Taylor Swift had another trick up her sleeve for her new album The Life of a Showgirl’s release weekend.
Swift 35, announced on Saturday, October, 4, that The Life of a Showgirl was getting “four limited CD releases” — each featuring two newly-recorded acoustic versions of specific songs on the album.
“File this under ‘save your best for the finale’… I think my favorite moments from the tour were the acoustic surprises,” she wrote via Instagram. “So I went back into the studio with Max [Martin] and Shellback to record acoustic/unplugged versions of a few of the Showgirl songs with brand new vocals and production! Cannot WAIT for you to hear.”
The Life Is A Song Acoustic Version of The Life of a Showgirl comes with “Opalite (Life Is A Song Acoustic Version)” and “Ruin the Friendship (My Advice Version)” as the bonus tracks, while the Dressing Room Rehearsal Version features “Wish List (Settled Down Acoustic Version)” and “The Life of a Showgirl (Dressing Room Rehearsal Acoustic Version).”
Fans can also pick up the Alone In My Tower Acoustic Version with “The Fate of Ophelia (Alone In My Tower Acoustic Version)” and “Eldest Daughter (Now You’re Home Acoustic Version),” as well as the So Glamorous Cabaret Version includes “Elizabeth Taylor (So Glamorous Cabaret Version)” and Elizabeth Taylor (Original Songwriting Voice Memo).”
“Four limited CD releases each including two acoustic bonus tracks on my site now for 24 hours while supplies last,” Swift teased.
Days before Swift’s 12th album was released, she compiled a schedule of events to celebrate the album’s debut, sharing the calendar via her Taylor Nation Instagram account on Monday, September 29.
“Places, everyone!” the caption read. “#TSTheLifeofaShowgirl comes out this week, and your official schedule is here! Make sure to clock in as we celebrate all week long.”
Among Swift’s schedule of TV interviews and her theatrical release party, fans noticed a note on Saturday that said “standby.”
“STAND BY FOR WHAT???” one Instagram user asked in the comments section, while another wrote, “Excuse me what do you mean standby how could I possibly standby MORE?”
The schedule mentioned the album drop, the official release party and her appearance on The Graham Norton Show on Friday, October 3, the release party and “standby” on Saturday, the release party and the YouTube premiere of “The Fate of Ophelia” music video and album’s lyric videos on Sunday, October 5, her visit to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday, October 6, and her takeover of Late Night With Seth Meyers in the early hours of Thursday, October 9.
In recent years, Swift has developed a reputation for surprising fans with bonus tracks shortly after releasing her new albums. With 2022’s Midnights, she dropped the 3 a.m. edition with seven additional songs just three hours after the initial 13 were released. Meanwhile, 2024’s The Tortured Poets Department was a secret double album, with 16 original songs and 15 extra tracks released on The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology two hours later.
Despite the pattern, Swift insisted she would not be releasing additional songs outside of The Life of a Showgirl’s standard edition.
“There’s no other songs coming,” she said on the “New Heights” podcast in August. “This is 12. There’s not a 13th. … There’s not other songs coming. This is the record I’ve been wanting to make for a very long time.”
Swift also revealed the full tracklist at the time: “The Fate of Ophelia,” “Elizabeth Taylor,” “Opalite,” “Father Figure,” “Eldest Daughter,” “Ruin the Friendship,” “Actually Romantic,” “Wish List,” “Wood,” “Cancelled!,” “Honey” and “The Life of a Showgirl” featuring Sabrina Carpenter. Swift shared on “New Heights” that she wanted “to be as proud of an album as I am of The Eras Tour and for the same reasons.”
“We knew that we had to bring the best ideas we’ve ever had, and I also know the pressure I’m putting on this record by saying that, but I don’t care because I love it that much. I’m so proud of it,” she elaborated. “It just comes from the most infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic place I was in in my life, and so that effervescence has come through on this record.”
However, Swift had a clever trick up her sleeve as she never ruled out releasing remixed and acoustic versions, as are featured on the four CD versions of the record.
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