NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 Taylor Swift doesn't simply announce albums. She curates events.
That's a trend that certainly did not begin with the announcement of her 12th studio album, 鈥 on Tuesday.
She's long embraced new technologies and forward-thinking marketing opportunities that allow her to connect directly with fans. (Who could forget her third studio album, 2010's 鈥淪peak Now,鈥 was announced via the now-defunct Ustream? Or that 2012's 鈥淩ed鈥 was announced via Google+ Hangout 鈥 RIP 鈥 while over 70,000 fans watched via YouTube stream? Just us?)
As her profile has risen, so too have her efforts. Easter eggs abound in her album rollouts. Here are a few of her most memorable.
鈥淩eputation鈥 (2017)
ANNOUNCEMENT DATE: Aug. 23, 2017
HOW SHE DID IT: with much speculation 鈥 at the time, the once very public-facing Swift had begun to keep a low profile, heightening the mystery. A week before Swift announced the album 鈥 which arrived on the three-year anniversary of the announcement of her last album, 2014乌鸦传媒 鈥1989鈥 鈥 Swift deleted every post across her social media platforms. A few days later, she posted a 10-second video clip of a snake. Soon afterward, she revealed the name of her album, its release date, and the fact that the first single from the project would arrive the very next day.
RELEASE DATE: Nov. 10, 2017
鈥淔olklore鈥 (2020)
ANNOUNCEMENT DATE: July 23, 2020
HOW SHE DID IT: In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Swift got creative. that her eighth album, 鈥淔olklore,鈥 would arrive the next day 鈥 less than a year after the release of her seventh, 鈥淟over.鈥
鈥淢ost of the things I had planned this summer didn鈥檛 end up happening, but there is something I hadn鈥檛 planned on that DID happen. And that thing is my 8th studio album, folklore. Surprise,鈥 she wrote on Instagram at the time. 鈥淚鈥檝e poured all of my whims, dreams, fears, and musings into. I wrote and recorded this music in isolation.鈥
It wasn鈥檛 just the album announcement that was a surprise. 鈥淔olklore鈥 marked for the pop star.
RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2020
鈥淓vermore鈥 (2020)
ANNOUNCEMENT DATE: Dec. 10, 2020
HOW SHE DID IT: A few months after the surprise release of 鈥淔olklore,鈥 the prolific She called it a 鈥渟ister鈥 to 鈥淔olklore.鈥
鈥淭o put it plainly, we just couldn鈥檛 stop writing songs,鈥 Swift wrote on social media in December. 鈥淚鈥檝e never done this before. In the past I鈥檝e always treated albums as one-off eras and moved onto planning the next one after an album was released.鈥
RELEASE DATE: Dec. 11, 2020
鈥淢idnights鈥 (2022)
ANNOUNCEMENT DATE: Aug. 28, 2022
HOW SHE DID IT: Swift took home the top prize at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards before she closed out the show with a new album.
鈥淚 thought it would be a fun moment to tell you that my new album comes out Oct. 21,鈥 said Swift. after she won video of the year for her project 鈥淎ll Too Well: The Short Film,鈥 which claimed best long-form video and direction. 鈥淚 will tell you more at midnight.鈥
At the anointed hour, Swift said on social media that her 10th studio album would be called which she said would involve 鈥渟tories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life.鈥
RELEASE DATE: Oct. 21, 2022
鈥1989 (Taylor乌鸦传媒 Version)鈥 (2023)
ANNOUNCEMENT DATE: Aug. 9, 2023
HOW SHE DID IT: Taylor Swift closed the 2023 U.S. leg of her landmark in Los Angeles in a big way, of her re-recording project: 鈥1989 (Taylor乌鸦传媒 Version).鈥
鈥淚nstead of just, like, telling you about it, I think I鈥檒l just sort of show you,鈥 she told the crowd as the screen illuminated behind her. 鈥溾1989 (Taylor乌鸦传媒 Version)鈥 available Oct. 27!鈥 she cheered, pointing out that she was revealing this on the eighth month of the year and the ninth day 鈥 a numerical clue.
Then she launched into a surprise performance of the ascendant 鈥1989鈥 track 鈥淣ew Romantics鈥 and the piano ballad 鈥淣ew Year乌鸦传媒 Day鈥 for the first time during her world tour.
RELEASE DATE: Oct. 27, 2023
鈥淭he Tortured Poets Department鈥 (2024)
ANNOUNCEMENT DATE: Feb. 4, 2024
HOW SHE DID IT: The night of the Grammys, Swift provoked mass speculation when her site seemed to go down. Some theorized she was gearing up to release but cryptic clues on the 鈥渃rashed鈥 site indicated that might be a misdirect. In classic Swift fashion, it was. While accepting the , Swift said she鈥檇 been keeping a secret for two years: 鈥淭he Tortured Poets Department,鈥 an all-original album.
RELEASE DATE: April 19, 2024
鈥淭he Life of a Showgirl鈥 (2025)
ANNOUNCEMENT DATE: Aug. 12, 2025
HOW SHE DID IT: For her 12th studio album, Swift really embraced the number. She announced the album on her website shortly after a countdown timer expired at 12:12 a.m. on Aug. 12.
The day before, the Taylor Nation account 鈥 an official branch of her marketing team 鈥 posted a TikTok slideshow of 12 images captioned 鈥淭hinking about when she said 鈥楽ee you next era鈥︹欌 That was posted 12 minutes after an image of a mysterious silhouette appeared on the social media accounts for the hosted by , Kansas City Chiefs tight end , and his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce. Fans theorized the outline was of Swift. They were, of course, correct.
The 鈥淣ew Heights鈥 social media accounts confirmed Swift would appear on the podcast for the first time. That appearance was scheduled for Aug. 13 鈥 13, of course, another number important to Swift.
RELEASE DATE: It remains to be seen.