The "Secret Sessions", which first began in 2014, are fan-only listening parties, where Taylor previews her new album for Swifties, weeks before it hits stores. Taylor personally selects the fans that get invited into her various homes for a sneak peek of all her soon-to-be-released songs.
According to fans who attended the "reputation Secret Sessions", Taylor confirmed that "secret sessions are a tradition" -- as long as the many secrets around the album don't get leaked by fans who heard it in advance. "What happens in the Secret Sessions, STAYS in the Secret Sessions."
1989 SECRET SESSIONS
As part of the "1989" promotional campaign, Taylor invited fans to secret album-listening sessions, called the "1989 Secret Sessions", at her houses in New York, Nashville, Los Angeles and Rhode Island, as well as in her hotel room in London. 89 Swifties attended each session.
reputation SECRET SESSIONS
A month before the release of "reputation", Taylor hosted several exclusive secret sessions; in her home in London, at her Rhode Island beach mansion, her mother's mansion in Nashville, and her new estate in Los Angeles. According to Taylor, "everything about this album is a secret." Each party had around 100 attendees, with a total of 500 fans chosen from around the world. None of them leaked any music.
LOVER SECRET SESSIONS
Three weeks before the release of "Lover", Taylor held the third edition of the secret sessions; starting in her home in London.
iHeartRadio SECRET SESSION
For both "1989" and "reputation", iHeartRadio and Taylor collaborated for exclusive listening sessions on the release date of each album.
For "1989", fans were invited to a rooftop in New York City, where Taylor sang new songs from "1989" and explained the stories behind each one. Additionally, the Empire State Building lit up in different colors to the beat of Taylor's songs. The session was streamed on iHeartRadio's website, so fans could join the concert from around the world.