Taylor Swift surprised fans with a number of exciting hair transformations as she debuted her music video for ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ on Sunday.

The clip marked the first music video from the singer’s, 35, latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, which premiered on Friday.

The video for the leading track is laden with references to Ophelia, the ill-fated former lover in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet who ultimately succumbs to madness and drowns. 

In one scene, the Grammy-winning artist exudes bold showgirl allure in a daring outfit made of ropes and dons a short brunette wig, distinctly shifting from her iconic long blonde tresses.

Both the song and the video feature several nods to Swift’s NFL star fiancé, Travis Kelce, including a moment where she catches a football while singing about committing ‘allegiance to your team.’

Swift, who released the video on Kelce’s 36th birthday, was also seen entering a hotel room featuring his jersey number, 87, on the door. 

Taylor Swift, 35, surprised fans with a number of hair transformations as she debuted her music video for ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ on Sunday

The clip marked the first music video from the singer’s latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, which premiered on Friday

Eagle-eyed fans also noticed the singer included a black-and-white photo of the athlete on a vanity mirror in one of the scenes. 

The video opens up with Swift embodying Ophelia in a painting, dressed in a white gown and lying in a stylized brook surrounded by flowers. 

She sings: ‘I heard you calling on the megaphone / You wanna see me all alone / As legend has it, you are quite the pyro / You light the match to watch it blow.’ 

The star then gets up and moves to pose in yet another painting. 

Swift deftly shifts scenes as viewers are suddenly transported. Upon opening a door, she finds herself styled with a short Marilyn Monroe-inspired blonde wig and clad in a red burlesque bodysuit, joining other equally dressed dancers backstage.

In the pre-chorus, she sings, ‘And if you’d never come for me / I might’ve drowned in the melancholy / I swore my loyalty to me (Me), myself (Myself), and I (I) / Right before you lit my sky up.’

In the next scene Taylor and her dancers take up the stage, with Swift rocking long brunette hair with bangs. 

In the chorus, Swift expresses her gratitude to her partner for saving her from the fate of Ophelia.

‘All that time/ I sat alone in my tower / You were just honing your powers / Now I can see it all (See it all),’ she sing.

In one scene, the Grammy winner exuded provocative showgirl glamour in a racy dress made of rope and a short brunette wig 

It was a big departure from her signature long blonde hair

Later she is lifted into the air via the dress

The video is filled with allusions to Ophelia, the tragic former lover of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet who ultimately descends into madness and drowns

It opens up with Swift embodying Ophelia in a painting, dressed in a white gown and lying in a stylized brook surrounded by flowers 

Taylor then finds herself in a short Marilyn Monroe style blonde wig, and wearing a red burlesque bodysuit as she joins a number of similarly dressed dancers backstage

It’s one of the many different hairstyles she rocks throughout the clip 

At one point the video transitions to Taylor in a glamorous orange burlesque bra and underwear as she shows off her toned midriff

The outfit is paired with a dramatic feather head piece and matching shawl around her shoulders

The song and the video also contain a number of nods to Swift’s NFL star fiancé, Travis Kelce, with her even catching a football at one point

Eagle-eyed fans noticed that there also appeared to be a photo of Kelce on one of the vanity mirrors 

Swift, who released the video on Kelce’s 36th birthday, was also seen entering a hotel room featuring his jersey number, 87, on the door

In the chorus, Swift expresses her gratitude to her partner for saving her from the fate of Ophelia

‘Late one night / You dug me out of my grave and / Saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia (Ophеlia),’ she croons 

As the song continues, the star pops out yet again, now wearing a sparkling blue swim cap and a matching swimsuit

She performs with a group of dancers on a stage with a pool aesthetic

‘Late one night / You dug me out of my grave and / Saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia (Ophеlia).’

She then makes a reference to the football star, singing, ‘Keep it one hundred on the land (Land), thе sea (Sea), the sky / Pledge allegiance to your hands, your team, your vibes / Don’t care where the hell you’ve been (Been) ’cause now (Now), you’re mine/ It’s ’bout to be the sleepless night you’ve been dreaming of.’

Swift then reemerges with long auburn hair and a sparkling gown to join a group of theater actors performing on a set designed like a ship. 

As the song continues, the star pops out yet again, now wearing a sparkling blue swim cap and a matching swimsuit, performing with a group of dancers on a stage with a pool aesthetic.

The scene changes yet again, this time to Swift in the rope dress as a makeup artist is seen adjusting her glam. 

She sings: ‘Locked inside my memory/ And only you possess the key/ No longer drowning and deceived/ All because you came for me.’

She is then lifted into the air via her rope dress. 

The video then transitions to Taylor in a glamorous orange burlesque bra and underwear as she shows off her toned midriff. 

The outfit is paired with a dramatic feather head piece and matching shawl around her shoulders. 

Yet again, the clip transitions to Swift now in a sparkling mini dress and a light blue fur jacket as she is pushed forward in a corridor on a table, before catching a football. 

The clip ends with an image that is on the superstar’s album cover, which features her a sparkling silver mini dress submerged in a bathtub. 

After the video’s release, Swift also shared some behind-the-scenes photos

‘Writing, rehearsing, directing and shooting the music video for “The Fate of Ophelia” was the thrill of a lifetime because I got to be reunited with my Eras Tour family!!’ she wrote on Instagram

‘I wanted each one-take scene to feel like a live performance and remind us all of how it felt to be at those shows together,’ the star went on 

The superstar perfectly embodied burlesque glamour 

One of the shots saw her and her dancers looking at something on a screen

In another they they posed in 70’s style looks

Another snap saw her consulting with her team 

Another snap was a look at Swift in her one-piece swimsuit 

Another saw her falling from a ship 

She was seen making her way from one set to another

Earlier in the day she shared another image in the rope dress

‘You saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia, the singer closes out the song. 

After the video’s release, Swift also shared some behind-the-scenes photos.

‘Writing, rehearsing, directing and shooting the music video for “The Fate of Ophelia” was the thrill of a lifetime because I got to be reunited with my Eras Tour family!!’ she wrote in her caption on Instagram.

‘I wanted each one-take scene to feel like a live performance and remind us all of how it felt to be at those shows together. Making every moment count. It’s a journey through the chaotic world of show business. I loved working with @rpstam, @ethantobman and @nopenother to dream up these visuals. A huge thank you to this massive cast who kept it and also kept the secret of this video even existing. It’s out on YouTube NOW!’

Swift’s lead single also broke the record for the most streams in a single day, clocking over 31 million global plays in 24 hours. 

The star has made a number of references to iconic playwright Shakespeare, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in history, on her new album.

The singer also revealed that she had to give Kelce a crash course on the plot of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, as he never read it.

While showing off the vinyl to Travis and his brother and co-host, Jason, on their New Heights podcast in August, Swift shared that the first track was titled ‘The Fate Of Ophelia.’

The imagery from her cover brought to mind the iconic 1851 painting by John Everett Millais, which depicts Ophelia floating in a river just before she drowns.

The imagery from her cover brought to mind the iconic 1851 painting by John Everett Millais, which depicts Ophelia floating in a river just before she drowns

Swift released the video on Kelce’s 36th birthday; They are pictured in January

Swift also told Jason that her boyfriend ‘might not have read Hamlet’ but that she ‘explained it to him.’

‘Don’t tell my middle school English teacher I didn’t read it. Because I definitely was supposed to,’ the athlete quipped.

After his brother poked fun of him, Kelce replied, ‘It’s alright, I watched the Lion King.’

‘See, he knows what Hamlet is,’ Swift concluded, referencing how the Disney animated musical was inspired by the play.

Taylor’s album release coincided with a behind-the-scenes movie playing exclusively in AMC theaters from October 3-5.

The 89-minute feature, called The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, raked in $15.8 million in earnings on Friday from 3,702 locations.

With its nearly $16M in revenue from Friday, the picture is poised to reach between $25 million and $30 million after the full weekend.

Taylor Swift’s biggest selling albums… so far

1989 (2014): 14 million

Fearless (2008): 11 million

Red (2012): 8 million

Taylor Swift (2006): 8 million

Currently only 2017’s Reputation and her debut album (pictured) – which was released in 2006 – are left to be re-released

The Tortured Poets Department (2024): 8 million

 

* Based on US domestic sales according to the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA)