Taylor Swift’s new album guarded by “DEFCON-3” secrecy, with only five people in the know
Taylor Swift might be the queen of Easter eggs, but when it comes to leaks, she runs her empire like a covert operation.
With her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, set to drop October 3, insiders say Swift locked things down tighter than Fort Knox while recording between Eras Tour dates in Sweden.
According to reports, just five people have heard the album so far. The trusted circle? Travis Kelce (who gleefully announced “TS12” on his podcast), longtime publicist Tree Paine, producers Max Martin and Shellback, plus one unnamed studio engineer.
Everyone else involved faced iron-clad NDAs, file encryption, and vetting processes that sound more CIA than pop music.
Some collaborators haven’t even heard the finished record, reinforcing Swift’s obsession with fan-first reveals.
It’s hardly her first time using code names and stealth tactics – past projects like Folklore and Evermore carried aliases like “Woodvale” to throw snoops off the scent.
This time around, secrecy was also political. Swift, who endorsed Kamala Harris in 2024, reportedly wanted to avoid interference after Trump took shots at her publicly. The result? A bubble-wrapped album roll-out complete with encrypted folders and hush-hush video shoots.
Fans can expect a record laced with references to her relationship with Kelce, a nod to overcoming past drama, and Swift’s trademark trail of Easter eggs. Until then, The Life of a Showgirl remains pop’s best-kept secret – known only to five people on earth.
