Taylor Swift’s 12 Album Announcements: From Awards Bombshells to Podcast Reveals as The Life of a Showgirl Finally Drops

Taylor Swift was still a relatively normal 16-year-old in high school in Nashville when her debut album was released in the October of 2006.

Although she’d had huge dreams since she was a child writing songs with a guitar in her bedroom, even Taylor herself probably couldn’t have imagined the stratospheric heights her career would reach in the 20 years after debut was released into the world.

She would go on to release 11 more hugely-popular albums spanning the genres of pop, folk and RnB, win 14 Grammy Awards, become a cultural icon of the 21st century and complete the highest-grossing music tour of all time – The Eras Tour.

And now nearly two decades on from her first record, much to her fans’ delight we now have a new album, her 12th, – The Life of a Showgirl out in the world to enjoy.

She had a change of tack in announcing the album back in August, sharing the exciting news on her boyfriend Travis Kelce‘s New Heights podcast.

From live streams to social media bombshells – how has she announced all of her other albums? 

Debut – ‘Taylor Swift’ – 2006

Taylor promoted her debut album, titled ‘Taylor Swift’ primarily through a radio tour in 2006. 

She and her mother Andrea distributed promotional copies of her first ever single Tim McGraw to country radio stations including KZLA across the US.

She also performed small intimate shows of the country song as she began to be noticed by music labels. 

The album would go on to contain huge hits like Our Song, Picture To Burn and Teardrops On My Guitar. 

Unlike her later album releases, her debut did not have a single, large-scale announcement event but consisted of a gradual approach to get her name out into the world.

In her 2020 documentary Miss Americana footage showed a fresh-faced Taylor on stage at a small gig as she cheekily says to the crowd: ‘So there’s this radio station called KZLA and I want you to call them up and ask them to play a song called Tim McGraw by this girl named Taylor Swift… please.’

Taylor and her family were now based in Nashville, Tennessee after moving from Reading, Pennsylvania to pursue her music career.

While debut didn’t have its own tour, she performed as an opening act on several tours for established country artists, including dates on the Me and My Gang Tour with Rascal Flatts, George Strait’s tour, and the Soul2Soul II Tour with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. 

The superstar also used social networking site Myspace to reach her target teenage audience and promote her music. 

Fearless – 2008

Her next album Fearless would cement her as a pop icon with her huge hit Love Story one of the most recognisable songs on the 21st century. 

The album was promoted on several talk shows including Ellen in the US and again like with Debut there was not a single huge announcement moment. 

In anticipation of its release, Swift, then 18, released a new song every week on the iTunes Store in the five weeks before the album launched.

In her first interview about the album on Ellen she said of the record: ‘I have been waiting for two years for this CD to come out so I’m really excited!’

The record was heavily inspired by her breakup from Joe Jonas with the split inspiring her hit songs on the album such as Forever & Always and Mr. Perfectly Fine.

Speaking on Ellen she said of the split: ‘When I find that right person and I look at him I’m not even going to remember the guy who broke up with me over the phone in 25 seconds. 

‘That’s got to be a record!’ 

The album gave her her first ever proper tour which saw her playing her music to fans around the world. 

Speak Now – 2010

In 2010, Swift revealed that her third album Speak Now would be coming out that autumn via a live Ustream chat with fans.

The hour-long event included a Q&A between the singer and her fans. 

It was the first time she ever made an official announcement about an album as she said in the live stream: ‘My next album will be out on October 25th.

‘I’m so excited. The album is called Speak Now. And that pertains to the album as a concept. I’ve been working on it for two years ever since we put out Fearless.

‘Each song on the album has been a chance for me to say something to a specific person.’ 

She revealed the album’s title saying that she wrote all the songs herself, and shared that the first single, Mine would soon be released.

The album went on to contain huge hits such as Long Live, Enchanted and Sparks Fly and was followed by another successful tour.

Red – 2012

In 2012 Taylor entered her Red era which included huge pop hits that took her career success to another level commercially.  

She announced the album via a live webchat held on Google Hangout which was streamed from an intimate fan gathering.

The star shared the details of her album and teased the first single We Are Never, Ever Getting Back Together.

She said on the stream: ‘I have a new album coming out October 22 and I am so proud of it.’

She later showed some of her fans the album cover as she revealed it from behind a red curtain, quipping: ‘We’re big into details here!’

It contained hits such as Red, 22, All Too Well and Begin Again and is thought to have been inspired by her brief relationship with actor Jake Gyllenhaal.

1989 – 2014

Enter her 1989 era – arguably one of her most famous spawning chart-topping singles like Blank Space, Style, Welcome to New York and Wildest Dreams.

She used a special worldwide livestream to Yahoo to announce the news of the new album where she performed Shake It Off for a small group of fans in New York.

And as it was streamed to the world she then said: ‘So after that would seem like a good time to tell you that I have a new album coming out… I like to work on albums for two years as it allows me to change.’

‘I woke up every single day not wanting but needing to make a new style of music that I had never made before.

‘We made the most sonically-cohesive album I’d ever made. We made my favorite album I’ve ever made.’

‘I was listening to a lot of late ’80s pop.. so being inspired by that, I started delving into the late ’80s.

‘It was apparently a time of limitless potential… be who you want, wear what you want, do what you want. The idea of that was so inspiring to me.

‘This new album was a rebirth for me, it’s so new… and having been born on December 13, 1989, this album is called, ‘1989.’ 

The star added that this would be her ‘first documented official pop album.’ 

Reputation – 2017

If you ask mot Swifties what they think Taylor’s most important album is they may well answer you Reputation.

Taylor was at the peak of her career after the success when the world turned against her leading her to go into hiding for almost a year.

She then dramatically wiped all of her social media before plugging her new album Reputation which detailed her relationship with her public image, the media and her enemies including rapper Kanye West.

After wiping her socials she then posted three separate videos of a black and green snakes. 

A day later she simply posted the album cover without further explanation and notably never did any press or interviews about the album.

She later reflected: ‘I did no interviews as I knew none of the questions asked would be about music. I said ‘there will be no explanation there will just be Reputation.’ 

The album gave us huge hits such as Delicate, Ready For It?, End Game, Don’t Blame Me and fan favourite Getaway Car.

Lover – 2019

Taylor returned to form with announcing her 2019 pop album Lover – using an Instagram livestream.

At the time she revealed the release date and cover art as well as the single You Need to Calm Down.

She said at the time: ‘The album is called, Lover, it’s coming out August 23. An easy way to remember that date is that August is the eighth month of the year.

‘And then 23, two plus three, so you just add it all together…

‘Eight plus two plus three equals I’m obnoxious. If you just want to remember that by, ‘Oh, it adds up to 13.’

She then added: ‘This album in tone, it’s very romantic. Not just simply thematically, like it’s all love songs… You can find romance in loneliness, or sadness.’

The album gave us hits like Cruel Summer, Lover, Cornelia Street and Daylight. 

folklore and evermore – 2020

During the pandemic Taylor surprised her fans with two albums called folklore and evermore which marked a huge change in genre and lyrical content for her. 

folklore was announced via social media as a complete surprise with no prior warning after the world was plunged into lockdown.

She said in an Instagram clip: ‘It’s the eight album and it’s called Folklore.

‘I wanted to show you a clip from the music video for the song ‘Cardigan.’ I hope you like it.’

folklore was dropped immediately in full after her announcement.

The announcement was made through a black and white photo of her in a forest, with a caption explaining that it was a surprise album created during the pandemic.  

‘Good morning, America, it’s Taylor. I’m so excited to announce that at midnight tonight eastern, I’ll be releasing my brand-new album, Evermore,’ Swift announced via a social media video in 2020. ‘It is the sister album to Folklore but it’s all new songs.’

She celebrated the reveal, adding, ‘I am absolutely elated to be able to share it with you tonight.’

Later that year in the December she announced her second surprise album of the year called evermore with hits like champagne problems and cowboy like me.  

She used a special message on Good Morning America to say: ‘Good morning, America, it’s Taylor. I’m so excited to announce that at midnight tonight eastern, I’ll be releasing my brand-new album, evermore.

‘It is the sister album to Folklore but it’s all new songs.

‘I am absolutely elated to be able to share it with you tonight.’

Midnights – 2022

Taylor revealed her 2022 album Midnights at the MTV Video Music Awards.

When she accepted the award for Video of the Year for her All Too Well (10 Minute Version) short film, she shared the exciting news.

She said on stage: ‘I had sort of made up my mind that if you were gonna be this generous and give us this, I thought it might be a fun moment to tell you that my brand new album comes out October 21.

‘I will tell you more at midnight.’

The album featured hits such as Lavender Haze, Maroon, Anti-Hero, Mastermind and Snow On The Beach with Lana del Rey.

The Tortured Poets Department – 2024 

Last February Taylor stunned her fans as she announced a surprise new album during her acceptance speech at the Grammys 2024. 

The singer was awarded with her 13th Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album at the ceremony – held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles – for her previous record Midnights, when she told the audience she had a surprise for them. 

She said on stage: ‘I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret that I have been keeping from you for the last two years, which is that my brand new album comes out April 19th. 

‘It’s called The Tortured Poet’s Department. I’m going to go and post the cover right now backstage.’ 

Keeping true to her word minutes later Taylor – who also earned her fourth Album Of The Year at the show – shared the racy cover for her upcoming 11th studio album, which saw her laying on a bed in black underwear and a sheer black top, and caused her Instagram page to temporarily go down.

Swift started out her speech by sharing that it was her 13th award – a number she considers lucky.

‘Okay, this is my 13th Grammy. Which is my lucky number. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you that.’

‘I want to say thank you to the members of the recording academy for voting this way, but I know that the way that the recording academy voted is a direct reflection of the passion of the fans.’

Minutes after she left the stage, the artwork for the new album was shared to her Instagram, with the caption: ‘All’s fair in love and poetry… New album THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. Out April 19 [white heart emoji].’

She also posted a photo of a handwritten note that read: ‘And so I enter into evidence / My tarnished coat of arms / My muses, acquired like bruises / My talismans and charms / The tick, tick, tick of love bombs / My veins of pitch black ink / All’s fair in love and poetry…’ 

She signed off the text with: ‘Sincerely, The Chairman of the Tortured Poets Department.’

The album announcement received over 7 million likes in just an hour. 

The Life of a Showgirl – 2025 

Taylor shocked her loyal fans in August with a countdown leading down to the announcement of her new album: The Life Of A Showgirl.

The 35-year-old pop superstar’s website initially featured a countdown over a glittering orange background and the cryptic text below: ‘Expires August 12 at 12:12AM ET’.

Taylor’s website crashed immediately after the timer ran out, stymying many of her devoted fans, but the X account for her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s podcast shared a clip of her announcing the new LP.

‘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.

Several fans noted how different the album release was compared to previous announcements due to Taylor’s decision to share the news on her boyfriend’s podcast.

‘Announcing your album on your boyfriends and his brothers podcast…what’s happened to my taylor swift,’ wrote one concerned fan.

Several other users poked fun at how Swift’s website couldn’t handle the throng of traffic it attracted.