Taylor Swift curates playlist for ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’ hinting at Max Martin and Shellback collaboration
Taylor Swift has created a playlist for newly announced ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’ album, which appears to hint at a collaboration with Max Martin and Shellback.
At 12 minutes past midnight this morning (August 12), Swift revealed news of the upcoming album, which followed a cryptic countdown on her website and a series of hints that her 12th record was on the way.
Fans also took note that mysterious billboards started popping up in New York City and Nashville after the announcement, which culminated in Swift sharing a new Spotify playlist with fans.
The playlist was made two weeks ago and went public shortly after the album reveal, and was titled “And, baby, that’s show business for you”.
The playlist included 22 tracks, all of which were taken from her various previous albums. Swifties were quick to spot that all the songs featured were all produced by Max Martin and Shellback, whom the pop singer had previously worked with on ‘Red’, ‘1989’ and most recently, ‘Reputation’.
New billboards are popping all over NYC and Nashville (so far) linking to a playlist by Taylor Swift called “and baby, that’s show business for you
” pic.twitter.com/gQR9yq20WE
— Taylor Swift Updates (@SwiftNYC) August 12, 2025
Taylor Swift's new Spotify playlist features 22 songs, all of which have been produced by Max Martin and Shellback.
Her upcoming album ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ is rumored to be produced by the duo. pic.twitter.com/dScQhyUBbZ
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) August 12, 2025
Both Shellback and Martin helped her transition from her earlier country sound to pop, with some of her biggest hits – ;We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’, ‘Shake It Off’ and ‘Don’t Blame Me’ produced by the pair.
The new playlist bears the same mint green and orange colour scheme as the new record appears to, which Swift revealed during an appearance on the New Heights podcast.
Swift was confirmed as a guest on her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s show earlier this week, with the full podcast dropping at 7pm ET on Wednesday, August 13. It’ll mark her first appearance on his show, despite the two being a couple since 2023.
Speculation around the new album picked up in May when Swift revealed that she now had control over her entire back catalogue of music after buying back her final masters from Shamrock Holdings.
Fans took note of the line, “all the times I was thiiiiiiiiiiiis close, reaching out for it, only for it to fall through”, seizing on the fact she used 12 “i’s”, which they hoped signalled a follow up to ‘The Tortured Poets Department’, her 11th studio record.
Kelce has joined Swift on stage once – at the ‘Tortured Poets Department’ segment of one of her Wembley Stadium shows in June 2024, Kelce lifted her off her feet while dressed as one of her regular backing dancers. As he placed her on her seat, and shook her awake, he dusted her off and got Swift ready to perform ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart’.
Fans have since seized on the visuals from those moments, considering them a nod to the 1920s inspired showgirl theme to come.
The album’s cover art and release date have yet to be announced, though pre-orders will ship before October 13, 2025. Upon counting down, the site revealed three pre-order packages: a vinyl, a cassette and a CD with a poster. You can pre-order your copy here.
The post Taylor Swift curates playlist for ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’ hinting at Max Martin and Shellback collaboration appeared first on NME.
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