Everything We Know So Far (and Predictions) About Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl Track List
In this life, there are few things that excite us more than news about new music from Taylor Swift, and the hype around Taylor's freshly announced next album, The Life of a Showgirl, couldn't be bigger.
Yesterday, Aug. 13, she appeared in a surprise episode of Travis and Jason Kelce's beloved podcast, New Heights, marking her first-ever podcast appearance as she discussed her masters, touring, football and, most notably, all things The Life of a Showgirl. Ahead of its big release on Oct. 3, she spoke about the recording process as teased its dozen new tracks. If you haven't watched yet, read on to discover what you might've missed.
The Life of a Showgirl
"This is my brand new album," Taylor shared in the podcast. "It's called The Life of a Showgirl. It was something that I was working on while I was in Europe on The Eras Tour … I would be playing shows. I'd do like three shows in a row. I'd have three days off. I'd fly to Sweden, go back to the tour, and actually, working on this, I was physically exhausted at this point in the tour, but I was so mentally stimulated and so excited to be creating."
"And literally living the life of a showgirl," Travis interjected.
"I was. I was. That's why I said that's why I called it that. Nailed it."
She also showcased the album cover, featuring Taylor almost entirely submerged in water and wearing a sparkly sequin bikini with cascading details like a spider's web. It's presented in a cut-out collage style, complete with glittery orange title text.
(The Life of a Showgirl via Taylor Swift)
Of course, The Life of a Showgirl will also be available as a vinyl record, and the product itself is stunning.
"We got this orange vinyl here," Taylor said, showing it off in the podcast. "It's orange. It's sparkly."
"So what is the significance of the color orange?" asked Jason. "Why orange?"
"I've just always liked it, Jason," she answered. "I don't know. It feels like it feels 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 and vibrant"
'The Fate of Ophelia'
In the podcast, Taylor briefly mentioned William Shakespeare's classic play, Hamlet, in reference to "The Fate of Ophelia." In the story, Ophelia was a young woman caught between the whims and control of her father, her brother and her love interest Hamlet. At every point she's stripped of her agency and the ability to make her own choices, and as Hamlet rejects her and his behavior toward her becomes increasingly erratic, and Hamlet eventually kills her father, she goes mad. Soon after, she drowns, though it's unclear whether this death is accidental or self-inflicted.
Now, we're very curious to see where this fits into The Life of a Showgirl mythos. Perhaps Taylor once saw herself as Ophelia, refused her own choices as led down the path of fame and stardom, without ownership of the beloved masters that meant so much to her. Regardless, we hope this song is oozing with Shakespearean drama, angst and poetry.
'Elizabeth Taylor'
"Elizabeth Taylor," of course, refers to the classic Hollywood legend of the same name, known for her rich and deeply emotional film performances and striking beauty and "violet" eyes. While she was well-known for her work, however, the actress's headline also frequently made headlines, beginning with her eight short-lived marriages.
Taylor Swift, too, has famously discussed her "long list of ex-lovers," and it's very possible she relates to her plight—and we're sure it's just coincidence that they share a name. We'll be especially pleased if this song can channel an Old Hollywood feel and incorporate a retro feel hearkening back to Elizabeth Taylor's golden dates.
'Opalite'
"Opalite" is a little bit harder to parse, as it refers not to a proper noun but a synthetic glass made to look like opal. It's recognizable for its incredible colors, usually a combination of soft and dark blues and purples, with a rainbow of colors reflecting through in the sun, though the fact it's man-made might suggest a falseness or insincerity. Its beauty pales in comparison to that of real opal, one of Taylor's favorite stones, meaning this song might be able false promises or something that looked perfect on the inside, but fell apart with further scrutiny. Either way, we hope it sounds just as shiny and glimmery as the title implies.
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'Father Figure'
There are a million things "Father Figure" might be about, and though Taylor doesn't have a great track record for writing healthy dad relationships into her songs, it seems that her real-life connection to her father Scott Swift is a close and loving one. As this album represents her life on the road during The Eras Tour, it might instead relate to a mentor or someone she looked up to during this time, or even about someone else who lacked a father figure and turned out worse for it. It could be a song of inspiration, of betrayal and deceit, of being let down or anything else, and we can't wait to see where it goes.
'Eldest Daughter'
As "Eldest Daughters" ourselves, we know the pressure and responsibility that come with the position. Taylor, too, is a big sister to her young brother, Austin, and it's likely that she's found that even into adulthood and no longer fitting into that role that she holds onto that burden and it shows up in her life in different ways. Oldest siblings are often over-achievers who feel they have something to prove, and they can be self-critical, suffering from imposter syndrome and always pushing themselves to work hard and be better. We can imagine even someone like Taylor practically taking over the world with The Eras Tour and still wondering if she's good enough and what more can be done.
'Ruin the Friendship'
To "Ruin the Friendship" almost always refers to falling for a best friend and wondering if that connection is worth risking in pursuit of love. We do know that their relationship unfolded slowly, starting with Travis giving Taylor a friendship bracelet with his number on it, though we'd love to learn more and see if this is how she felt about their budding romance.
On the other hand, this might not be about love at all, as Taylor has had countless famous friends, not all of whom she remains close to today. Could this song break down one of those juicy tales?
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'Actually Romantic'
In the New Heights podcast, Taylor talks about the "wild romantic gesture" Travis made with his friendship bracelet to catch her attention before they officially met.
"This kind of felt more like I was in an '80s John Hughes movie and he was just like standing outside of my window with a boombox just being like, 'I want to date you! Do you want to go on a date with me? I made you a friendship bracelet! Do you want to date me?'" Taylor explained. "So, I was like, if this guy isn't crazy, um, which is a big if, this is sort of what I've been writing songs about wanting to happen to me since I was a teenager."
It really feels like Taylor has finally found her match with a man who's "Actually Romantic." We hope it sounds like a swelling romance backed by a full orchestra.
'Wi$h Li$t'
Taylor was quick to point out that "Wi$h Li$t" is spelled "with two dollar signs as the S's," which suggests that this is a song about money and material things. We feel like it would befit Taylor to sing a song about the trap of wealth, and people suddenly wanting everything from you because you have it, but we can also see her playfully embracing her status as a superstar and the benefits of being on top of the world. Perhaps it's a song about the things she still wants that can't be bought with money.
'Wood'
What "Wood" entails is really anyone's guess at this point. It could be about nature and the woods, or building a home with someone with carpentry symbolism through furniture and the structure of a house, or feeling as still and emotionless as wood, or referring to the fact that wood is traditionally given as a fifth wedding anniversary gift. Whatever it is, we trust Taylor to wow and surprise us with the direction she takes.
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'CANCELLED!'
"CANCELLED!" immediately stands out as a title, not just because of the capital letters and exclamation point, but because it uses the British English spelling instead of the American English spelling ("canceled"). This one's bound to be big, bombastic and emotional as Taylor confronts cancel culture and the countless times she's been called out for trivial things or been held to a double-standard, criticized for things that would go unnoticed if she were a man. We think it can also be a triumphant song, as it's clear that these attempts to diminish her character haven't impacted her success in the slightest.
'Honey'
We're imagining honey as a deliciously sweet love song about Travis. It should be rich and romantic, but with a slow and luxurious, golden sound you can bask in and just feel the love oozing out of the track.
'The Life of a Showgirl' Featuring Sabrina Carpenter
And finally, we can't think of someone who'd be more appropriate for a feature on the title track that "Sabrina Carpenter," who herself has seen an incredible trajectory to superstardom over the last years. We'd love for the song to unfold as a duet, with both artists soulfully outlining all of the incredible highs and lows of that level of fame, and fully stepping into their power as some of the most recognizable and well-loved faces on the planet.
If you haven't had the chance to catch the podcast yet, click HERE to check it out.