Taylor Swift’s new album sparks conspiracy theories about Lady Gaga, Travis Kelce, and a secret follow-up album

Also read: Taylor Swift announces her 12th studio album ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ after boyfriend Travis Kelce hints at her appearance on his podcast

The Lover House Burns

Remember the time when Taylor Swift burned down the pastel Lover house in “The Man” video? Her fans now see the same as a symbolic burning down of her old era to rise as a glitzy showgirl. The orange palette that Swift debuted is also not new, since it’s tied to earlier visuals in “Midnights” and “Anti-Hero”. Fans believe Showgirl was originally the follow-up to “Midnights” but got delayed after “The Tortured Poets Department” was announced. The album has now been rebranded as her comeback, and many have labelled it a “sister album” to “Midnights.”

The colour-coded Life of a Showgirl

One of the brainier fan theories suggests the copper oxidation changes from orange to green in the teased materials of the album. This might suggest fame’s transformation, connecting dots to the green-and-orange briefcase shown during the New Heights podcast.. The new “copper” represents the start of a performer’s legacy, full of energy, ambition, and glamour. The “oxidised” green, meanwhile, represents the wisdom, experience, and perhaps the wear and tear that comes with a long career full of the spotlight. “The colour scheme is copper oxidising because a showgirl is on a pedestal for the world and over time, in the public eye, they lose their shine… the weathering from being the target for the world’s misogyny,” a fan commented on the poster. Another wrote, “I FOUND AN EASTER EGG IN THE KARMA MV—the SHOWGIRL version of Taylor on an hourglass transitions into her wearing green, then fades into copper. This symbolises copper oxidising over time and hints at the themes of this album. The most common example to justify this theory is the Statue of Liberty, which is made of copper and has turned green over time.” The theory suggests this might be a remark on fame, time, and legacy.

Also read: Hollywood’s biggest fears about Donald Trump are coming true: From Taylor Swift to Stephen Colbert, what celebs got right about Trump’s second term

The Double album twist: ‘Death of a Showgirl’

After the surprise drop of TTPD, Swifties think we’re getting two albums. Orange for the “life,” dark blue for the “death.” A user wrote, “Y’all act like she’s not going to release ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ at midnight followed up by ‘The Death of a Showgirl’ at 3:00 AM with all of Jack and Aaron songs your little hearts desire.” Another said, “i’m partial to the theory that it’s a double drop: the life of a showgirl / the death of a star. this quote, dying star visual in Karma, the 22s in the playlist (like the ttpd) her continual examination of fame’s horrors and the tension between the self and the performance.”

Lady Gaga Easter Eggs and Travis Kelce factor 

Lady Gaga’s Applause dropped 12 years ago to the day Taylor announced Showgirl. The singer even used it as her Eras Tour walk-on song. She liked a fan post calling the connection “clinically insane.” Rumours of collab refuse to die. From the Empire State Building’s orange lights to Swift’s 12-slide Instagram shoutout ending with Sabrina Carpenter, the tangerine aesthetic has fans convinced of a new era, especially since the singer has retained her masters’ rights. Orange also alludes to Travis Kelce’s Chiefs colours; the combination of red and gold makes the whole thing feel like a showmance-coded album rollout.