“The Fate of Ophelia” is the first single off of Swift’s latest album, where she draws a parallel to herself and Ophelia, Hamlet’s love interest in Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet.” Ophelia was consumed by her love for Hamlet but after he murdered her father for revenge and then rejected her – Ophelia climbed into a tree and although the play makes it unclear of if by sucide or accident Ophelia fell off a broken tree branch while making a flower garland and drowned in a lake while singing.

This popular tragedy is often utilized as a message of what happens when love consumes you, a message Swift uses to relate to listeners about her own life. Swift compares herself to Ophelia as she “lingered in purgatory” and “drowned in the melancholy” until Travis Kelce, her fiance, saved her from the pain and suffering the previous relationships in her life caused her. She also references Kelce by singing “keep it 100” which she later confirmed in a BBC interview is an ode to her lucky number 13 and her fiance’s jersey number 87 added together. Kelce is again mentioned in her music video when she catches a football in honor of his football career and leaves eagle eyed fans with an easter egg by adding a photograph of Kelce to a vanity in one of her music video scenes.

A famous painting of Ophelia painted by John Everett Mills called “Ophelia” is referenced not only in the opening of Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” music video, but also as inspiration for her album cover. The song is already well loved by fans and surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify only five days after its release. If you haven’t yet listened to the song and are looking for a new favorite uplifting song be sure to check it out, and watch her music video for fun easter eggs!

“The Life of a Showgirl” is definitely one of Taylor Swift’s most dark and viciously honest albums, with “Elizabeth Taylor” blatantly reflecting on the constant pressure and anxiety that comes with being in the spotlight. According to an Elle Magazine article, the song is based on the 1940s and 50s film icon Elizabeth Taylor, who married, divorced and remarried almost seven times throughout her life. As any famous person might, Taylor struggled under the Hollywood spotlight, which Swift relates to in her lyrics. With juggling a love life amongst the worldwide attention and scrutiny from the media, Swift opens up about her experiences and the pressure that comes with it. 

Despite not being too knowledgeable in Taylor Swift’s lore or knowing all her songs, I could clearly see the message of this one: Swift seems to have “everything and nothing all at once” because she doesn’t have someone to navigate life with. I like to imagine in the moody chorus that Swift is having a conversation with Taylor, asking if there will be a happily-ever-after in the end when she says, “Do you think it’s forever?”. One of my favorite lyrics was also “You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby”, because I think it is very true to what many music artists have gone through. Ultimately, Swift comparing herself with someone like Taylor, despite their careers being decades apart, simply reveals how all celebrities and artists experience the same pressure under all the attention. The only difference is that Swift is being honest about it. 

“Opalite” is the third track on the album. Swift has made it with an upbeat feel to it; her main repeated lyrics are “now the sky is opalite” and “life is a song, it ends when it ends.” The main message Swift tries to convey to her audience is that life isn’t always a straightforward path. The song’s focus is on her fiancé, Travis Kelce, and how her life is so much brighter when she’s with him, hence the sky looking opalite— a light, crystal color that appears almost white. She talks about her own hardships and how she’s moved on and become a better person because of them. Swift sings, “This is just a temporary speed bump but failure brings you freedom. And I can bring you love, love, love, love, love. Don’t you sweat it, baby, It’s alright.” The song is uplifting, and she’s almost reassuring Kelce that everything will end all right. Later in the song, she sings about how Kelce’s ex was not committed to their relationship and how it wasn’t his fault. Opalite represents their new and thriving relationship and how both of them are better when they’re with each other. The beats and musicality are similar to her earlier albums, bringing some nostalgia back for long-term fans. “Opalite” is quickly becoming a favorite on the album, and the love for it is well deserved.   

Swift’s song, “Father Figure,” emphasizes her ability to protect and provide for others who need it. Swift uses the term “family” throughout her song to represent the people loyal to her. The song mainly highlights a friend of Swift who reminds her of her younger self. Under the narrative of Swift, the friend is shown to be naive, but is chosen to be protected by Taylor because they have potential. Throughout the song, the dynamic between Swift and her mystery friend is presented as Swift being the “father figure” of the two. 

The person the song is about has been speculated by fans everywhere. Gracie Abrams, a younger music artist Swift has worked with in the past, has been suspected. Sabrina Carpenter, another young music artist Swift has collaborated with, has also been speculated. Carpenter is also featured on the song “The Life of a Showgirl” with Swift. 

Overall, the song highlighted Swift’s role as a figure who inspires and helps people once in her place. This new era of hers is sure to make fans more astonished than ever.

Swift’s fifth tracks of her albums have been notoriously heartwrenching and have consistently been the most vulnerable of each of her albums. On the wall of Swift’s powerful fifth tracks are “tolerate it,” “All Too Well” and “So Long London;” “Eldest Daughter” has no doubt earned its place as the quintessential fifth track of TLOASG. With its nostalgic acoustic guitar, the song glimpsed into Swift’s “Fearless” era and transported fans to Swift’s earlier discography. 

As an eldest daughter, the song immediately spoke to my apprehensive and people-pleasing heart. Singing, “Every eldest daughter / was the first lamb to the slaughter,” Swift alluded to the very real plunge eldest daughters are often forced to endure, being the first in their family to experience different struggles. Even though Swift is an eldest daughter herself, through the track, she simultaneously comments on her “older sister” role in the music industry. As she sings, “I have been afflicted by a terminal uniqueness / I’ve been dying just from trying to seem cool,” she mentions the constant pressure from the media and her audience to continuously put on a new persona, a key feature that eldest daughters often face. 

A friend from high school, Jeff Lang, is the rumored subject of Swift’s new song “Ruin the Friendship,” for whom she had romantic feelings but never confessed to. Fans also speculate that Lang is the subject of her song “Forever Winter” from her album “Red (Taylor’s Version)” and “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” from her album “Midnights.”  From the lyrics of “Forever Winter,” it appears that he struggled with depression and lost his life to an overdose. Swift herself said in “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl” that the song was born from her reminiscing on her high school days and her fear of disrupting the peace and remaining disciplined in her actions. An upbeat, catchy song paired with a tragic hidden story is nothing new for Swift, serving as a reminder for her listeners to appreciate the gift that is each new day and to take calculated risks.

“And my advice is to always answer the question / Better that than to ask it all your life,” Swift said in the closing stanza of the song.

I thoroughly enjoyed this song. The beat was simple, repetitive, and easy to the ear. It matched the style of the singing and highlighted the lyrics. As all Swifties know, Swift is a mastermind at writing lyrics and hiding secret meanings in the lines of her songs. Many fans are saying “Actually Romantic” was written about Charli XCX, who allegedly wrote “Sympathy is a Knife,” a song on her “Brat” album, about Swift.

In “Sympathy is a Knife,” Charlie XCX sings “Don’t wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show,” and “Fingers crossed behind my back, I hope they break up quick.” This was a stab at Swift’s relationship with Matty Healy because Healy and George Daniel, Charli XCX’s fiance at the time, both played in the band, “The 1975.” In rebuttal, Swift wrote “Actually Romantic,” which talks about how “cute” it is that someone is obsessed with her. This song could be talking about Charli XCX’s “Sympathy is Knife,” although Swift has crushed these allegations, claiming the song is about realizing someone is constantly hating on you. 

Either way, this song is an enjoyable and humorous way to take on hate, which Swift has experienced numerous times in her life, and change it into something that makes people feel seen and happy. 

The song titled “Wi$h Li$t” is the eighth track on the new album. It is an upbeat, feel-good song about Swift’s desires and wishes. Swift herself commented that “Wi$h Li$t” is one of her favorite and most emotional songs on the album, and that she designed it to be her “happy place,” which is “utopia” for her. 

In the first verse, Swift claims that other people want “that yacht life / under chopper blades” and “those bright lights and Balenci’ shades,” but then later in the song she says, “I just want you.” This suggests that while other people may crave fame and luxurious things, all she wants is love and “a couple kids.” 

Many Swifties speculate that this is referring to Swift’s fiancé, Travis Kelce, because in the bridge, Swift also says “I thought I had it right, once, twice, but I did not” perhaps referencing her previous relationships that did not work out, and then later on says “You caught me off guard / I hope I get what I want / Cause I know what I want / I just want you,” referencing her hopeful future life with Kelce and the family she wants to build with him.

Personally, “Wi$h Li$t” is one of my favorite tracks on the album, and it has such an easy-going vibe. It has a beat that is easy to follow and lyrics that will definitely get stuck in fans’ heads. Overall, this song is a huge hit, and the story behind it makes it even more endearing.

Track nine of TLOASG, “Wood,” is a lighthearted pop song filled with playful nods and references to Swift’s fiancé, Travis Kelce. The song is layered with many double entendres directed towards Kelce, such as a lyric that includes “new heights”, which is also the title of the Kelce Brothers’ podcast. The song references many common superstitions, such as black cats, knocking on wood, stepping on cracks and wishing on stars. With this song, Swift cleverly expresses that she no longer needs to participate in superstitions regarding luck or wish for true love, as she has now found that love in the person she is marrying. Many interpret the song as being a romantic and somewhat scandalous metaphor, as she makes innuendos towards the physical aspect of their relationship, which have been analyzed and decoded by many media sources.

While this song isn’t the best on the album, I believe that its fun approach to expressing the personal and exciting aspects of her relationship adds value to the song. As someone who has written many emotionally fueled breakup songs, it is refreshing that Swift now has the chance to incorporate upbeat lyrics and music into her albums. Although the lyrics are not as poetically moving as other songs of Swift’s, her iconic wordplay is still prevalent, and the concept and cleverness of this song make it very enjoyable. Musically, the song is great! It has various instruments, namely guitar riffs, and a drum beat that is sure to get stuck in anyone’s head. My favorite part of the song is when Swift says, “I ain’t got to knock on wood,” as a 2-beat knock plays in the background. It ties everything together perfectly and is very satisfying to hear in the song.

“Cancelled” is not one of my favorite songs on the album. The beat is steady throughout the entire song, which makes it boring and not as fun to listen to as “Opalite” or “The Fate of Ophelia.” However, the lyrics are intense and cutting, a characteristic that is often attributed to Swift’s “Reputation” album, released in 2017.

In the ninth song of the album, Swift clearly conveys a message about friendship amidst cancel culture. In the chorus, she repeats the line “Good thing I like my friends cancelled / I like ‘em cloaked in Gucci and in scandal.” Upon analyzing these lyrics, fans theorize that the song may be about Swift’s former best friend, Blake Lively, who has recently been wrapped up in drama with her “It Ends With Us” co-star Justin Baldoni. 

While fans believe the song is in support of Lively, in her “Official Release Party of a Showgirl” movie, released in AMC theaters, Lively was not mentioned in Swift’s explanation of the song and instead, she comments on cancel culture in general. 

In my opinion, I believe that Swift is highlighting the cutthroat nature of cancel culture in today’s pop culture scene. At a later part in the chorus, Swift sings, “At least you know exactly who your friends are /  they’re the ones with matching scars.” Through her lyricism, she explains that when artists are involved in a scandal,  they find out that their true friends are ones who have gone through similar experiences.

“Cancelled!” lacks musical variation and a display of vocal skill with its mellow beat and repetitive sound, but it has a lyrical meaning that is fun for fans to interpret in multiple ways. 

“Honey,” track 11 on Swift’s new album, requires only one listen to immediately recognize who she is referring to, and showcases her inner lover girl for her significant other. Travis Kelce, her new fiancé, has stolen Swift’s heart as she sings about her lover, “honey.” 

The song represents Taylor’s feelings about others calling her names, like “sweetheart” and “honey,” but doing so in a passive-aggressive manner. However, when Travis calls her “honey,” it’s in a genuine and heartfelt way. Taylor sings, “You give it a different meaning ’cause you mean it when you talk,” and “You can call me ‘honey’ if you want / Because I’m the one you want.”

As the last song on the album, Swift sings about the life of being in the spotlight. As said in the movie that came out last weekend, this song is about a fictional popstar named Kitty who is a top rated singer in the music industry. Swift sings about waiting outside the stage door to praise her as Kitty responds to the hardness and demanding of the music industry life. “Pain hidden by the lipstick and lace / the more you play the more that you pay.” Carpenter and Swift close out the song thanking the band, dancers and each other. 

I really liked this song because it showed more of the glimpse of the Eras Tour and what Swift was feeling during it. I really love how the song specifically closes with the sound of audience applause, which had been recorded at the final Eras Tour show last December.