Does Taylor Swift mention Rhode Island in her new album? Lyrics hint at Fourth of July party

Taylor Swift’s twelfth studio album “The Life of a Showgirl” talks a lot about Swift’s journey in the spotlight, but unfortunately, there is no behind-the-scenes look at the showgirl’s downtime at her Watch Hill mansion.

However, in a recent interview with SiriusXM, Swift discussed how certain lines in “The Fate of Ophelia,” the opening track and lead single from her new album, reference one of her many Rhode Island Fourth of July parties.

While the song overall says that fiance Travis Kelce coming into Swift’s life saved her from the fate of Ophelia from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” in the first verse, Swift talks about exactly when Kelce came into her life: “I swore my loyalty to me, myself and I / Right before you lit my sky up.”

In a recent interview with “Morning Mash Up” on SiriusXM Hits 1, host Nicole Ryan tells Swift she noticed the connection between her Instagram post and “The Fate of Ophelia” lyrics, with Swift responding “Oh my god, right?”.

Swift went on to talk about the irony in the timing of the caption, saying “how deranged is that post? I think back on that, I’m like that’s – there’s no way.”

“The fact that it was right before the Kansas City show, where like, I’d been like, ‘Happy Independence Day from your local, single girlies’ or something like that. And then I the next day go and play in Kansas City – not knowing that Travis was gonna come to the show,” Swift added. “It’s unreal.”

Here’s a breakdown of this reference, and how it involves Rhode Island.

Reference to Rhode Island party in ‘The Fate of Ophelia’

Kelce first entered Swift’s life – or “lit her sky up” – by attending an Eras Tour concert in Kansas City, Missouri on July 8, 2023. Famously, Kelce brought a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it for the singer, and while he did not get to give it to Swift during the concert, the gesture launched their romance.

Where was Taylor Swift “right before” Kelce attended her concert? She was celebrating the Fourth of July with friends at her Rhode Island mansion. On July 7, 2023 – just one day before Kelce went to The Eras Tour – Swift posted on Instagram about the Ocean State celebration, sharing pictures posing in front of the water, laughing in the kitchen and enjoying red, white and blue popsicles with friends Este, Danielle and Alana Haim, as well as Selena Gomez, Ashley Avignone and Sydney Ness.

More interestingly, Swift’s caption for the post declared the single status of herself and her friends: “Happy belated Independence Day from your local neighborhood independent girlies.”

Swift directly references this declaration of her independence with the line “I swore my loyalty to me, myself and I.”

As if the callback to the specific caption is not enough, Swift solidifies the reference to her Rhode Island Taymerica bash with other clever references to Independence Day throughout “The Fate of Ophelia,” such as repetitions of “I pledge allegiance” in the chorus of the song and the image of a firework exploding with the line “you lit my sky up.”