Taylor Swift announces 12th studio album, ‘The Life of a Showgirl’. NEW YORK — Look what you made her do — Taylor Swift has announced her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”

Swift announced the album on her website shortly after a countdown timer expired at 12:12 a.m. Tuesday. No release date was announced, but her site said vinyl editions of the album would ship before Oct. 13.

Fans have long theorized that Swift’s 12th album would soon arrive. On Monday, Taylor Nation — an official branch of the pop superstar’s marketing team — posted a TikTok slide show of 12 images with the caption “Thinking about when she said ‘See you next era…’” Swift is seen wearing orange in every image.

A special limited vinyl edition of the album will be released in “Portofino orange glitter,” according to a pre-order page on her site. A special cassette edition is also available for pre-order.

Sensing a pattern, eagle-eyed fans noticed that 12 minutes earlier, the popular “New Heights” podcast posted a tease for Wednesday. The show, hosted by Swift’s boyfriend and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce alongside his brother, former Eagles center Jason Kelce, posted an orange image on social media with a mysterious silhouette, many believing to be Swift.

The podcast announced early early Tuesday that Swift would would appear on “New Heights” and a teaser video posted about her appearance showed her pulling the album from a briefcase. The actual album artwork, just as it is on her website, is blurred.

“The Life of a Showgirl” follows last year’s “The Tortured Poets Department,” announced during the 2024 Grammys and released during her record-breaking tour, which raked in over $2.2 billion across two years and five continents, making it the highest-grossing tour of all time.

The album is also her first release since Swift regained control over her entire body of work. In May, that pop star said she purchased her catalog of recordings — originally released through Big Machine Records — from their most recent owner, the private equity firm Shamrock Capital. She did not disclose the amount.

In recent years, Swift has been rerecording and releasing her first six albums in an attempt to regain control of her music. The project was instigated by Hybe America CEO Scooter Braun’s purchase and sale of her early catalog and represents Swift’s effort to control her own songs and how they’re used. Previous “Taylor’s Version” releases have been more than conventional re-recordings, arriving with new “from the vault” music, Easter eggs and visuals that deepen understanding of her work.

So far, there have been four rerecorded albums, beginning with “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” and “Red (Taylor’s Version)” in 2021. All four have been massive commercial and cultural successes, each one debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Swift’s last rerecording, “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” arrived in October 2023, just four months after the release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” That was the same year Swift claimed the record for the woman with the most No. 1 albums in history.

Maria Sherman, The Associated Press

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#News: The Walking Dead’ actress Kelley Mack dies at 33. Actress Kelley Mack, known for her appearance in post-apocalyptic zombie drama “The Walking Dead,” has died. She was 33.

Mack, who was born Kelley Klebenow, “passed away peacefully” in her hometown of Cincinatti on Saturday after battling glioma of the central nervous system, according to a statement posted on the social networking site CaringBridge. A glioma is a type of tumour that affects the brain or spinal cord.

“It is with indelible sadness that we are announcing the passing of our dear Kelley. Such a bright, fervent light has transitioned to the beyond, where we all eventually must go,” read a post on Mack’s Instagram on Tuesday alongside a photo of the actress.

Condolences have poured in from colleagues, friends and fans remembering her as “talented” and a “sweet soul.”

“What an incredible human. So proud to have fought alongside her in our final episode together,” wrote Alanna Masterson, who also starred in “The Walking Dead.”

Mack held 35 actress and five producer credits during her career, according to the statement posted to CaringBridge. She was best known for playing Addy in season 9 of “The Walking Dead,” and Penelope Jacobs in season 8 of “Chicago Med” and on FOX’s “9-1-1.”

She also did commercial and voice-over work, appearing in commercials for Dr. Pepper, Ross stores, Dairy Queen and Chick-fil-A, among others. Her love for storytelling flourished after she received a mini video camera as a birthday gift at a young age. She began acting in commercials as a child.

“Kelley was known for her warmth, creativity and unwavering support for those around her,” the statement said. “Her infectious enthusiasm and dedication to her work inspired countless others in the industry and beyond.”

Mack graduated from Hinsdale Central High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in cinematography from Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts in Orange, California.

The actress is survived by her parents, Kristen and Lindsay Klebenow; sister Kathryn and brother Parker; grandparents Lois and Larry Klebenow; and her boyfriend Logan Lanier.

“Kelley’s legacy will live on through her contributions to film and television, and in the hearts of those who loved her. She will be deeply missed by forever remembered for her talent, kindness and vibrant spirit,” according to the statement.

By Chris Lau, CNN

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Justin #Timberlake has Lyme disease. The “Mirrors” singer opened up about his diagnosis in an Instagram post Thursday, writing that he wanted to “shed some light” on what he’s been going through behind the scenes.

“Living with this can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically,” Timberlake wrote. “When I first got the diagnosis I was shocked for sure. But, at least I could understand why I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain or, just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness.”

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection, with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi being the most common cause, Dr. Leana Wen previously told CNN. Wen is an emergency physician and professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. Lyme disease is transmitted through the bite of a particular tick, the black-legged tick. There are three stages of Lyme disease, which can include flu-like symptoms, dizziness, chest pain, palpitations, arthritis, facial nerve paralysis, ongoing joint pain, fatigue, depression, palpitations, and other neurological, rheumatological and cardiac involvement.

Timberlake went on to say this week that he was “faced” with a decision to stop touring or to keep going, writing that “the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling.”

“I’m so glad I kept going,” he wrote.

Timberlake has been on his Forget Tomorrow World Tour since April 2024, and performed his final show on Wednesday in Istanbul. In his post on Thursday, Timberlake celebrated his experience while candidly questioning what his Lyme disease diagnosis means for his future on stage.

“There really is no way to put into words the feeling of being on a stage and getting to share the experience of live music with all of you. It’s a vibration of frequency that is unmatched,” he wrote. “I honestly don’t know what my future is onstage but I’ll always cherish this run!”

Timberlake acknowledged that while he’s typically a private person and was initially “reluctant” to speak about his health, he is choosing to open up about it now because he’s “trying to be more transparent about my struggles so that they aren’t misinterpreted,” and wants to “help others.”

“Sharing all of this with the hope that we can all find a way to be more connected,” he added. “I’d like to do my part to help others experiencing this disease too.”

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