Swift Sells Nearly 3M, Debuts Ophelia Video

Taylor Swift released her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, on Oct. 3 and sold nearly 3 million U.S. copies on its first day. She directed the cinematic lead-single video for “The Fate of Ophelia,” which premiered theatrically during an 89-minute Release Party event and was posted to YouTube afterward. The near single-take clip reimagines Shakespeare’s Ophelia as a survivor, references John Everett Millais’s painting, and moves through multiple showgirl “eras” with choreography and production from her Eras Tour team. The video and rollout are packed with Easter eggs and personal nods—pearls, peaches, a cat statue and sourdough—and include explicit tributes to fiancé Travis Kelce (a framed photo, his jersey number 87, and lyrical/visual references) timed around his birthday. Behind the scenes, Swift revealed a minor on-set mishap in which glass bowls shattered and cut her finger, which she described as not serious. Early critical reactions to the album and video have been mixed.