Rumours began last Monday morning, when the singer's marketing team posted a carousel of 12 photos with the caption: "Thinking about when she said 'see you next era'." In the hours that followed, Swift's official website began a countdown to 00:12 ET (05:12 BST), when her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce confirmed that she would be a guest this week on his podcast, New Heights.

The title of the album was revealed by Swift herself on a social media clip trailing Kelce's podcast, and the record was simultaneously made available for pre-order on her website. Fans who pre-ordered the album received a message which said it would ship before 13 October, but that "this is not the release date". The official release date for the new music is yet to be confirmed. The pop star's 11th album The Tortured Poets Department, released last year, broke the Spotify record for being the most-streamed album in a day. Announcing her new album on her current boyfriend's podcast is an interesting move for Swift, as so much of her songwriting and back catalogue has been about her previous relationships.

It was widely reported - though never confirmed - that her last album detailed her break-up from The 1975 singer Matty Healy. Other former beaus including Harry Styles, Jake Gyllenhaal and John Mayer are all long thought by fans to have been subjects of songs in the past. The Guardian's deputy music editor Laura Snapes told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Tuesday that the subject of relationships could be back on the agenda. "There is a leaked photograph of, allegedly, the inside of the vinyl going around where you can see some blurry, out of focus lyrics," noted Snapes. "And there seems to be some stuff about love.

"There might be something about the situation with her former label... it doesn't seem like she's done singing about that." The star, she stressed, "famously gives no interviews". So everything her fans hear from her "is direct", either via social media or comments made on stage in between songs at her gigs like during her all-conquering recent Eras tour. (BBC/PA)