Taylor Swift Gives Fans Something To Celebrate Amid Intense Album Anticipation

Taylor Swift is going to make sure Swifties get a treat every time!

The pop star has temporarily quenched the thirst of anticipation from her teeming fans who eagerly await the arrival of her 12th studio album with the big news of a merch sale.

Taylor Swift's highly anticipated musical project is set for an October release, according to an announcement she made on her boyfriend's podcast. So many things are leading up to it, including her sparkling new engagement to Travis Kelce.

The "Cardigan" singer gleefully announced to her fans via her website that they can now purchase a burnt orange button-down cable-knit cardigan with her initials embroidered in front. She packed the cardigan in a TS-stamped box to go with the aesthetic of the new drop.

The artist did well to inform her fans that the sweater is only available for a short period of time, precisely 48 hours, before the sales end on September 19 at 11:59 pm. 

Once the time ends, shipping will begin on or before October 3, and fans are expected to receive the cardigan featuring orange glitter buttons, 12 lurex embroidered stars on arms, and T.S. in lurex embroidery on the wearer's front left chest.

Swift also added a standard CD of her upcoming album with 12 tracks in the pack. The CD is housed in a bejeweled case with front and back cover art.

According to The Daily Mail, the disc enclosed also has a collectible artwork and a collectible 8-page booklet that includes never-before-seen photos and song lyrics.

Well, Swift's fans weren't this excited last week when she unveiled a short GIF of herself from a photoshoot as part of the initial phase of her album's PR process.

As reported by The Blast, the star teased the GIF on her website's home page as she instructed her fans to unlock the latest countdown clip. The singer reminded her fans to pre-save the album on various music platforms as the release date approaches.

Several Swifties expressed their thoughts about the move, accusing the vocalist of rage-baiting them while slamming her lack of effort to put up a wow effect.

Other fans advised the star to consider sending this kind of content via email, rather than putting her fans through the stress of waiting in long queues and spending hours on websites.

The star has learnt valuable lessons about protecting the quality of her life's works over the years. Now that it seems all her chicks are back in the brood (thanks to getting her master's back), she is making sure her album is unheard before the release date.

It's no longer a secret that she was in the booth, multitasking to record this album while selling out venues for the Eras Tour. Sources close to the singer confirmed that securing this album was not a walk in the park, considering that she recorded most of it in Sweden and not in her home studio.

But she pulled it off regardless by making sure a select few have access to the work; namely, her boyfriend, two producers, her publicist, and the studio engineer. Everyone had to sign an NDA, promising not to discuss the work with friends or family members.

"Some of the contributors haven't even heard the finished album. She really wants to keep it safe for her fans," the source added.

What is a project for a singer if she doesn't write one or two tracks about herself or her life experience? Back in August, the star took to her Instagram Story, confirming to fans that while creating the project, she took inspiration from a certain someone with whom she shares a lengthy history.

The Onion stated that this simple line was music to her fans' ears as they took it to mean another easter egg and went in search of answers. Her fans began theorizing that a few tracks or more on this particular album might be about the experiences she has lived.

She insisted that she would keep the fans guessing on who that someone is, but if they looked close enough, the art on the cover may be the ultimate clue to finding the correct answers. 

Here are some facts fans did find out after much digging: that the singer had referred to herself in the first person, and that the name "Taylor Swift" appeared 12 times in the project's songwriting credits.

Business Insider Africa shared that the star made another power move with the business side of her 12th album release by telling her fans to preorder the project on iTunes. 

This single chess move is likely to bring back the platform from extinction since Apple Music boxed it into a corner in 2019 following the rise of music streaming.

After a six-year hiatus, the platform's handle on X was revived with a post that directed fans to preorder the album on iTunes, offering exclusive content in conjunction with its October 3 release.

The platform has reportedly also changed its profile picture and banner on X to that of Swift, signaling the beginning of their relationship. The album costs $11.99 on iTunes with a short video titled: "A Look Behind the Curtain" as an extra to the standard 12-song tracklist.

What more tricks are up Taylor Swift's sleeves before this album lands?