Decoding Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl': A guide to her references
t The curtain has been drawn. The stage lights are on. It’s time for “The Life of a Showgirl.”
For Taylor Swift’s most dedicated audience, a new album means new opportunities to decode Easter eggs in her lyrics and music videos. The pop superstar’s 12th studio album has no shortage of clever clues and references to her public life and discography. Many are opaque, revealing just enough to inspire a myriad of fan theories. Others are concrete – explicit names and places worth exploring. Below, you will find a guide to those instances, and how they relate to Swift.
Read on, and happy digging!
“Elizabeth Taylor”
Lyric: “That view of Portofino was on my mind / When you called me at the Plaza Athénée”
Meaning: When Swift announced her new album, she did so with the introduction of a shade she’s calling Portofino Orange Glitter after donning the color onstage during the latter part of her “Eras Tour.” She and Kelce were spotted last year in Lake Como, Italy, but it is unclear if they spent time in nearby Portofino. Additionally, the standard version of her album is available in “sweat and vanilla perfume Portofino orange vinyl.” The Plaza Athénée is a luxury hotel in Paris.
Lyric: “Be my NY when Hollywood hates me”
Meaning: Both locations make appearances in Swift’s songwriting. Among them: “Welcome to New York” from 2014’s “1989” and “White Horse” from 2008’s “Fearless.” She also owns property in both locations.
Lyric: “Babe, I would trade the Cartier for someone to trust … just kidding”
Meaning: In August of this year, Swift announced her engagement to Kelce by posting a carousel of images on Instagram. Fans noticed that she was also wearing a Cartier watch.
Lyric: “We hit the best booth at Musso & Frank’s”
Meaning: Musso & Frank Grill, opened in 1919, has been a hot spot for celebrities in Los Angeles – embodying the old school Hollywood glamor that inspired “The Life of a Showgirl” artwork.
Lyric: “All my white diamonds and lovers are forever”
Meaning: The song is titled “Elizabeth Taylor” after the classic Hollywood starlet who created the perfume “White Diamonds” in 1991.
“Ruin the Friendship”
Lyric: “You drive, 85 / Gallatin Road and the lakeside beach”
Meaning: This likely refers to a street in Hendersonville, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville, where Swift spent her adolescence.
Lyric: “But as the 50 Cent song played”
Meaning: A 50 Cent reference implies the song is rooted in Swift’s teen years in the ’00s. The song also mentions “prom” and “second period,” typical high school experiences.
Lyric: “When I left school, I lost track of you / Abigail called me with the bad news / Goodbye”
Meaning: Abigail refers to Swift’s best friend Abigail Anderson from Hendersonville High School. This marks the second time Abigail is mentioned in Swift’s discography; first in “Fifteen” from “Fearless.”
“Wood”
Lyric: “Redwood tree / It ain’t hard to see”
Meaning: In Oct. 2023, Swift and Kelce appeared on “Saturday Night Live.” Cast member Bowen Yang described the couple as the “tallest people in the world,” saying, “I see them together, I go, ‘I am in the Redwood Forest.’” Hence, “Redwood tree.”
Lyric: “Summertime spritz, pink skies”
Meaning: Physical album variants have been part of Swift’s rollout. The Target exclusive vinyl edition, “The Crowd Is Your King,” was described as “summertime spritz pink shimmer.”
Lyric: “Wintergreen kiss, all mine”
Meaning: This line relates to another variant, “The Shiny Bug Collection,” available in “violet shimmer marbled vinyl” and “wintergreen and onyx marbled vinyl.” (“Violet” is mentioned in “Elizabeth Taylor,” as is “onyx” in “Opalite.”)
