Taylor Swift makes surprise announcement about new song at Teen Choice Awards

While accepting the Icon Award at the 2019 Teen Choice Awards, Taylor Swift announced that she’s releasing her new song, “Lover,” on Friday, Aug. 16.

Lover is also the name of her upcoming seventh album, which debuts Aug. 23. The singer previously dropped her tracks “You Need to Calm Down,” “The Archer,” and “Me!,” which will all be on Lover. The star-studded music video for “You Need to Calm Down” featured everyone from the guys of Queer Eye to Ellen DeGeneres.

Swift also revealed the album cover in an Instagram post back in June. In an Instagram Live stream, she also explained more about what fans can expect from the project.

“It’s very romantic and not just simply thematically, like it’s all love songs or something. I think that romance can be found in loneliness or sadness or going through conflicts in your life. [The album] just looks at things in a romantic gaze,” Swift said of Lover, which will feature 18 tracks — more than any of the songstress’ previous albums.

In her TCA acceptance speech, Swift also publicly supported presenter Alex Morgan and her USWNT teammates in their fight for equal pay. She also thanked her fans and offered some wise advice to those in the crowd.

“If you’re out there and you’re being really hard on yourself right now for something that’s happened or for messing up or feeling embarrassed, it’s normal,” Swift said. “That’s what’s going to happen to you in life. No one gets through unscathed. We’re all going to have a few scratches on us. So just please, please, we live in an insane world and in an insane time. Please be kind to yourself and please stand up for yourself.”

Swift has been having a jam-packed summer, not just in music — she wrote an open letter supporting the Equality Act; appeared in the trailer for the big-screen adaptation of Cats; tied with Ariana Grande for the most VMA nominations; and announced she’ll be performing in New York City the day before her album drops, and on Aug. 26 at the VMAs.

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