NEED TO KNOW
On Aug. 12, Taylor Swift announced the title of her 12th studio album: The Life of a Showgirl
She unveiled the cover art — and its 12 tracks — during an Aug. 13 episode of New Heights
The album is a collaboration with Max Martin and Shellback, and includes a feature from Sabrina Carpenter
Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album — The Life of a Showgirl — is just weeks away.
At 12:12 am on Aug. 12, the Grammy-winning pop star teamed up with New Heights, the podcast hosted by her boyfriend Travis Kelce and his brother Jason Kelce, to announce that her 12th studio album was on its way. The next day, she unveiled the mint green and sparkly orange cover art for The Life of a Showgirl — and the 12 brand-new tracks that bring her showgirl era to life.
“This is the record I’ve been wanting to make for a very long time,” she said of the album, which she recorded in Sweden amid her Eras Tour, collaborating with Max Martin and Shellback.
Swift went on to explain the significance of its orange aesthetic (which, yes, showed up as an Easter egg during her final stop on the tour!), saying it feels “energetically how my life has felt.”
“This album is about what was going on behind my scenes in my inner life during this tour, which was so exuberant and electric and vibrant,” she said. “I’m so proud of it, and it just comes from the most infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic place I was in in my life. That effervescence has come through on this record.”
Although the album won’t be released until Oct. 3, that just means there’s plenty of time to dig into the track list — and find out what hidden messages the pop star might’ve included in their titles.
Below, here is Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl track list, decoded.
“The Fate of Ophelia”
Mert Alas & Marcus Piggot; The Print Collector/Getty
Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ album cover ; Ophelia Hamlet by John Everett Millais
The opening track of The Life of a Showgirl nods to Ophelia, the leading lady in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
So, what is Ophelia’s fate? Well, she tragically died by drowning in the end after experiencing a mental breakdown — one that many believe was a culmination of her life being controlled by men.
The album’s cover art also nods to the theme, as she is symbolically “drowning” in a bathtub, seemingly nodding to the 19th-century John Everett Millais painting of Ophelia, partially submerged while floating down a river.
“Elizabeth Taylor”
Elizabeth Taylor was an iconic actress whose career was sometimes overshadowed by her high-profile personal life. Elizabeth also redefined celebrity activism as she used her stardom to fight for change related to HIV and AIDS legislation. Years later, the late actress’ granddaughter told PEOPLE that activism was Elizabeth’s “passion” and “gave her a sense of purpose.”
The Hollywood icon also made history when she fought for a $1 million salary for her role in 1963’s Cleopatra. Now, following Swift’s reclaiming of her masters in May 2025, many are drawing parallels between the two female trailblazers and theorizing that Track 2 might be a nod to their similarities.
This wouldn’t be Swift’s first time mentioning Elizabeth in a song, as she called out the actress’ tragic love story with Richard Burton in Reputation’s “…Ready For It?” saying, “He can be my jailer/Burton to his Taylor.”
Many fans also believe that some of Swift’s cover art for the album is a nod to the actress’ role in Cleopatra.
“Opalite”
Opalite is the man-made version of the gemstone Opal. During her appearance on New Heights, Swift mentioned that Opal is the birthstone of Libras — which just so happens to be Kelce’s zodiac sign.
Some fans believe that this might be the “lover girl song of the album,” given the connection to Kelce’s birthstone, with commenters noting that she wore Opal earrings when he won the Super Bowl in 2024.
“Father Figure”
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Taylor Swift.
“Father Figure” is the title of a famous track released in 1987 by George Michael — and some fans suspect that Swift could be releasing her own sample of the sultry song.
There’s also always the chance there’s no hidden meaning or Easter egg in this one, and maybe it really is just a tribute to her own father figure: her dad, Scott.
“Eldest Daughter”
Swift’s Track 5s have famously been songs that seem to be about relationships or just typically include vulnerable storytelling. Think: “Dear John,” “All Too Well,” “My Tears Ricochet,” “The Archer,” and “So Long, London.”
For The Life of a Showgirl, “Eldest Daughter” is taking the Track 5 spot, and fans think she might be deviating from her previous patterns. In the Birth Order Theory, the eldest child often has “high expectations placed on you,” per Cleveland Clinic, leading fans to think this track could be about Swift’s own experience as an older sibling and how it’s impacted her life.
“Ruin The Friendship”
Track 6 has fans on the edge of their seats, as many are wondering if the song is a hidden message about her longtime friendship with Blake Lively.
The pair’s friendship has been under public scrutiny in recent months amid Lively’s ongoing legal battle with her It Ends with Us costar and director Justin Baldoni. Swift was pulled into the saga when Baldoni’s legal team alleged she pressured him to accept Lively’s rewrites for the film in a January complaint, which was later dismissed. His team also attempted — and withdrew — a subpoena for Swift, while allegedly seeking access to Lively’s communications with her.
Amid the back-and-forth, a source told PEOPLE that their friendship had “halted,” as Swift wanted “no part in this drama.” However, the insider clarified that although they are “taking some space,” they are “not no longer friends.”
“Actually Romantic”
During the podcast episode, Swift said that the album represents what was going on behind-the-scenes in her life during the Eras Tour — so it would only make sense that some songs would explore her relationship with Kelce, which began in 2023. After sharing Track 7’s title, “Actually Romantic,” during the podcast episode, Jason mischievously chimed in, saying what everyone’s thinking, “Wonder who that’s about.”
It’s possible that “Actually Romantic” is Swift’s Kelce-inspired track, especially since she described his 2023 podcast confession of his crush as “such a wild, romantic gesture.”
“I was like, ‘If this guy’s not crazy, this is sort of what I’ve been writing songs about wanting to happen to me since I was a teenager,’ ” Swift said.
“Wi$h Li$t”
Mert Alas & Marcus Piggot
Taylor Swift.
Swift’s Track 8s are historically upbeat — for example, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “Bad Blood,” “Gorgeous” and “Paper Rings” — and fans are hoping that the dollar signs incorporated in “Wi$h Li$t” mean that this album will follow suit.
Some fans think the track could be about her spending years wishing to own her masters — which she said on the podcast she had been “actively saving up money” since she was a teenager for — while others are hoping it has a more romantic message underneath, possibly referencing obtaining something that money couldn’t buy her: love.
“Wood”
Track 9, “Wood,” has Swifties a little more stuck on what the meaning might be — though there are plenty of NSFW theories online. While we’ll have to wait until Oct. 3 to find out more, it’s worth noting that fans also spotted a Pinocchio figurine in the background during the New Heights episode, which many believe might be a hidden Easter egg related to this track.
“CANCELLED!”
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Taylor Swift.
“CANCELLED!” could mean many things in the Swiftie universe. It could be a reference to her 2016 fallout with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, in which she faced a string of backlash and criticism, or, if you’re looking through the lens of a showgirl, it could be acknowledging the looming threat over celebrities of being “cancelled” at any minute in their career.
“Honey”
Track 11 is titled “Honey,” another potential Kelce-related song. The football player just starred in Happy Gilmore 2, in which his character was literally slathered in honey by Bad Bunny’s character. Plus, when Swift posted a shout-out to Happy Gilmore 2 on her Instagram Stories, she included a possibly Easter egg: the honey emoji.
While it’s unlikely the track will be directly related to Kelce’s character in the movie, “honey” is a common, sweet term of endearment between partners — and could be a recurring theme in her and Kelce’s relationship.
“The Life of a Showgirl” (ft. Sabrina Carpenter)
Swift’s title track and final song on the album, The Life of a Showgirl, is a duet with fellow pop star (and longtime Swiftie!) Sabrina Carpenter.
The song could serve as a culmination of the album’s overarching themes, but given Swift’s description of the record as a behind-the-scenes telling of her life during the Eras Tour, it might also be a personal message to Carpenter about the realities of being a “showgirl” — especially given the “Espresso” singer opened for the veteran pop star during a few stops on the tour.
Will The Life of a Showgirl have bonus tracks?
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Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ album cover.
Every Swiftie remembers where they were when they found out The Tortured Poets Department was a double album. While fans were holding onto hope that there would be bonus tracks to The Life of a Showgirl, she’s already shut down those claims.
“This is 12. There’s not a 13th. There’s not a 14th. There’s not other ones coming,” she said during the podcast episode.
But, don’t fret: her boyfriend Travis, a self-proclaimed “Swiftie” who has already been privy to hearing the album, promised it’s full of “bangers.”
Read the original article on People
