Taylor Swift Life of a Showgirl album release details and special movie event Australia

Happy almost Showgirl day to all who celebrate!

Taylor Swift, that very shrewd businesswoman who also sometimes sings, will release her new album, The Life of a Showgirl, on Friday.

It’s her 12th studio album, which was recorded in Sweden in between tour dates on the Europe leg of her blockbuster, billion-dollar Eras tour. As if she didn’t already have enough going on. You have to respect that work ethic.

It has 12 songs and will come in at 41 minutes and 40, which is the shortest since her 2006 debut, and Swift has promised “infectious” melodies. The track listing suggests the singer-songwriter looked to influences from cultural icons including Elizabeth Taylor, George Michael and William Shakespeare.

The title track, The Life of a Showgirl, features Sabrina Carpenter, who was one of Swift’s opening acts during the Eras tour, including for her shows in Australia.

Look, when that album drops on Friday at 2pm AEST, you can put in on repeat for the rest of the year – or until the inevitable 13th album, but there is also something a little extra the most fervent of fans will definitely be doing this weekend.

Ever the marketer, Swift announced two weeks ago there would be a “film event” to coincide with the album launch.

Titled Taylor Swift: The Official Release Part of a Showgirl, 89-minute movie that will feature the video clip for The Fate of Ophelia song, behind-the-scenes footage from the shoot of that video, and Swift’s “personal reflections” about the album.

However, it’s a limited time engagement, and will only be available in cinemas Saturday, Sunday and Monday, from October 4th until the 6th. Ticket prices cost the same as it would for any other new release movie, depending on the chain and the class.

Most cinemas in Australia will be showing the film, hoping to capitalise on Swifties’ unyielding devotion to their queen.

Sydney’s George St cinemas will run 31 screenings on Saturday, starting from 5am – although, at the time of publication, only 10 per cent of seats in that pre-dawn session has been sold. It is so very, very early.

In the US, the movie sold $US15 million worth of tickets in presales in the first 24 hours after tickets became available.

Just as she did previously for The Eras Tour concert film, Swift struck a deal directly with cinema chains rather than go through a Hollywood studio or distributor, which allows her to keep a bigger share of ticket sales.

The Eras Tour concert film was released in 2023 and made a massive profit with global takings of $US267 million at the box office against a production budget of $US15 million. The tour itself earnt more than $US2 billion in ticket sales.

In August, Forbes estimated Swift’s personal wealth to be $US1.6 billion.