Taylor Swift has officially kicked off a new era with the announcement of her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl. The pop star revealed the news at exactly 12:12 a.m. ET on Tuesday, August 12, marking the occasion by lighting up New York City’s Empire State Building in bright orange. The landmark’s Instagram account shared a photo of the glowing building with the caption, “Onto the next era,” tying the visual to Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour. Orange is expected to be a key theme for the album, with the singer hinting at it through subtle visual cues in recent days.
Swift officially revealed the album on the New Heights podcast, hosted by her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce, and his brother, Jason Kelce. In the podcast clip, Swift teased the album with a briefcase, saying, “Can I show you something?” Jason remarked on its mint green color, and Swift confirmed, “This is my brand new album, *The Life of a Showgirl. TS 12!” Travis cheered, “TS 12!” While the album cover remains mostly obscured, Swift’s website now features a blurred orange and green image matching the teaser colors.
The visual cues and props seen in the podcast clip reinforce the album’s orange-themed branding. Books with orange covers on artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Marc Chagall, and Ruth Asawa hint at inspiration drawn from modernism and neo-expressionism. A silver microphone, a football, and a book on Mark Rothko—known for his orange-dominant abstract art—also appear, adding to the thematic setup. Additionally, Swift had added a countdown timer to her website on August 11, featuring an orange glitter background and mint green numbers, ending precisely at 12:12 a.m. ET on August 12.
While the official release date for The Life of a Showgirl has not yet been confirmed, Swift’s website indicates that physical copies will ship before October 13. The announcement comes shortly after Swift reclaimed the masters for her first six albums—Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation—from Shamrock Capital in May 2025. With the Empire State Building glowing orange and hints scattered across her visuals, Taylor Swift’s new chapter is officially underway, leaving fans eager to discover what this next era will bring.
