Taylor Swift fans just pieced together what might be a major easter egg for her next album—either that or it’s the world’s “most insane” coincidence.
Shortly after the “Fortnight” songstress announced the news of her brand-new album The Life of a Showgirl on Tuesday, Aug. 12 at exactly 12:12 a.m., die-hard Swifties noticed something else interesting about the date of the announcement.
12 years ago to the day, Lady Gaga released her hit song “Applause,” which has a special connection to Swift, 35, and her fans.
Swifties who attended the Eras Tour know all too well that “Applause” is the second-to-last song that played on Swift’s pre-concert playlist before she took the stage for the opening number each night.
Plus, the message of the hit Gaga track—highlighted in the lyrics to the chorus, “I live for the applause”—is also a significant theme Swift focuses on in many of her songs (see: “Mirrorball” off her folklore album).
Knowing that “none of it was accidental” when it comes to Swift, it wouldn’t be crazy to assume that she purposely chose the 12th anniversary of “Applause” to announce an album with a “showgirl” theme.
“Is this just the most insane coincidence or like is she clinically insane,” one of her fans asked on X (formerly Twitter) after noticing the poignant timing of Swift’s announcement.
“Definitely not a coincidence,” someone else argued.
The official release date for The Life of a Showgirl, Swift’s twelfth studio album, has not yet been revealed, but the “Cruel Summer” songstress is expected to share more details about the highly-anticipated new project during an appearance on her boyfriend’s New Heights podcast on Wednesday, Aug. 13.
