
‘There were songs already written for it for sure and then after both breakups she threw herself into writing and we saw her recording ttpd summer 23”. So those breakups and her sadness she had to get it out of her system. Taylor teases a new era in her clothing 1 album ahead.’
