Taylor Swift fans suddenly have four new songs to analyze, a new music video to dissect and another historic awards show moment to celebrate. But New York Times bestselling author and longtime Swiftie Olivia Levin says fans are already wondering what could come next.
Parade.com spoke with Levin, founder of Swifties for Eternity, which has more than 630,000 followers, and author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The Story of Us: How the Taylor Swift Fandom Changed Our Lives, following Swift’s latest round of surprises.
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Nearly a year after releasing her 12th studio album, Swift expanded it with The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore. The new edition includes “Patient Zero,” “Cleveland,” “Pink Clouding” and “Babylon.”
“It’s such an exciting time to be a Swiftie because it feels like there’s constantly something new to decode,” Levin told Parade.com. “I don’t think any of us saw The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore coming! When Taylor first announced ‘Patient Zero,’ fans were immediately trying to figure out whether this was connected to The Life of a Showgirl or if we were already entering an entirely new era.”
Levin said the darker imagery surrounding the new release reminded some fans of The Tortured Poets Department. At the same time, the surprise songs have given Swifties another collection of lyrics and potential clues to examine.
“Taylor has trained us over the years to pay attention to every little detail, so naturally everyone is already trying to figure out what these four new songs could be about and whether any of the clues she’s been leaving connect back to them,” Levin said. “Half the fun of being a Taylor fan is getting to experience all of this together and watching the entire fandom collectively try to figure out what she’s telling us before we actually get the answers.”
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One date Levin believes fans will be watching closely is Oct. 24, which marks the 20th anniversary of Swift’s self-titled debut album.
“The 20th anniversary of her debut album on October 24 is obviously a really meaningful milestone, especially because it’s the album that started everything,” Levin said. “Fans have been paying close attention to anything that could potentially point back to that era. I have no idea if she has anything planned, but I would be surprised if she let the moment pass without at least acknowledging the anniversary.”
Levin also addressed the possibility of Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version), while making clear that she does not know whether Swift has anything planned.
“It almost makes too much sense that she could announce Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version) around that time, especially after delving back into the country world this year and with the CMAs coming up in November,” she said. “Then again, Taylor has made a career out of doing the unexpected, so at this point, we’re bracing ourselves for anything!”
Before October arrives, Swift will add another achievement to her career at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 27 in Los Angeles. CBS and MTV announced that she will receive the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors, an award recognizing artists whose work behind the camera has advanced music videos and visual storytelling.
The honor also gives Swift 31 career VMA wins, moving her ahead of Beyoncé as the most decorated artist in the show’s history.
Levin said the award stands out because directing has become an increasingly important part of Swift’s work.
“The Artist Director honor feels especially meaningful because directing has become such an important part of Taylor’s artistry,” Levin said. “Her music videos have always been a huge part of the world-building around her music, but over the last several years, we’ve gotten to watch her take even more creative ownership behind the camera. For the VMAs to create this honor and give the inaugural award to Taylor feels like such a special recognition of that evolution.”
The timing also comes as Swift prepares to release the music video for “Patient Zero.” Levin noted that fans now know Swift apparently teased the song months earlier in the “Opalite” music video, something Swifties failed to catch at the time.
“It’s especially funny considering Taylor literally told us in her recent Emmys skit, ‘I think what we’re going to be looking for is hiding in plain sight,’” Levin said.
The VMAs are only one of several upcoming career milestones for Swift. She will also be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and has a CMA nomination.
For Levin, those honors highlight the different parts of Swift’s career as she approaches two decades since releasing her first album.
“I’ve followed her career for more than half of my life, and writing The Story of Us gave me the chance to look back at just how much both Taylor and this fandom have evolved over the last two decades,” Levin said. “It makes moments like these especially surreal. Even after everything she’s already accomplished, there are still new milestones to celebrate and new chapters for fans to experience alongside her.”
