Taylor Swift announces 12th album 'The Life of a Showgirl' for 'pre pre-order'
"So I wanted to show you something," the singer said in a video clip posted to her Instagram as she held up a vinyl album, its cover completely blurred. "This is my brand new album The Life of a Showgirl," she said in the clip from the New Heights podcast, hosted by her boyfriend, American football player Travis Kelce, and his brother, ex-NFL player Jason Kelce. "TS12!" Travis Kelce exclaimed in the video. The Life of a Showgirl is the follow-up to Swift's last studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, which was released last year and sold 1.4 million copies the first day.
Since 2021, she has been making good on her vow to re-record her first six studio records in a bid to own the rights to them. In May, the 14-time Grammy Award winner, who was locked in a feud with record executives since 2019 over the ownership of her music, said she had bought back the rights to her entire back catalog for an undisclosed sum.
The 35-year-old songwriter shattered records with her nearly two-year-long Eras tour that ended last year. It raked in $2 billion over 149 shows around the world, making it the most lucrative tour in music history. Tickets for the tour sold for sometimes exorbitant prices, and it drew millions of fans.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
9 hours ago
- Euronews
Venus Williams to be honoured with new Barbie doll
When it comes to the Barbie universe, children can become anything... Even one of the greatest tennis players of all time. American tennis star Venus Williams will be honoured with a new Barbie doll celebrating her sports legacy and her fight for pay equity, the dollmaker announced today. Williams' doll is part of Mattel Creations' Inspiring Women Collection, and will be released on Friday. It is expected to cost $38 (€32). Une publication partagée par Barbie (@barbie) A seven-time singles Grand Slam winner and a four-time Olympic gold medallist, Williams belongs in the tennis hall of fame. After more than a year off the tennis court, the 45-year-old player became the second oldest woman to win a WTA singles match during her July run at the Washington Open. Her upcoming doll will feature the tennis icon in all white with a green gem necklace, wristband, racket and tennis ball, as a nod to the tennis uniform she wore while winning Wimbledon in 2007. Her win was the first time a woman received equal prize money as the men at a top-level tournament, a breakthrough she had repeatedly campaigned for. Mattel's Inspiring Women Collection has honoured trailblazing female historical figures from various fields, including Chilean-American writer Isabel Allende, English primatologist Jane Goodall and US civil rights activist Ida B. Wells. Barbie launched the special series on International Women's Day in 2018. "Girls have always been able to play out different roles and careers with Barbie and we are thrilled to shine a light on real life role models to remind them that they can be anything," Mattel executive Lisa McKnight said in a 2018 statement introducing the collection. Mattel has multiplied efforts of representation in recent years, in an effort to empower little girls and make the world's most iconic doll more inclusive. In May 2024, the brand released a series of nine dolls celebrating female 'role-model athletes who have broken boundaries to encourage girls to stay in sports.' The collection, released as part of Barbie's 65th anniversary celebration, already featured Venus Williams. It also included dolls of Brazilian gymnast and Olympic gold medallist Rebeca Andrade, Italian swimmer Federica Pellegrini and Spanish paratriathlon athlete Susana Rodriguez. 'Throughout my career, I've always been driven by the idea of shattering glass ceilings and staying true to myself, and Barbie's mission couldn't resonate more deeply with that ethos,' Williams said at the time. The announcement of Williams' new doll follows the release in July of a Barbie with type 1 diabetes, launched in partnership with model Lila Moss. In April, US basketball player LeBron James also became the first professional male athlete to receive a Ken doll in his likeness.
Euronews
a day ago
- Euronews
Fans flock to Finland to celebrate as Moomins turn 80
80 years on, the Moomins are still going strong. Finland's most beloved literary family, the Moomins, mark their milestone birthday this year with a joyful celebration in Tampere, home to the world's only Moomin Museum. The white, hippo-like characters created by Tove Jansson have been winning hearts since 1945, when "The Moomins and the Great Flood" first introduced readers to the curious little Moomintroll and his doting Moominmamma. Eight books, multiple TV shows, two theme parks and countless mugs later, the fandom is going strong. For Rosa Senn, who travelled from the UK with her wife Lizzie, the celebrations last weekend were more than just a fan pilgrimage – it was a full-circle moment. 'Moomins have been such a special thing in my life, my whole life,' Senn said, recalling how her Norwegian mother read the books to her as a child. When she and Lizzie spent the first year and a half of their relationship long-distance, a Moomintroll plush helped bridge the miles – and even made it into their wedding as ringbearer. Their Instagram account documenting Moomin adventures has even made them minor celebrities in the fandom, connecting them with other enthusiasts – like Stefanie and Michael Geutebrück, a couple from Germany whose apartment, according to Stefanie, 'looks like a Moomin shop'. And they're not alone. Moomin merchandise is big business, from mugs and plush toys to stationery and limited-edition collectibles. 'The Moomin mug is one of the best-known collector items worldwide,' said Selma Green, director of the Moomin Museum. But behind the fuzzy nostalgia lies a deeper story... Tove Jansson, who created the characters in the aftermath of World War II, wove in themes of love, resilience, and the search for safety. The first book was published as Finland emerged from wartime trauma, and Jansson used the Moomins to offer comfort – without shying away from darker undertones. 'Her first Moomin book came out in a dark era. She felt it was very difficult to paint, and she started writing what she called a fairy tale,' said Sirke Happonen, a Moomins scholar and associate professor at the University of Helsinki. 'I think she wanted to make a contrast – Tove Jansson loved contrasts – by writing about this beautiful world, full of friendship and love." Jansson's own life also made its way into the stories. Her long-time partner, artist Tuulikki Pietilä, was immortalised as the practical, no-nonsense character Too-ticky. Queer themes and fluid gender roles quietly infuse Moominvalley, making it a quietly radical world wrapped in whimsy. That world, however, has faced modern scrutiny. Debate was stirred this summer when it emerged that the character Stinky – a mischievous, fuzzy creature – was temporarily removed from a New York library mural over concerns it might be interpreted as racist. 'To me, this became quite a big surprise,' said Happonen. 'I have more thought about Stinky being close to a mole or a vole.' Still, fans are undeterred. As the Moomins hit 80, the sense of community around them feels stronger than ever.
Local France
a day ago
- Local France
Paris deputy mayor calls for better regulation of tourism to avoid protests
Tourism in Paris is nothing new - the city welcomes between 35 million and 40 million visitors a year and has some of the most-visited tourist attractions in the world including the Eiffel Tower (7 million visitors per year) and the Louvre (10 million visitors per year). But those already impressive numbers seem to have received a post-Olympics boost with Frédéric Hocquard, the Paris deputy mayor in charge of tourism and the night-time economy, saying that the city has seen a significant post-Olympics bounce, with provisional figures showing a 5-10 percent increase on previous years. He added that the Olympics also seems to have changed the profile of visitors - previously tourists to Paris largely comprised of family groups or people wanting to visit cultural sites, this year has seen a big increase in younger visitors interested in nightlife and entertainment. Advertisement This year's Fête de la musique in Paris was much busier than usual, which organisers think was partly due to British and American influencers promoting the event in advance to their followers as 'France's best all-night party'. The Paris Olympics opening ceremony and the Games vibe of 'Paris est un fête' (Paris is a party) is credited with making the city a cooler destination for younger visitors. While welcoming the interest, Hocquard told French newspaper Libération that he believed the time had come to better regulate Paris tourism, or risk rejection from locals and possibly the type of anti-tourism protests seen in Spain and Italy. While remaining the world's most-visited tourist destination, France has so far managed to avoid the protests against over-tourism seen around Europe. READ ALSO : How has France avoided Europe's anti-tourism protests? He told the paper: "Paris is usually more of a family tourist destination, but we've had an influx of young, party-loving tourists this year. "The rules of tourism have been turned upside down. Now it's a mix of Fête de la Musique and Fashion Week. "For several months now, in certain places, we've been seeing tourists who say they've come to see a particular artist. When they're in Paris, they no longer just go to clubs for their last night out. "And for the first time, we've had tourists coming in droves during the first half of August. My question now is: will we see the same phenomenon for the rest of the year?" Advertisement He added: "I am sounding the alarm because Paris has been a tourist destination for a very long time - but I am not sure we have the capacity to absorb an increase in visitor numbers. "We are starting to see congestion in the centre of Paris. If we are not careful and do not regulate tourism after the Olympics, we risk the population rejecting tourists. We are not there yet, but we are asking for regulation." His solution is twofold - better regulation of certain tourist-related activities and a wider spread of tourists so they are not all staying in the same small area of central Paris. He said: "We need regulation - we need to get tourist coaches out of the city and have fewer flight slots. "We also need to spread the load across the greater Paris area - the city centre is saturated. "We work a lot with [the suburban département] Seine-Saint-Denis. The development of cycling also helps with this. On foot, you don't go two kilometres from your hotel, but by bike, it's easier to get around. It's also a question of public service, both in terms of transport and ensuring cleanliness. Apart from business tourism, we are no longer in the business of conquering new markets. "In short, we are no longer promoting Paris, and we are starting to regulate."
