By Jeanni Ritchie
I wasn’t just watching a film or hearing an album release today — I was stepping into the creative process of one of the most analyzed artists in the world. What struck me wasn’t just the music, but the way Taylor pulled back the curtain: her fresh, youthful face belies years of experience in the studio; her creative direction rivals Hollywood’s most seasoned players; and the way she stitches Shakespeare into her storytelling reveals both an intellect and a depth few give her credit for.
The film was structured track by track, each paired with insight. The theater clapped after every song — a reminder that even in a dark room full of strangers, her words create community.
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Track 1: The Fate of Ophelia
The sole music video, the opener played at both the beginning and the end of the movie, with behind-the-scenes footage woven throughout.
Taylor reclaims Ophelia — Hamlet’s tragic heroine — from madness and drowning. Instead of despair, she reframes the story as rescue, crediting Travis Kelce as her anchor. Like Romeo and Juliet in 2008’s Love Story, Shakespeare’s Ophelia gets a different ending: one of rescue instead of ruin.
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Track 2: Elizabeth Taylor
Here Taylor draws parallels between her own life and the Hollywood icon — a woman scrutinized, celebrated, and endlessly reinvented.
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Track 3: Opalite
A metaphor built on man-made opals. The reminder? Happiness doesn’t have to come from what’s rare or natural — you can create it yourself. This was one of my favorite lyrical concepts, and I’ve already claimed 2025 as my own “Opalite Era.”
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Track 4: Father Figure
With nods to George Michael’s 1987 hit Father Figure — and with permission from his estate — Taylor borrows the alliterative title as if it were her own eponymous track. She layers in a Godfather-esque nod (“sleeps with fishes”) and what comes across as shade toward Scooter Braun. The result is a track that blurs pop culture, betrayal, and family archetypes, underscoring that Taylor doesn’t just survive — she prevails, and often clears the path for others to follow.
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Track 5: Eldest Daughter
This one hit me personally. My sister texted me last night as soon as it dropped, knowing I’d feel it. The song unmasks the façade eldest daughters carry — responsible, unshakable, but often quietly broken. There’s an ache in wanting to feel like a child again, even as you hold everyone else up. Here, Taylor reminds us it’s okay to let the guard drop and step back into childlike wonder.
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Track 6: Ruin the Friendship
A wistful, almost nostalgic take on the high-school crush you never confessed because you didn’t want to lose the friendship. Abigail, Taylor’s longtime friend, once again makes an appearance. The lyric that lingers: “Better to ruin the friendship than regret it forever.” Ah, the what-ifs of a middle-aged mind!
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Track 7: Actually Romantic
A love letter to someone who despises you — paradoxical, biting, and a bit patronizing.
The audience chuckled along as Taylor referred to people who claim to hate you but can’t stop talking about you. We’ve all been there. Lyrics that stuck: “Cause it’s actually sweet / All the time you’ve spent on me.”
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Track 8: Wi$h Li$t
Playful but poignant: Taylor hopes everyone gets what they want, but her wish list has changed — she wants Travis, and kids, and the life she’s been dreaming of. And honestly, we want it for her too.
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Track 9: Wood
Built on superstition — knocking on wood — with a 70s groove. Another love song to Travis, but wrapped in retro vibes.
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Track 10: Cancelled
Cancel culture stripped bare. Not just celebrities — anyone can feel erased, misunderstood, discarded. The lyric that landed hardest: “At least you know who your friends are — they’re the ones with matching scars.” A subtle show of support for Blake?
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Track 11: Honey
One of the first tracks written, and it set the tone for the album’s direction, Swift shared. There’s bite in the word “honey” when used sarcastically, dismissively — but sincerity when reclaimed as a true pet name. That paradox becomes the anchor that defines the album.
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Track 12: The Life of a Showgirl
A fictionalized warning, with Kitty (Sabrina Carpenter) at the center. “You’re too sweet to do this,” Sabrina sings, but Taylor proves otherwise — equipped to handle backlash, bold enough to step into the spotlight. Taylor has become the ubiquitous showgirl.
Between tracks, Taylor shared behind-the-scenes clips — scribbled lyrics, raw studio takes, and the kind of files that never make it out of a songwriter’s hard drive. It felt intimate, unfiltered, and remarkably human for someone known for turning diary pages into Billboard hits.
By the end, the theater clapped once more as the video replayed. We weren’t just watching; we were witnessing Taylor re-thread tragedy, humor, and hope into her newest body of work.
Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl is in theaters October 3-5.
