‘The Life of a Showgirl’: The Biggest Fan Theories and Easter Eggs
She’s back!
Taylor Swift has officially heralded a new musical era, and in usual fashion, Swifties are putting on their detective hats to gather as much information as they can about the upcoming album. Titled The Life of a Showgirl, Swift unveiled the album name and cover on the podcast, New Heights, hosted by her partner Travis Kelce and his brother, Jason, on 12 August at 12:12 am.
“This is the record I’ve been wanting to make for a very long time,” the singer shared. She revealed that the 12th album was recorded in Sweden during her Eras tour, with producers Max Martin and Shellback.
“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 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.”
The record is dropping on 3 October, which is also just two days before her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s birthday and in the middle of Libra season. What can we say? The pop royalty loves her Easter eggs, and Swifties have been thoroughly trained to catch them!
View this post on Instagram
Now that the tracklist and variant covers are out, it’s time to roll up our sleeves, get our magnifying glasses out, and corkboard at the ready because it’s sleuthing time! From deducing who or what each song is about down to the colour palette used, we’re breaking down the biggest fan theories and Easter eggs about The Life of a Showgirl, so far.
Copper oxidation as a metaphor
View this post on Instagram
Trust Swifties to make the connection between The Life of a Showgirl’s main colour palette of orange and mint to copper oxidation. If you thought it was just a pretty colour combination—pause. In this fan theory, the copper oxidation references how even the most beautiful objects can decay over time.
The colour scheme is copper oxidizing because a showgirl is on a pedestal for the world and over time, in the public eye they lose their shine… the weathering from being the target for the world’s misogyny. #TheLifeOfAShowgirl pic.twitter.com/ZIXsuepo4Y
— kaitlyn (@fearlesskait) August 12, 2025
As the album talks about Swift’s life as the showgirl, the orange-and-mint theme may be a metaphor for the singer’s anxiety of losing her shine to age and the high beauty standards placed on female performers.
A Vegas Residency for the ultimate showgirl
With its burlesque stylings and theatrical concept photos, a Vegas residency would be the perfect match for The Life of a Showgirl. Other A-listers such as Adele, Lady Gaga, and Britney Spears have all shown how cool it is to call Sin City their home for a brief period, and fans are completely sold on the vision of Swift in Las Vegas, whether it’s for a limited time or a long-running show.
The Life of a Showgirl is Midnights 2.0
Fans believe that Swift has been teasing The Life of a Showgirl right in front of our faces during her Midnights era. Let’s just say that the orange-and-green outfit worn by her in the Anti-Hero music video and extravagant costumes in Bejewelled, to her sparkly red carpet dresses, did not go unnoticed.
Welcome back, Max Martin
This isn’t a fan theory per se since Swift herself dropped a playlist called “And baby, that’s show business for you”, and fans were quick to notice that all the songs in it were produced by legendary Swedish producer Max Martin and his producing partner Shellback.
The producer duo worked on albums such as Red, 1989, and Reputation, so if you’re a huge fan of Swift’s iconic hits such as ‘Blank Space’, ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’, and ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’, you’re in luck because Swift is coming back in full pop form!
‘The Fate of Ophelia’
The first song on the tracklist is a clear reference to Shakespeare’s Ophelia, a tragic female character in Hamlet. The leading lady died by drowning after being driven to madness by the eponymous character. Swift’s album cover is an obvious nod to John Everett Millais’ painting of Ophelia floating down a river.
While she is one of the most tragic female literary characters, we have a feeling Swift might not be focusing so much on her demise, but on how she herself has escaped the fate of Ophelia despite being similarly surrounded and controlled by powerful male figures in her career. The ‘Fortnight’ singer has expressed how vibrant and positive this album will be, so this triumphant messaging might be more aligned with the opening track.
‘Elizabeth Taylor’
When you’re talking about a showgirl, what other famous Taylor comes to mind? That’s right, Elizabeth Taylor AKA one of the biggest stars in Old Hollywood. Swifties know that the singer has been a long-time fan of the Hollywood icon, having referenced her in ‘…Ready For It?’ saying, “He can be my jailer / Burton to his Taylor.”
Coincidentally, the official Elizabeth Taylor Instagram account posted this in May:
View this post on Instagram
The legendary actress made history when she fought for a $1 million salary for her role in 1963’s Cleopatra. When you pair that with Swift’s move of reclaiming all of her masters this year, fans are theorising that Track 2 could be a celebratory song of the two women’s similarities and groundbreaking achievements in the entertainment industry.
And if you need another Easter egg, guess what the charm on Swift’s ‘Sweet and Vanilla Perfume’ variant is? A violet eye, which Elizabeth Taylor was known for:
the charm of elizabeth taylor’s famous violet eyes oh i am obsessed pic.twitter.com/zy38Xvrc1N
— ali ⋆⋅ ⓸ ⋅⋆ (@fortunesflame) August 14, 2025
Swifties also think the singer might be channelling the actress’s role in Cleopatra in her cover art due to her makeup and styling:
Track #2 : Elizabeth TaylorThis pic is most likely a reference to Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra role, incorporating the showgirl aesthetic pic.twitter.com/6COKRUa0fO
— REY (@AOTY2024) August 13, 2025
‘Opalite’
If you don’t know your crystals, Opalite is the man-made version of the gemstone Opal. During her episode on New Heights, the singer mentioned that Opal is the Libra’s birthstone—which is also Kelce’s zodiac sign.
View this post on Instagram
Further, the fact that ‘Opalite’ comes right after ‘Elizabeth Taylor’ might not be a coincidence, as fans found that Swift was gifted an Opal ring for her birthday and name-drops Elizabeth Taylor!
Swift even wore a pair of opal earrings when Kelce’s Chiefs team won the 2024 Super Bowl:
View this post on Instagram
Given the connection to her beau’s birthstone, we have a feeling ‘Opalite’ is going to be a giddy, lover girl type of song that is going to make listeners swoon!
‘Father Figure’
There are not many theories for this song so far, but fans did find that ‘Father Figure’ is also the title of a famous George Michael song, possibly hinting at Swift’s own take on the single.
It could also be something as simple as a tribute to her old pop, Scott, who is known to be her number one supporter.
Or, Swift saw one of these ‘Father Figure’ thirst edits of Kelce and got inspired:
I know Taylor was cackling to herself seeing Father Figure edits knowing damn well she has a song called Father Figure coming out I bet she’s about to call us all out on it pic.twitter.com/8CKHteZv72
— 𝐤𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧⸆⸉ (@perfectlyfine89) August 14, 2025
‘Eldest Daughter’
‘Eldest Daughter’ right after ‘Father Figure’? Plus the fact that it’s track 5? Yeah, we’re going to need a minute. In case you didn’t know, Swift’s track 5s have notoriously been some of her most gut-wrenching and vulnerable songs. Think ‘All Too Well’, ‘Dear John’, and ‘My Tears Ricochet’.
Swifties are already assuming that ‘Eldest Daughter’ is going to be another heartbreaking song, possibly one about the pressures and high expectations placed on the eldest child in the family. This could explore the singer’s own experience of being an older sibling and how it has shaped her.
the life of a showgirl but from the perspective of an eldest daughter crumbling under the pressure of expectations and her own ambition
— emily (@emilymahonn) August 12, 2025
‘Ruin The Friendship’
It’s time to address the elephant in the room. Or, should we say the Blake Lively-shaped cutout standing in the corner? Swift was pulled into the highly-publicised civil lawsuit between Justin Baldoni and (former?) BFF Blake Lively for her alleged involvement.
Back in June, the court granted Baldoni’s team access to texts between Lively and Swift in the ongoing case. An insider told People that the two have “halted” their friendship and are “no longer friends”.
So it goes without saying that everyone is speculating that ‘Ruin The Friendship’ is about their potential fallout and what kind of hidden messages might clue listeners in on the current state of their friendship.
Who else thinks Ruin The Friendship and CANCELLED! are about Blake Lively Taylor Swift…please… pic.twitter.com/qSmWGqpMd5
— Steph Anie (@mynerdyhome) August 14, 2025
While this is a popular theory, we would also like to posit that Swift might subvert expectations here with a romantic song instead about wishing to be lovers rather than friends. The singer described this time of her life to be “exuberant and electric and vibrant”, so this type of sappy song fits right in!
‘Actually Romantic’
During her episode on New Heights, Swift revealed that the album was born out of what was going on in her life during the Eras tour, and one significant chapter that unfolded was her blossoming relationship with Kelce, which began in 2023.
After sharing the tracklist title on the podcast, Travis’ brother, Jason, cheekily chimed in, “Wonder who that’s about.” During the show, Swift talked about how Kelce’s confession of his crush back in 2023 was 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 shared. Therefore, fans are theorising that ‘Actually Romantic’ is another loved-up Travis Kelce track that showcases her lover’s sweet side.
The song title is also engraved on a charm, suggesting that track 7 holds a special place in her heart.
track 7 actually romantic the only song getting its name engraved onto one of the items…oh i see you taylor i see which one is your favourite… pic.twitter.com/9AICFUpI2E
— megs (@cardqns) August 13, 2025
‘Wi$h Li$t’
View this post on Instagram
The general consensus is that ‘Wi$h Li$t’ is about Swift getting her masters back. The singer has been extremely vocal about reclaiming her works, and most Swifties can agree that it was her biggest wish before finally achieving it this year.
What if Wi$H LI$T is about getting her masters back? She mentioned even saving up money since she was younger to get them someday… pic.twitter.com/THFKhTEb1R
— Kelly ⸆⸉(Actually Romantic) (@89_New_Romantic) August 18, 2025
I desperately hope Wi$h li$t is Taylor bragging about having all the money in the world but being “rich” because she has that ONE person in her life
— 𝐤𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧⸆⸉ (@perfectlyfine89) August 14, 2025
On the flip side, some fans are also thinking that the money signs in the title are actually to juxtapose Swift’s desire for something priceless, such as love or time.
‘Wood’
Out of all the songs, ‘Wood’ had everyone the most stumped and scratching their heads. There are the *cough* NSFW theories out there, which we won’t go into.
Just when everyone was ready to call it quits, one genius fan caught the fact that Swift had “wood behind the arrow” on a charm, and this has a specific meaning!
never would’ve thought a track titled ‘wood’ would have me the most curious but of course taylor swift led me here pic.twitter.com/odPABVUEOD
— ✨ 𝓗 𝓞 𝓛 𝓛 𝓨 (@hollyhollssss) August 14, 2025
Fans also spotted a Pinocchio figure sitting in the background of the New Heights episode, which could be an Easter egg for ‘Wood’ or nothing at all…
Fans spotted a Pinocchio figurine in the background of Taylor Swift’s New Heights episode, a possible hint about the theme of “Wood” (Track 9). pic.twitter.com/K3322rdz6O
— Taylor Swift Charts+ (@chartstswift) August 14, 2025
‘CANCELLED!’
In Swift’s world, cancelled could refer to a few things. It could be a reference to her infamous fallout with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, which literally had her facing the wrath of internet cancel culture and made her retreat from the public eye for 15 months.
It could also mean her rumoured involvement in the It Ends With Us drama and how she witnessed her close friend, Lively, getting cancelled. Or, it could simply be about how celebrities can become cancelled at any time for any reason.
Either way, Swift is no stranger to the cancel mob, and the all-caps and exclamation mark is reminiscent of her provocative track ‘Slut!’ and could point to the singer shooting right back at her haters loudly and proudly.
‘Honey’
This one is a little vague, but nothing Swifties can’t work on! Track 11 could be another Travis Kelce-inspired song, as the athlete recently starred in Happy Gilmore 2 and specifically had a scene where he was covered in honey.
THE HONEY EMOJI LMAO TAYLOR REALLY SAID MY MAN MY MAN pic.twitter.com/uA3ZY00ske
— kenna⸆⸉ (@tscrazierr) July 25, 2025
Plus, Swift even used the honey emoji in her Instagram story shout-out!
Another sickeningly sweet theory is that the song references Swift and Kelce’s favourite nickname for each other, as the athlete was heard referring to her as such in the podcast episode several times.
‘The Life of a Showgirl (ft. Sabrina Carpenter)’
View this post on Instagram
It’s the title track, so the song is obviously about the life of a showgirl, duh. But a feature with Sabrina Carpenter? We see the vision, Taylor! The ‘Espresso’ singer has showcased some serious showgirl material, from her elaborate costumes to Broadway theatrics.
sabrina on an album called the life of a show girl is absolutely perfect. SHE WAS THERE!! SHE LIVED IT!! pic.twitter.com/TJq2h4Y6sh
— tay☆ (@skinnnydipping) August 12, 2025
As a rising pop star (and longtime Swiftie), the title track could be a letter from a veteran showgirl to a budding one on the harsh realities and expectations of being a performer. All we know is we can’t wait to see more of this power duo come 3 October!
For more culture reads, head here.
| SHARE THE STORY | |
| Explore More |
