Topline
Taylor Swift, fresh off the announcement of her upcoming “The Life of a Showgirl” album continued her latest media onslaught by launching a countdown that ends Wednesday at 7 p.m. EDT, the same time as her appearance on boyfriend Travis Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast, suggesting a new announcement may be coming.
Key Facts
Swift’s website contains a countdown that expires at 7 p.m. EDT alongside a glittery door—but it’s unclear what the door represents.
Swift announced at 12:12 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, Aug. 12—seemingly all references to her upcoming 12th studio album—that “The Life of a Showgirl” is the title of her next project, though she stopped short of unveiling the cover or a release date.
Also Tuesday, the “New Heights” podcast, co-hosted by Swift’s boyfriend and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his brother Jason, announced Swift would appear as their guest on Wednesday night’s episode at 7 p.m. EDT.
What Do We Know About Swift’s “new Heights” Appearance?
The “New Heights” podcast teased Swift’s upcoming appearance with a few short clips shared on social media. In a clip shared Tuesday, Swift is seen sitting with Travis Kelce as she opens a briefcase marked “T.S.,” where she holds her new album up to the camera, though the cover is blurred. In other clips, Jason Kelce lists Swift’s achievements, including her 14 Grammy Award wins, while Swift says: “We’re about to do a f—ing podcast!” The “New Heights” podcast posts new episodes to YouTube in video format and on most podcast streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.
What Do We Know About Swift’s New Album?
Not much, aside from the title. Swift hasn’t announced any of the song titles or collaborators, though much of her promotion has been orange-hued, suggesting that may be the primary color scheme. Swift curated a playlist of her own songs, titled, “And, baby, that’s show business for you ❤️🔥,” on her Spotify account, which fans could access by scanning a billboard in New York City. Fans noticed all 22 songs on the playlist were produced by Swedish producer Max Martin, a prolific pop hitmaker who previously worked with Swift on her albums “Red,” “1989” and “Reputation,” which some took as a hint that she may have recruited Martin again for her new record.
Key Background
Swift’s new release ends what has been a quiet 2025 for the pop billionaire so far. Since wrapping up her $2 billion-grossing Eras Tour in December, she seldom posted on social media except to celebrate that she bought back the rights to her first six albums from Shamrock Capital in May, ending the master recording dispute that spurred her to re-record and re-release her early work. Swift’s last album release was “The Tortured Poets Department” in April 2024, which shattered streaming and sales records upon release and led the Billboard 200 albums chart for 17 weeks, her longest-leading album.
Forbes Valuation
Swift is worth $1.6 billion, according to Forbes estimates. She joined the billionaire ranks in 2023, partially thanks to the success of the Eras Tour, making her the first person to become a billionaire based solely on the value of her music catalog and concert tours.
Further Reading
Taylor Swift Announces 12th Album ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’—Will Appear On Travis Kelce’s Podcast (Forbes)