If someone knows how to make an entrance for the ages, it’s Taylor Swift. From watching her first NFL game from the stands, where the fans thought it would be a one-time outing for her, to showing up on the New Heights podcast, where she absolutely killed it with her partner, Travis Kelce, and his brother, Jason Kelce. It was a silent message that she wasn’t going anywhere; instead, she’s expanding her reach. In her latest adventure, Swift didn’t just drop a new album; she inspired a signature hue on a Mercedes-Benz flagship mobile to mirror her favorite color, and that’s only part of the story.

On her podcast appearance with Travis and Jason Kelce, Swift revealed the title, aesthetic, and inner energy of her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, which will be launched on October 3, 2025. The album is drenched in orange, including a ‘Portofino orange glitter’ vinyl edition. And when Travis asked her why the theme colour was orange, her reasoning was simple, “I’ve just always liked it, Jason. It feels like kind of energetically how my life has felt. And this album is about what was going on behind the scenes in my inner life during this tour, which was so exuberant and electric and vibrant.” 

The album isn’t out for two more months, but the orange-mania of Swift is running wild. FOX’s Charissa Thompson, during her visit to the Mercedes-Benz Expo, shared an insight on her Instagram story that likely tags along with the automobile giant to her fanbase. That story featured the latest flagship car by the $60.32 billion company, the Mercedes-Benz SO AMG, the color? Orange. Thompson described the flagship car model’s color as being “inspired by Taylor Swift.”

With a picture of her standing alongside the car, she wrote, “@taylorswift they got the orange memo.” While this subtle endorsement flew under the radar compared to megabrands now going for orange, its impact resonated deeply with the fans and cultural watchers alike. The narrative isn’t just about orange paint; it’s about Swift’s cultural impact. Swift’s influence has a presence inside and beyond it. Her influence isn’t just a marketing gimmick anymore. It’s running like a movement.

Charissa Thompson’s role in this story isn’t random. Her connection to Taylor Swift goes beyond sideline reporting or podcast banter. Thompson, alongside Erin Andrews, was the one who encouraged Swift to date Travis Kelce in the first place! And Travis acknowledges their effort. “You two are something else!!. I owe you big time!!” He once said after Thompson’s match-making play.

But Mercedes wasn’t the only place where Taylor Swift’s influence seemed to shine through Charissa Thompson’s world.

Charissa Thompson and Erin Andrews joined Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce on a secret vacation

Earlier this year, Erin Andrews, alongside her husband Jarret Stoll, and Charissa Thompson, with her boyfriend Steven Cundari, joined Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce on a vacation to Montana. The news was secret until Travis himself posted a picture alongside Erin and Charissa, and even then, the duo kept mum about the getaway for a while. The reason? They wanted to be respectful of Travis and Taylor’s privacy, emphasizing them as people whose lives are so public. “It was important for Erin and I to let them dictate the narrative on things they do in their personal life,” Thompson said. “So, that’s my thing—I’m not going to elaborate too much on it other than to say she’s a dream and I adore her, and I’m so happy they make each other happy.

The duo also revealed they have been long-time fans of the Grammy award-winning singer, even before they brought Travis and Taylor together.“That clearly worked out,” Thompson said of Swift and Kelce’s relationship. “And they are so happy, and adorable and all things. So, when the opportunity came about for all of us to spend time together and go on vacation, we were elated.” 

But that wasn’t the fun part of her story. Thompson also opened up about finally spending some real time with Taylor, marking her experience with the singer as surreal and a dream. “I will say this. She is everything that I’d ever hoped and dreamed that she could have been, and more.” The vacation, then, became more than just a winter trip. It symbolized how Swift’s presence extends beyond stages and stadiums into authentic friendships. For the fans and haters alike, Thompson’s experience and her words for Taylor might just be the most personal confirmation yet that the pop icon’s fairytale offstage is just as real as the one she sings about onstage.