No Jack Antonoff or Aaron Dessner? Taylor Swift's playlist hints at 'The Life of a Showgirl' producer
At 12:12 a.m. on August 12, Swift officially announced her 12th studio album. Moments later, billboards appeared in New York City and Nashville linking to a newly public Spotify playlist titled 'And, baby, that's show business for you.'
The playlist, created two weeks earlier, went live shortly after the announcement.
Featuring a sparkly mint green background and orange 'T.S.' initials with stars replacing the periods, the playlist contains 22 songs from Swift's past catalogue, including "22", "Blank Space", "Style", "We Are Never Getting Back Together", and "Wildest Dreams".
Significantly, every track was produced by Max Martin, who last worked with Swift on her 2017 album Reputation. This prompted theories that Martin is returning to co-produce The Life of a Showgirl.
Martin is one of the most influential figures in modern pop, having written and produced hits for Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Pink, Katy Perry, Usher, Kesha, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Justin Timberlake, Selena Gomez, and The Weeknd.
If involved, Martin's return could signal a strong pop direction for Swift's upcoming project.
In the past, Swift has often worked closely with other renowned producers like Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner. While no official production credits have been confirmed for her 12th album, the curated playlist appears to be a deliberate hint at the album's sonic influences.
With Swift's history of embedding clues into her promotional campaigns, fans are now watching closely for further signs ahead of the album's release.
For now, The Life of a Showgirl remains without a confirmed date, but anticipation continues to build.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
1714720376-0%2FScreenshot-(43)1714720376-0-640x480.webp&w=3840&q=100)
Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Express Tribune
Gunna last wun debuts No. 3 Billboard 200 set to sell 81K first week
Gunna's The Last Wun has debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, earning 81,000 units in its opening week, Billboard reports. The project marks the Atlanta rapper's seventh career top ten album, further cementing his consistent presence on the charts. Despite being his final release under YSL, the album drew strong global attention with more than 70 million Spotify streams during its debut week. Several tracks quickly resonated with fans. Forever Be Mine, featuring Wizkid, led with 7.24 million streams. Just Say Dat followed at 5.11 million, while WGFT with Burna Boy reached 4.82 million. Offset's collaboration At My Purest pulled in 4.24 million streams, and Sakpase closed the group of early standouts with nearly 4 million plays. In terms of first-week performance, The Last Wun ranks sixth in Gunna's catalog. While it falls short of the record-breaking numbers of DS4EVER, its success is notable as a transitional project. The album closes out Gunna's time with YSL while positioning him for the next phase of his career. Since his release from jail, Gunna has demonstrated a sharper focus and steady output. The Last Wun reflects that evolution, built on discipline, independence, and determination. Its polished production, diverse collaborations, and confident delivery show an artist not only adapting to industry shifts but thriving within them. With this release, Gunna signals both a personal and professional turning point. The project serves as a strong commercial showing and a symbolic close to one chapter of his career, while opening the door for what comes next.
Express Tribune
9 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Swift says 'Showgirl' album reflects joy of recent tour
Pop superstar Taylor Swift said her forthcoming album, the upbeat "The Life of a Showgirl," was inspired by the joy she felt when she was performing around the world on her record-setting Eras Tour. Swift appeared on the New Heights podcast hosted by her boyfriend, National Football League player Travis Kelce, and his brother, Jason Kelce. "Showgirl" will be released October 3, the singer said on the episode aired on Wednesday. "This album is about what was going on behind the scenes in my inner life during this tour, which was so exuberant and electric and vibrant," Swift said. "It just comes from like the most infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic place I was in my life." She said that "effervescence" came through and promised some "bangers." Swift has won 14 Grammys including an unparalleled four album of the year honours. "Showgirl" will be her 12th original album. The Eras Tour, which featured music from throughout her two-decade career, concluded in December 2024 and grossed more than $2 billion. The singer said she jetted to Sweden between European tour dates to record "Showgirl." She said her goal was to produce "melodies that were so infectious that you're almost angry at it" and lyrics that were "as vivid, crisp, focused and completely intentional." The cover for the 12-track album features Swift floating underwater in a bejewelled bodice. She said the image represented the end of her night on tour. Swift went on to read out all 12 track names. The title track is a collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter. The tracks are: The Fate of Ophelia; Elizabeth Taylor; Opalite; Father Figure; Eldest Daughter; Ruin the Friendship; Actually Romantic; Wi$h Li$t; Wood; CANCELLED!; Honey and The Life of a Showgirl. Travis Kelce said the "Showgirl" album "will make you dance" and was a contrast to Swift's last release, "The Tortured Poets Department". "Oh yeah," said Swift, who agreed that her music often reflected her feelings at the time. "Life is more upbeat."
Express Tribune
17 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Taylor Swift helps New Heights dethrone Joe Rogan on Spotify
The New Heights podcast, hosted by NFL brothers Jason and Travis Kelce, has claimed the No. 1 spot on Spotify's charts after its highly anticipated episode featuring Taylor Swift — overtaking The Joe Rogan Experience. On August 12, the hosts teased a mystery guest for their return episode, later revealing Swift as the special guest. Released on August 13, the episode included Swift announcing her upcoming album, The Life of a Showgirl, which quickly went viral across social media. According to Spotify's Podcast Charts, New Heights secured the top position in three categories: Top Episodes, Trending Podcasts, and the Sports subgenre. In the overall trending rankings, it surpassed The Joe Rogan Experience, Good Hang with Amy Poehler, and The Mel Robbins Podcast. In sports, it beat Pardon My Take, The Bill Simmons Podcast, and Fantasy Footballers. The momentum extended beyond Spotify. On TikTok, Swift's album reveal clip gained over 8 million views, with thousands of fan comments. A tracklist reveal clip earned similar numbers. On YouTube, the video version has been viewed over 15 million times, with fans speculating it could challenge the Guinness World Record for the most-watched podcast episode, currently just over 110 million views. This is not the first time a Kelce-led project has unseated Joe Rogan. In 2024, Jason Kelce's wife, Kylie, debuted her podcast Not Gonna Lie, which also took the top spot after one episode. With Swift's global fanbase and the Kelce brothers' rising popularity, New Heights has firmly established itself as a podcast powerhouse.
