A swiftie’s thoughts of ‘The Official Release Party of a Showgirl’

BY DREW FLEMING

Associate Producer

On Oct. 3, Taylor Swift released “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl,” providing a glimpse into the making of the music video for the first track on the album, “The Fate of Ophelia.” The film also includes a personal note from Swift and an explanation of each song.

 The movie was announced on Aug. 12, when Swift joined her now fiancé, Travis Kelce, and his brother, Jason Kelce, on their “New Heights” podcast.

As a lifelong Swift fan, also known as a “Swiftie,” I was more than eager to watch the two-hour podcast session. The podcast is now up to 23 million views and has broken the Guinness World Record for most concurrent views on Youtube with 1.3 million viewers.

 It’s no secret Swift has a flair for the dramatic. She is known for dropping easter eggs to fans leading up to the release of a new album. In the past, she has announced the release of an album on the Grammy stage, MTV Music Awards or on her social media platforms. So, when the “New Heights” podcast was announced, fans were ready for a reveal of some kind. 

As anticipated, Swift revealed her 12th album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” as Travis pulled out the orange vinyl and shot confetti to celebrate the release. Though it may sound simple, it was a celebratory moment for Swift, proudly sitting beside her soon-to-be fiancé for the announcement.

To further surprise fans, Swift—the well-known mastermind that she is—was recording a behind the scenes movie to release in theaters. The movie was exclusively in theaters only on release weekend. The Swifties showed out, with the movie earning over $34 million domestically. I am happy to say my $12 movie ticket is included in that and, for an hour and half, I had the best time sitting and listening to Swift’s input on her new album. 

My favorite part of the movie was the atmosphere in the theater, sitting beside fellow Swifties, singing along to the artist who has made such an impact on us. We were dressed in our Taylor Swift and Eras Tour merch, from teenagers to husbands who’ve become fans by association through their wives.

It’s such a beautiful thing to be brought together by a shared love for something, so in Stephenville’s Cinema 6, we had our own release party for “The Life of a Showgirl” as Swift thoughtfully broke down the meaning behind each song, what led her to write them and how she hopes they resonate with fans.

Swift loves to produce short films and elaborate music videos for her songs, so she also included behind-the-scenes footage of the making of her music video for “The Fate of Ophelia.” I especially enjoyed this part of the movie because it showed the version of Swift I fell in love with as a little kid, not the one portrayed in tabloids or tied to politics. Instead, I saw a woman more in love than ever with her fiancé, with where she is in life and with creating music she knows her fans will cherish.

This movie made me feel in touch with Swift again, being able to hear more from her brilliant mind and her intricate vocabulary. Similar to the “New Heights" podcast, the release party was a unique look into Swift’s life. 

Although the new album has faced some backlash and criticism, that’s to be expected. Many say it lacks the sad songs she’s known for, but I’m here for the happy ones.

Personally, I thought “Honey,” a song about reclaiming affectionate words like “sweetheart” and “honey” from their negative or passive-aggressive use, was a standout. After years of hearing Swift sing about breakups and seeing her relationships dissected in headlines, I really enjoyed hearing her blissfully in love and happy to be called “honey.”

Another favorite of mine is “Wi$h Li$t,” which Swift described as a song about everyone having a wish list of the dreams they hope will come true before listing her own. It’s at the top of my own list because it reflects the life she wants with her fiancé, and after years of rough relationships and public breakups, it’s refreshing to hear her simply sound happy.

I am happy to call myself a Swiftie and so happy to say “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl” did not disappoint.