Hollywood

Happy New Music Friday! The weekend is here, which means Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, is finally here and ET has got it covered!

Taylor shared a series of behind the scenes photos when the album dropped and shared, “Tonight all these lives converge here. The mosaics of laughter and cocktails of tears where fraternal souls sing identical things and it’s beautiful. It’s rapturous. It is frightening. I can’t tell you how proud I am to share this with you, an album that just feels so right. A forever thank you goes out to my mentors and friends Max and Shellback for helping me paint this self portrait. If you thought the big show was wild, perhaps you should come and take a look behind the curtain…”

Earlier this week, Taylor celebrated good news with RIAA announcing that Taylor has become the first and only female artist in history to surpass 100 million RIAA Certified album units.

Also this week, Spotify celebrated Taylor’s new album by inviting fans into a 3-day immersive activation, “The Life of a Showgirl: A Spotify Experience,” in New York City ahead of the release. Fans were able to step into the life of a showgirl, capture photo moments, hunt for Easter eggs, and also got a first look at lyrics from the album. Today, Spotify announced Taylor’s album became its most streamed album in a single day in 2025 so far.

Swifties will be celebrating Taylor’s new album this weekend with the release of TAYLOR SWIFT | THE OFFICIAL RELEASE PARTY OF A SHOWGIRL, which will be shown on thousands of movie theatre screens in the U.S. October 3 through October 5. Fans will see the exclusive world premiere of the music video for “The Fate of Ophelia,” along with behind the scenes footage from the music video shoot, brand new lyric videos, and Taylor’s never before seen personal reflections on songs from her new album. Get ready to dance as Taylor said, “Dancing is optional but very much encouraged.”

And we can’t forget about all the different vinyl editions. Taylor shared that she was so happy with her photo shoot and wanted her fans to have as many images from this album era. She chose a high gloss finish which she has never before and wanted this album to feel really luxurious. Taylor said, “The vinyl packaging, the CD packaging, the photographs, the photo cards, it’s all just something I’m very proud of and it took a lot of time to put together, a lot of concentration, a lot of organization but hopefully it pays off, I hope the fans are happy.”

For her 12th album, Taylor reunited with producers Max Martin and Shellback and delivered twelve “bangers” as she called them during her “New Heights” appearance in August. She shared, “This is the record I’ve been wanting to make for a very long time.” Now, let’s break down some of our favorite lyrics!

“The Fate of Ophelia”
Taylor references Ophelia from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” but instead of a tragic fate, she was saved. She told Hit Radio that she has a fixation on Shakespeare characters and that this is a love song she is proud of. Travis also dropped an Easter egg from his post back in July when he wrote “Had some adventures this offseason, kept it 100.”

And if you’d never come for me
I might’ve drowned in the melancholy
I sore my loyal to me, myself and I
Right before you lit my sky up

You dug me out of my grave and saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia
Keep it 100 on the land, the sea, the sky

“Elizabeth Taylor”
Oftentimes it doesn’t feel so glamorous to be me
All the right guys promised they’d stay
Under bright lights, they withered away but you bloom
Portofino was on my mind
And I think you know why

“Opalite”
Travis shared on “New Heights” that this is his favorite song on the album which Taylor confirmed during her Capital Breakfast interview. She explained that opal is Travis’ birth stone and she has always loved that stone. She told Hits Radio that this song was so fun to write and how we think certain moments in our lives are major setbacks but actually catapult you forward in growth, wisdom and perspective.

I had a bad habit of missing lovers past
My brother used to call it eating out of the trash

It’s alright
You were dancing through the lightning strikes
Sleepless in the onyx night
But now the sky is opalite
Oh oh oh oh my Lord
Never met no one like you before
You had to make your own sunshine
But now the sky is opalite

“Father Figure”
Taylor interpolated George Michael’s “Father Figure” into her song. George Michael Entertainment thanked Taylor for including George in such a special moment. During her BBC Radio 1 interview, Taylor said this song was fun to write and is proud of the line I can make deals with the devil because my d*ck’s bigger and she also told Magic Radio that she wrote this song in character.

“Eldest Daughter”
But I’m never gonna let you down
I’m never gonna leave you out
So many traitors, smooth operators
But I’m never gonna break that vow
I’m never gonna leave you now

“Ruin The Friendship”
This is not about a broken friendship but about a loved one she lost in high school. She shares regret for not pursuing her friend at the time.

Would’ve been the best mistake
Should’ve kissed you anyway

When I left school, I lost track of you
Abigail called me with the bad news
Goodbye and we’ll never know why

“Actually Romantic”
Wrote me a song saying it makes you sick to see my face
Some people might be offended
But it’s actually sweet all the time you’ve spent on me
It’s honestly wild all the effort you’ve put int
It’s actually romantic

“Wi$h Li$t”
Taylor confirmed this might be her favorite song! She told Heart Breakfast that this was the last song she made for the album — it is a dreamy and romantic song and details things people aspire to have in their lives and she shares what she would want like wanting to settle down and start a family! When asked if she thinks she achieved the line bring me a best friend who I think is hot, Taylor said “100%! Look what I got!” and held up her engagement ring to the hosts.
I made wishes on all the stars, God please bring me a best friend who I think is hot. Thought I had it once, twice, but I did not. 

I just want you
Have a couple kids, got the whole block lookin’ like you

Got me dreamin’ ’bout a driveway with a basketball hoop
Boss up, settle down, got a wish list
I just want you

“Wood”
All of that bitchin’ wishing on a falling star
Never did me any good
I ain’t got to knock on wood
It’s you and me forever dancin’ in the dark
All over me, it’s understood
I ain’t got to knock on wood

Forgive me, it sounds cocky
He ah-matized me and opened my eyes
Redwood tree, it ain’t hard to see
His love was the key that opened my thighs

“CANCELLED!”
Good thing I like my friends cancelled
I like them cloaked in Gucci and in scandal
Like my whiskey sour and poison thorny flowers
Welcome to my underworld where it gets quite dark
At least you know exactly who your friends are
They’re the ones with matching scars

“Honey”
You can call me honey if you want because I’m the one you want
You give it different meaning because you mean it when you talk

“The Life of a Showgirl” featuring Sabrina Carpenter
Taylor opened about this song during her Magic Radio interview about how the song is about meeting one of your idols who warns you against following in their footsteps because they want to be honest of how hard this industry is, but you do it anyway. She also opened up about how she was physically exhausted during the Eras Tour and needed to be emotionally and mentally stimulated, which led her to start writing this new album.

I’d sell my soul to have a taste of a magnificent life
That’s all mine but that’s not what showgirls get, they leave us for dead

The Life of a Showgirl – Taylor Swift
Stream it now: Apple / Spotify