Inspired by the plot of Ophelia, a character who drowns due to madness from grief and romantic rejection in William Shakespeare's tragic play Hamlet, the lyrics are about a honorable soulmate who saves Swift from meeting a destiny of death like that of Ophelia. Music critics generally selected "The Fate of Ophelia" as one of the strongest songs on The Life of a Showgirl, praising its composition, hook, and vocal performance. The single broke the global records for the most streamed song in a day and a week on the streaming platform Spotify. It topped the record charts in 30 territories across the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, as well as the Billboard Global 200 chart. In the United States, it marked Swift's 13th number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100.
Swift wrote and directed the music video, which premiered as part of the album launch event and film The Official Release Party of a Showgirl. The video draws on various historical, cultural, and artistic inspirations of female performers, portraying Swift as showgirls throughout different periods of time and incorporating hints at other songs of The Life of a Showgirl. She worked with the Mexican cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, the American choreographer Mandy Moore, and the Canadian production designer Ethan Tobman on the video, and cast her band and dance crew from the Eras Tour. Both the song's lyrics and the video feature references to Swift's fiancé, the American football player Travis Kelce.
Background and release
On August 13, 2025, Taylor Swift announced her twelfth studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, during an episode of Jason and Travis Kelce's podcast New Heights.[1] "The Fate of Ophelia" was also announced that day as the album's opening track.[2] Swift referenced William Shakespeare's play Hamlet during the podcast, noting the descent into madness and eventual death by drowning of the character Ophelia.[3] She also hinted that both the song's title and theme allude to Ophelia's tragic fate.[4] The album's standard cover artwork was inspired by artistic depictions of Ophelia's death, particularly John Everett Millais's 1850s painting Ophelia, where the character is portrayed as lying in a body of water before drowning.[5]
On September 19, 2025, it was announced that the release of the album would coincide with the premiere of an 89-minute film event titled Taylor Swift: The Release Party of a Showgirl.[6] During the announcement, it was revealed that "The Fate of Ophelia" would receive its own dedicated music video within the film, along with behind-the-scenes footage from the video's production.[7] The track was also confirmed as the lead single from The Life of a Showgirl through a post on Swift's official Instagram account.[8][9][10]
The song includes numerous references to Swift's relationship with Kelce.[22] Swift pledges loyalty to an honorable and deserving man for saving her from a death similar to that Ophelia.[22][23] Throughout the song, Swift recalls moments when Kelce supported her, drawing a parallel to how Ophelia might have been saved if she had received help. She also reflects on the period before they got to know each other. References include his career as a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, his public declaration with intent to court Swift on his podcast through comparison to a megaphone, nods to his team, and his frequent use of the phrase "keep it one hundred".[24] The number 100 also symbolizes the sum of the couple's signature numbers, 13 and 87, both of which were referenced on Instagram and the New Heights podcast ahead of the release.[25] She credits Kelce with saving her from "insanity, drowning, deception, and purgatory" brought on by past relationships and the isolation of fame, citing him as the reason she avoided an Ophelia-like fate.[26] Tom Breihan of Stereogum and Jeff Nelson of People compared the song to Swift's "Love Story" (2008), which was lyrically inspired by another Shakespearean tragedy, Romeo and Juliet.[27][28]
Critical reception
"The Fate of Ophelia" received a positive critical response, with plaudits for its melodic and catchy composition across the reviews. Maya Georgi of Rolling Stone commended the song's "tantalizing" melody and "wondrous" mix.[17] The BBC's Mark Savage called it a "crisp" pop song with clever production details.[22]Variety's Chris Willman hailed the throbbing, "gleeful" production delivered by Martin and Shellback.[29] Calling it a "glittering single", Ed Power of The Irish Times said the song exemplifies the "classic Swiftian manoeuvre of cramming in not one chorus but two against a cascading synth groove".[30] Wood and Nicole Fell of The Hollywood Reporter also praised the groove; Wood found it "irresistible",[15] while Fell described it as "mellow but catchy".[31]PopMatters's Mathew Dwyer described it as a dynamic and slow-burning tune with a "glamorous tension".[32]
Maria Sherman of the Associated Press,[12] Anna Gaca of Pitchfork,[33] and Carl Wilson of Slate named it a standout track from The Life of a Showgirl.[34] In his list ranking the album's songs, Billboard editor Jason Lipshutz ranked "The Fate of Ophelia" second, calling it a masterclass in pop composition, featuring a "star-crossed" chorus and "a pensive piano line that builds into squelched drums, chewy keys, siren-cry harmonies, and plenty of clap-along opportunities".[35] Powers praised the "commanding" drums, the "dreamy" keyboard, and the "buoyant" bass.[19] Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of the Financial Times admired the smooth transition from the piano to the upbeat bassline.[13]
Swift's vocals were also a subject of praise. Savage appreciated Swift's "lingering" vocal delivery in the song, as though she were "too swept up in her feelings to continue".[22] Hague remarked that Swift's "purring lower-register vocal" enhanced the song.[18] Hunter-Tilney characterized her vocals as committed and charismatic.[13] Power opined that Swift had never sounded better than she does on "The Fate of Ophelia".[19] Critics also praised the lyricism. The Independent's Roisin O'Connor dubbed it a sublime song, appreciating its "literary flair".[36] According to Barsha Dutta of The Times of India, the song acknowledges Ophelia's archetype but subverts the narrative for Swift, who has "been candid about her struggles with heartbreak and isolation".[37]
There were less complimentary reviews. Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic commented that the song is "relatively strong, if unexpectedly downcast."[38]Will Hodgkinson of The Times claimed that while the production is catchy and the lyrics poetic, the analogy comparing Swift to Ophelia "doesn't really work".[39] Similarly, Hunter-Tilney thought the lyrics conflating "doomed Ophelia with a Rapunzel-style figure waiting in a tower for a heroic lover" feel misplaced.[13] Breihan disagreed, finding the lyrics effective. He argued that Swift is not changing the plot of Hamlet in the song, as Swift and Ophelia are two different characters: "Ophelia still loses her mind and drowns herself. There but for the grace of Travis Kelce, apparently, goes Taylor Swift. She sings that she didn't go out like Ophelia because you saved her."[27]
Commercial performance
On the streaming platform Spotify, "The Fate of Ophelia" broke the records for the highest single-day streaming figure, becoming the first song to accumulate 30million streams in a single day,[40] and the highest single-week streaming figure.[41] The single topped the Billboard Global 200 chart for two weeks[42] and debuted atop the record charts of at least 26 territories,[43] including Belgian Flanders, Canada, Spain, India, Singapore, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates;[44][45] as well as in the top 10 in Argentina, Brazil, Finland,[46] Hungary, Italy, Malaysia, Peru, Poland, and Slovakia.[47][48][49] "The Fate of Ophelia" is Swift's first number-one hit in Austria,[50] Denmark,[51] Germany,[52] Spain,[53] and the Netherlands.[54] In the United Kingdom, the song became Swift's fifth number-one single and opened with 132,000 units, which became the largest first-week sales of the year and the highest in Swift's career.[55]
In the United States, "The Fate of Ophelia" became Swift's 13th number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, tying the record with Michael Jackson and Drake as the solo artists with the most chart-toppers and placed behind Mariah Carey (19) and Rihanna (14) as the solo female artists to have most number-one songs. It debuted atop the chart with 92.5million official on-demand streams, marking the biggest streaming week for a song since YouTube user-generated content was removed from chart calculations in 2020.[56] In its second week, it remained at number one on the Hot 100 and became Swift's record-extending 30th number-one song on the Digital Song Sales chart after being made available for digital downloads.[57] On airplay charts, "The Fate of Ophelia" debuted in the top 10 of Pop Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay, and Adult Contemporary; it became the first song in history to debut in the top 10 of Pop Airplay.[58]
Music video
The video for "The Fate of Ophelia" depicts Swift in various showgirl attires.
The music video for "The Fate of Ophelia" premiered on October 3, 2025, as part of The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, which was screened in cinemas worldwide for three days as part of the album's promotional rollout. It was released on YouTube on October 5. Written and directed by Swift, the video sees her working again with dancers from the Eras Tour, choreographer Mandy Moore, and production designer Ethan Tobman.[59][60][61] The music video is played twice during The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, which also features behind-the-scenes footage from the production process.[60] The video was made in collaboration with cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto and rehearsals took place over three weeks.[62][63] Filming for the music video's opening scene and the dressing room scenes took place at the Los Angeles Theatre.[64]
Later on, Swift wears a dress made of rope and resembles Elizabeth Taylor before the scene transitions to a Bob Mackie-style showgirl routine, and finally a pop star at an afterparty in a hotel room.[63][65] The end of the video features Swift half-submerged in a bathtub, an image which is featured on the album cover for The Life of a Showgirl.[62] Danielle Pascuale from Billboard identified several Easter eggs in the video, including choreography with chairs similar to that in "Vigilante Shit" during the Eras Tour, as well as Swift catching a football and 87 being the hotel room number, both references to Kelce.[63] In addition, Vancouver's Science World makes a brief appearance near the end of the video; Vancouver was the location of the last show on the Eras Tour.[67] Visual references to other songs from the album include a chihuahua in a purse ("Actually Romantic"), an Oscar statuette on the bathroom floor ("Wish List"), a piece of opalite by the bathtub ("Opalite"), and a table with a peach and a pearl necklace ("The Life of a Showgirl").[65][68]
Impact
The start of the video features Swift depicted in the painting Ophelia by German painter Friedrich Heyser.
K. Sunil Thomas of The Week opined that "The Fate of Ophelia" has become an "unprecedented global phenomenon", spurred by its high art references, inspiration from 1960s stage productions, and its adult contemporary musical composition. He also highlighted its viral dance on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.[43]
The music video trended at the number-one spot on YouTube, receiving 25 million views within three days.[69] Publications reported that, following the release of the video, hundreds of fans flocked to the Museum Wiesbaden in Wiesbaden, Germany, to view the painting Ophelia.[70][71] The museum director Andreas Henning stated "We are surprised and delighted that Taylor Swift used this painting from the museum as inspiration for her video [...] This is, of course, a great opportunity to attract people to the museum who don't know us yet."[72]
↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 41. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
↑ "מדיה פורסט – המצעד הבינלאומי השבועי – Week 42 – 12/10 – 18/10/2025"[Media Forest – International Weekly Chart – Week 42 – 12/10 – 18/10/2025] (Select the year 2025 and the option "42 12-10-25 18-10-25" from the stretched lists, then click "שירים מובילים - רדיו - בינלאומי" to see the chart.) (in Hebrew). Media Forest. October 19, 2025. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 43. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 41. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
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