What do the words “peace”, “style”, and “fifteen”, have in common? If you said they are all Taylor Swift songs, you would be right. Taylor Swift has risen to stardom of massive proportions in the last decade, releasing 4 re-recorded and 4 live albums, 5 EPs, and 11 original albums in her almost 20-year career. Her album count will rise on October 3rd with the release of her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl”. She announced the release on the football podcast, New Heights, on August 12th. This announcement sent many Swifties into a theorizing frenzy – especially with the recent release of the 12 song tracklist. Swift fan theories are notorious, so read on to find out what her fans are theorizing about some of the tracks.
Track one, “The Fate of Ophelia”, has a much more robust theory. It seems to be drawing a parallel to Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet. In the play, Hamlet’s love interest Ophelia takes her own life in a grief stricken panic by drowning herself in a river. In addition to the on the nose track title, Swifties pointed out the cover shoot photo where Swift is immersed in a water-filled bathtub. This parallel alludes to the painting of Ophelia’s death by painter John Everett Millias.
Track two, “Elizabeth Taylor”, draws its name from the iconic 1900s actress. Besides the obvious popularity thread, fans point to a violet eye necklace in the Sweet and Vanilla Perfume album variant as alluding to Taylor’s iconic violet eyes. Fans also draw parallels to both Taylors’ love lives, with Elizabeth Taylor’s seven marriages and Swift’s public romantic eras, most recently appearing in the headlines with her engagement to Kansas City Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce.
Track three, “Opalite”, is more of a mystery. Most fans have noticed Swift’s fiancé, Kelce, has a birthday in October, making his birthstone an opal. Some associated opals with healing properties, a possible illusion to the track’s meaning.
Track five, “Eldest Daughter”, has been theorized to be about just that – the life of being an eldest daughter, which many believe includes having perfectionist and people pleasing tendencies. Swifties are convinced this is going to be the saddest track on the album, speculating that Swift will continue her trend of having track five be the most emotionally charged.
Track six, “Ruin the Friendship” is speculated to be about the rumored falling out of Swift and actress Blake Lively. Lively has been involved in a very public lawsuit with her It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni. Swift was name dropped in the case, leading some to think it caused tension in the friendship. Its dissolution is purely rumor, but Swifties feel this track will confirm the speculation.
Track seven, “Actually Romantic”, may be Swift’s first song about her blossoming love with fiance Travis Kelce. Fans note her frequent negative connotation of “romantic”, while “actually” may be countering this to create a love song – and who else would a love song be about but Kelce?
Track eight, “Wi$h Li$t”, is also an elusive track. Eagle eyed listeners of the Kelce brother’s podcast, New Heights, have noticed Swift using this phrase in relation to Kelce, possibly hinting at another love song dedicated to the NFL tight end. She explained on the podcast the dollar signs in the title were for a “dramatic flourish”. A strong pivot from love, fans have also suggested the track is about her wish to get her Masters back, which she has recently done. Now that Swift has her Masters back, fans speculate this could be about the public scandal to get them.
Track nine, “Wood”, seems to have the most far-fetched theory. Viewers of the New Heights podcast spotted a Pinocchio figurine behind Swift during her album announcement, seemingly an easter egg to the theme of this track. However, the most intricate theory comes from her website. Swift’s website features a keychain with an arrow behind a wooden heart, a random item, but some fans have noticed a subtle reference to a metaphor. “Putting wood behind the arrow” is a metaphor to describe “focusing on a core priority and eliminating distractions”. Could this be the reference the keychain is alluding to?
Finally, track twelve, “The Life of a Showgirl” has a confirmed meaning from Swift herself. She explained on New Heights that the track is about the different aspects of her wildly successful Eras Tour. The Eras Tour was Swift’s biggest tour, spanning 149 shows in 5 continents and grossing over $2 billion. With a tour that broke countless records and became the hottest and most sought after event in the year and a half she toured, the specific topics the song could cover are endless.
With Swift describing the album as “infectiously joyful, wild” and “dramatic”, coupled with her partnership with pop producers Max Martin and Shellback, “The Life of a Showgirl” is bound to be a pop-heavy, bubbly album. Will you be one of the millions tuning in to its drop on October 3rd?
Taylor Swift’s Album, The Life of a Showgirl
