The Sneaky Way Patrick Mahomes Learned About Taylor Swift Album Early
Taylor Swift Claps Back at Male Sports Fans in Cheeky âNew Heightsâ Teaser
Patrick Mahomes has been ready for it.
The NFL quarterback confessed that he and wife Brittany Mahomes have known about Taylor Swift’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl, since shortly after she filmed the New Heights podcast episode with Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce, where she shared the big news.
“They called me after the podcast was done,” Patrick said at a Kansas City Chiefs press conference Aug. 13. “They didn’t call me, they called Brittany, and I was in the back of the FaceTime.”
However, he noted that when he got the call, “It surprised me, too.”
And although Taylor meant to spill the beans to her fellow Chiefs WAG, Patrick shared that he’s looking forward to the music just as much as Brittany.
“I’m obviously super excited,” the Super Bowl champ said. “Just knowing Taylor and seeing the process from just a little bit closer of how she makes the albums, it’s going to be amazing because of how much work she puts into it.”
Plus, he’s thrilled she decided to announce it on Travis’ podcastâone Swifties have been tuning into since the couple began dating in 2023.
“What better place to announce it than the New Heights podcast where I feel like she can be herself and showcase who she is?” Patrick shared. “People are going to be really excited to watch it tonight.”
As to whether or not Patrick has seen the highly anticipated episode?
“I haven’t seen it yet,” he noted. “I’ve seen a little bit of clips just like everybody else, but I’ll be tuned in tonight.”
MediaPunch/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Just as Patrick will be supporting Taylor, the Grammy winner will be supporting his team this fall. Previously, Travis has shared just how much it means to him when she cheers the players on from the stands at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I love it when Taylor comes and supports me and enjoys the game with the fam and friends,” he told The Pat McAfee Show in Jan. 2024. “Weâre just two people supporting each other and having fun.”
And since then, the tight end has shared that Taylor’s become more than a football fanâshe’s become an expert.
âShe is the most engulfed fan now,” he told GQÂ in an interview published Aug. 12. “She knows what the injury reports look like. She understands what special situations are, third and shortâall these things because she just naturally loves to hear about my job.â
For more easter eggs leading up to the album announcement on New Heights, read on.
TaylorSwift.com
Taylor Swift Put Up a Countdown Clock
Taylor Swift wouldn’t have had a countdown clock on her website ticking down to “12 AT 12:12 AM ET,” set against a glittery orange background, for no reason.
Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images
Taylor’s Version of an Elaborate Album Tease
On Aug. 12, 2024, Taylor was photographed in a matching plaid miniskirt and cropped jacketâbut there was nothing clueless about it.
As pointed out by super-sleuth Kristen (@perfectlyfine89), not only could it be construed that Taylor is making very purposeful eye contact with the camera, but also the orange and green print of her outfit matches the color palette of the cover of The Life of a Showgirl, which Taylor revealed exactly one year later on Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast.
In an episode teaser posted at 12:12 a.m. ET on Aug. 12, 2025, Taylor picked up a mint-green briefcase emblazoned with “T.S.” in orange and pulled out the cover of what will be her 12th studio album. Blurred for now, but obviously green and orange.
Of course, Taylor is pretty mad about plaid, and she also wore a tartan print to the 2024 MTV Video Music Awardsâwhere she said the fateful words “my boyfriend Travis.”
TaylorSwift.com
Did Taylor Swift Subtly Reveal the Release Date of The Life of a Showgirl?
The Life of a Showgirl is already available to preorder from Taylor’s website, which notes that whatever hard copy you desireâvinyl, CD or cassetteâwill ship before Oct. 13.
Fair enough, Taylor’s connection to the number 13 well-established. But, as Kristen also noticed, Oct. 3 (a.k.a. 10-3) not only adds up to 13, it’s both National Plaid Day and National Boyfriend’s Day. See above.
John Shearer/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
Orange You Glad the Fans Are Always On It?
Hindsight is always 20/13 in the Taylorverse. On the morning of Aug. 11, the official Taylor Nation social accounts posted a carousel of 12(!) pics showing Taylor onstage in a variety of orange ensembles, captioned, “Thinking about when she said ‘See you next era⊔
Travis Kelce’s Key Assist
Travis and Jason made a half-hearted trick play when they teased a “VERY special guest” on a “special episode” of New Heightsâdropping Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. ET, mind youâincluding what to even amateur Swifties was obviously a silhouette of Taylor in the post.
Gary Hershorn/Getty Images, Aeon/GC Images
New York Hearts Taylor Swift Right Back
The top of the Empire State Building was preemptively lit up orange in honor of the occasion. The official X account for the New York City landmark posted a photo of the color-coordinated building on Aug. 11 at 1:45 p.m. ET, captioned, “See you next era.”
John Shearer/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
Low-Hanging Orange Fruit
A TikTok from Oct. 18, 2024, her first Miami show of the Eras Tour, showed Taylor standing in front of section A12 (Aug. 12, album 12?!) at Hard Rock Stadium.
Then she proceeded to wear a glittery orange bodysuit when she declared, “Miami, we are so back!” and then a green skirt and orange bustier during the 1989 portion of the concert, not to mention a very show girl-esque white feathery costume as she belted “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”?
Her way of saying that her next album was finished and this is what it looks like?
To be fair, orange and green are also the official Miami Hurricanes colorsâbut hey, two things can be true at the same time.
Dan MacMedan/Getty Images, Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images
Spotted on Spotify
There’s already a Spotify playlist prophetically titled “And, baby, that’s show business for you,” featuring the now emblematic orange T.S. initials against a green background.
There are, ahem, 22 existing Taylor songs, all produced by Swedish hitmakers Max Martin and Shellback (a.k.a. Karl Johan Schuster), bolstering fans’ speculation that she wrote the entirety of The Life of a Showgirl while on tour in Europe and these two helped her pull it off.
Did You Catch These Possible Variants?
Fans noticed that the background of the New Heights podcast featured multiple boxes in orange, red, white and purple bearing her initials “T.S.”âhinting at possible variations of the album or more music to come.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation
Let’s Applaud These Lady Gaga Collab Rumors
Taylor herself liked a fan theory on X (formerly Twitter) that pointed out how Lady Gaga released her song “Applause” 12 years to the day on Aug. 12 when Taylor announced Life of a Showgirl. The significance? Taylor had used “Applause” as her lead-in song before opening the Eras Tour each night, along with Lesley Goreâs âYou Donât Own Me.”
Taylor liked a fan’s post that hinted at a possible Gaga collab: “Is this just the most insane coincidence or like is she clinically insane.âÂ
TAS2024/Getty Images for TAS
Get a Taste of This Sabrina Carpenter Theory
Swifties began speculating Sabrina Carpenter may be involved on Life of a Showgirl after she appeared in the 12th slide of a photo gallery from Taylor Nation teasing the next era. Not to mention, Sabrina unveiled a message on her website with the date Aug. 12.Â
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