Taylor Swift sparks new album rumors ahead of ‘New Heights’ podcast debut
Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran sing together for Eras tour
Ed Sheeran joined Taylor Swift on stage in London to perform two of their collaborations, followed by a surprise duet.
LOS ANGELES - Taylor Swift isn’t letting August pass quietly. The superstar will appear on the Aug. 13 episode of "New Heights," the podcast hosted by her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and his brother Jason Kelce — and Swifties think it could be more than a casual guest spot.
Theories erupted after the podcast teased the episode with an orange backdrop instead of its usual yellow and a silhouetted guest image matching Swift’s profile from a past ‘Variety’ interview. Around the same time, Swift’s official marketing arm, Taylor Nation, posted a 12-slide carousel of red-orange outfits from her Eras Tour, captioned, "Thinking about when she said, ‘See you next era…’"
Adding fuel to the speculation, Swift’s website launched a glittery orange countdown to 12:12 a.m. ET on Aug. 12 — a nod, fans believe, to her upcoming 12th studio album.
What we know:
In a clip shared Monday evening, Swift is seen seated next to Travis Kelce. "Such a nice color on you," she tells him. "Yes, I know. It’s the color of your eyes, sweetie," Kelce replies. "It’s why we match so well." Swift answers: "We’re about to do a f***ing podcast."
Travis and Jason Kelce have been on a break from ‘New Heights’ but are returning for what they’ve billed a "very special episode."
Taylor Nation’s recent post echoed the opening page of Swift’s Eras Tour book, which shows her in a red-orange bodysuit beside a note ending with "See you next era…"
What we don't know:
It’s not clear if Swift’s ‘New Heights’ appearance will include an album announcement or simply be a special guest spot. The title, release date, and musical direction of her potential 12th album remain unconfirmed, and neither Swift nor her label has addressed the speculation directly.
The backstory:
Swift has never announced an album on a podcast or with a boyfriend present. Her past announcement strategies have ranged from livestreams (‘Speak Now,’ ‘Red’) to surprise social media drops (‘Folklore,’ ‘Evermore’) and award show reveals (‘Midnights,’ ‘The Tortured Poets Department’).
According to Kayla Wong, a popular fan analyst known as the "Data Swiftie," the average time between Swift’s album announcements and releases is about 66 days. "For four of the albums, she announced in August and released in October," Wong said, noting that it includes ‘Red,’ ‘1989,’ ‘Reputation,’ and ‘Midnights.’
Taylor Swift performs during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at Wembley Stadium on Aug. 15, 2024, in London. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management )
Why fans think album No. 12 is coming
The combination of the orange visuals, the 12:12 a.m. countdown, and the timing of Swift’s appearance has convinced many fans that she’s on the verge of announcing her 12th studio album. Swifties haven’t had much to dissect since the Eras Tour ended, apart from the handwritten letter she shared earlier this year after gaining ownership of her full music catalog.
If the theories are right, this would mark another chapter in Swift’s history of carefully orchestrated album rollouts — and another August announcement to add to her record.
The Source: This report is based on information from Rolling Stone, which covered the build-up to Taylor Swift’s upcoming ‘New Heights’ podcast appearance, and fan analysis shared across social media platforms. Fans have been dissecting visual clues, countdown timers, and past album announcement patterns to speculate about a potential 12th studio album.