On Friday, Oct. 3, Taylor Swift announced that a new music video promoting her hit single, “The Fate of Ophelia” from her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl was coming to theaters in a sparkling and spectacular experience for fans. Swift posted on her personal Instagram account saying, “I hereby invite you to a *dazzling* soiree.” The movie featured a never-before-seen “The Fate of Ophelia” music video, behind-the-scenes footage of its creation, explanations of what inspired her new album, and brand-new lyric videos for all 12 tracks from The Life of a Showgirl. 

Viewers attending the The Life of a Showgirl movie were dressed up in all different shades of shimmery orange, the color palette of the album’s cover. The crowd’s energy was full of excitement, and the first scene of the music video deserved the gasps that rang out across the theater. 

The frame pans from Swift inside a painting to her walking through the set, singing “The Fate of Ophelia”’s catchy lyrics as she strides across the screen. Swift then moves into the backstage area, walking past the fire and stopping to pose with a loaf of sourdough she made herself. Dedicated fans know from the “New Heights” podcast, which she was a guest on a couple of weeks ago, that she has been spending hours of her free time experimenting with sourdough, so the fact that she gave it its own moment was the perfect touch. 

Switching from scenes of Ophelia’s life to glamorous scenes of a showgirl performing, Swift sings with expression. In the behind-the-scenes of the music video, she revealed that she invited everyone who worked on her award-winning tour, The Eras Tour, to come and be extras in the music video. They all got to work on one last project together to celebrate their time on tour. This pays homage to the album’s central idea, which revolves around the life of a showgirl, by featuring all the dancers and backup singers.

“Swifties” of all ages filled the audience, where singing and dancing along to the movie was optional but highly encouraged. There was bracelet trading, which has been a tradition for years at Taylor Swift-themed events. Trading bracelets was a great opportunity for younger fans and older fans to get together and celebrate the artist they support and love, adding a sense of connection to the theater’s atmosphere. 

The film’s direction was on point due to Swift directing the project herself. Swift is famously known for directing most of her music videos, allowing her to bring the exact image she wants to life. Having Swift herself as the director really makes the music video relate to and convey the message she wants to convey in the song, and allows that to translate perfectly on screen. The behind–the-scenes of the music video shows her acting out a scene, then trying again —even when she gets it perfect —so her fans can see her vision come to life in the dynamic music video.

All the scenes in the “The Fate of Ophelia” music video blended perfectly together as they tell the story of Ophelia, a character in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, whose lover Hamlet’s actions famously led to her drowning. The song’s lyrics include, “You saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia,” emphasizing how Swift’s current partner saved her from going mad. 

Swift’s new album, The Life of A Showgirl, was fully inspired by her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, her fiancée. While on tour, Swift was experiencing a love story, and this album perfectly encapsulated that feeling through its upbeat, bouncy pop songs. The production of it is very much like Swift’s old pop-focused albums, which is exactly what longtime fans were hoping for. 

All the songs, along with the lyric videos and music videos, are exceptionally cohesive as they work to convey one overarching theme: the good and bad of the life of a showgirl. The movie experience was a great option for families and friends who love and support Swift and want to join local fans, earning it four out of five feathers.