It’s the first The Life Of A Showgirl analysis, and Sara and Laura are giddy! From Shakespeare quotes, art history nods, and 100 Easter Eggs hidden in the music video for “The Fate Of Ophelia”… There is so much to dive into. This song is a certified glitter gel pen “bopper-ooni,” and we hope you enjoy this episode!

It’s been a week since The Life Of A Showgirl’s release, and Sara and Laura are SO excited to share their initial impressions of Taylor’s happiest album! Spoiler alert: Despite the loud criticisms, the girls LOVE this album. In this episode, Sara and Laura cover some of Taylor’s press tour highlights, unpack common themes found in the album, read through the vinyl poems, and share the songs and lyrics that are blowing their minds! There is sooo much to say about this new era, so let the games begin!

It’s the last TTPD episode for a long time, and Sara and Laura are STOKED to be on the precipice of the Showgirl Era! (P.S. if you’re dying to hear an analysis of a song from TTPD that hasn’t been covered, be sure to become a Patreon member!) Before departing from Tortured Poets, the gals knew they had to cover “loml” - one of Taylor’s most grief-ridden songs. This one is jam-packed with incredible imagery, poetic, devastating lyricism, and a huge gut-punch of an ending.

Taylor’s engaged and TS12 is on the horizon… it’s a GOOD time to be a Swiftie! In this episode, Sara and Laura FINALLY discuss their excitement for Taylor’s recent engagement to Travis, as well as all the inside scoop Ed Kelce has provided for us about the details of the proposal. And of course, the girls have done tons of research on The Life Of A Showgirl’s theories and speculation… listing all the facts Taylor has told us herself about the album, as well as going track by track and hypothesizing what the themes or sound might be like. This is a good one, enjoy!

(RECORDED BEFORE TAYLOR’S ENGAGEMENT! Don’t worry… we’ll be rehashing all the exciting news soon!!!!) Are you ready to be devastated? In this episode, Laura and Sara unpack The Anthology’s track 5 - “How Did It End?” With numerous ties to “You’re Losing Me” and “So Long London,” this song is sure to emotionally wreck anyone who takes the time to analyze Taylor’s simple yet heart-wrenching metaphors about loss, grief, death, and the public perception of her heartbreak. PLUS! The ladies get into their very juicy “LORE” of how they REALLY know each other!

EMERGENCY POD, EMERGENCY POD! TS12 is “The Life Of A Showgirl,” and Sara and Laura are STOKED to relive the exciting rollout! Who would have ever guessed Taylor would announce TS12 on a New Heights podcast? The girls are GLOWING with excitement. Expect a full rundown of every step of the announcement, some key takeaways from her two-hour interview with Jason and Travis, and some exciting clues / Easter Eggs worth noting.

Are we… Daddy?! In this episode of Blank Plate, Sara and Laura share some personal updates and then do a reallllly fun deep dive into Taylor’s teenage petulance theme song, “But Daddy I Love Him.” The ladies deem this song as a “new Taylor classic,” and there’s so much more than meets the eye with this one… themes of toxic fandom, rebellion against Taylor’s “good girl” persona, and the impact of public perception on personal relationships. Oh my god, you should see your faces!

After a few weeks away from podcasting, Sara and Laura are so excited to get back into the swing of things! They catch up on Laura’s adventures and the emotional challenges of Sara’s IVF journey, the importance of transparency, and the support of friends during difficult times. And, of course, Taylor’s surprise performance at Tight End University has the girls super thrilled that today’s episode is on “The Alchemy!” Between the football references and Travis Kelce’s admission that it’s one of his favorite songs, there’s romance swirling in this one! But, the ladies also theorize that this song might also be a confident announcement of Taylor’s return to her full stardom. This is a fun one, enjoy!

There would not be TTPD without its tongue-in-cheek title track! In today’s episode, Laura and Sara unpack the lyrics of “The Tortured Poets Department” and analyze how the song lays the groundwork for listeners to understand the gravity of Taylor’s “cyclone” relationship with her fellow tortured poet. Taylor’s self-awareness and sense of humor shines in this one! Who else is gonna TROLL you like Taylor?! P.S…. Stay tuned at the end of this episode, because the ladies are sharing a snippet of their newest Patreon episode unpacking the lyrics of “Maroon”!

On Friday, May 30th, 2025, Taylor announced to the world that she FINALLY owns all her old masters! In today’s “emergency pod,” Laura and Sara unpack just how special and important this news is, starting with a great deep dive into the history behind Taylor’s journey with Big Machine, departing ways with Scott Borchetta, Scooter’s purchase and the betrayal that is/was to her, and sooooo much more. And of course, our girls love to clown, so you can expect a nice little clown session about some easter eggs she’s hidden in her letter to her fans!

(RECORDED BEFORE TAYLOR’S 5/30 ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT HER BUYING BACK HER MASTERS!) What’s an unsolved Taylor Swift mystery that keeps you up at night?! Sara and Laura certainly have a longggggg list… and they’ll unpack them all in this episode! From NiceBoy Ed, Karma: The Lost Album, Midnights Mayhem upside down phones, 1989 Double Album, “The Man” wall, and so much more, the ladies will sift through each unanswered theory and attempt to unpack all of the Easter Eggs Taylor has left behind!

Truth, dare, spin… records? Taylor’s most rom-com-y song to date has Sara and Laura kicking their feet and giggling! The truth is, Taylor has never released a song quite this honestly lovestruck, and the girls are OBSESSED. This episode has Sara and Laura digging into Taylor’s use of high school as a grander metaphor, as well as a deep dive into Taylor’s unconventional high school experience. Travis Kelce / Tayvis fans… you’re going to love this one!

You… look… like… someone who’s not mentally prepared for this epiosde! Joing Laura and Sara as they share a heartbreaking analysis of TTPD’s (technical) last track - “Clara Bow”! In this episode, Laura and Sara discuss how this song is one that ONLY could be written by Miss Swift. Her deep reflections on the music industry, femininity, hunger for fame and the repercussions of success hit deep. The girls call this “Nothing New” 2.0 and for good reason!

In this episode of Blank Plate, Laura and Sara analyze the veryyyyy subtle, yet in-depth TEA spilled in “Fresh Out The Slammer.” Without overt explanation, this song gives us Swifties a real look into where Taylor was coming from when navigating her metaphorical imprisonment in her past relationship, the emotional journey of breaking free, the hopefulness of new beginnings, and the significance of public versus private life in the context of Taylor's experiences. The gals had a blast with this one!

Prepare to be devastated. Today, Laura and Sara are discussing one of Taylor’s most raw and vulnerable songs to date… The Prophecy. With witchy thunderstorms rumbling in the background, the ladies delve into the emotional depths of the song’s lyrics, exploring themes of loneliness, vulnerability, and the complexities of Taylor enduring hope and desperation, despite her losses. They discuss the symbolism of kneeling, the desire for connection, and the weight of expectations in relationships. We love Taylor for her vulnerability, and this song is proof that Taylor’s raw tenderness puts her in a league of her own.

Old habits die screaming… and Sara and Laura are BELTING out their mutual love for Taylor’s first track of TTPD’s Anthology. “The Black Dog” was an immediate hit for the ladies, so a deep dive into the song’s lore was well overdue! From a brief history of Swemo/ Taylor’s love for pop punk, unpacking The Starting Line’s implied hit, and allllllllllll the sleuthing to figure out what bar Taylor is referring to… we just don’t understand how anyone couldn’t LOVE this song! P.S. do you agree with Laura’s belief that this is a Matty song? CHIME IN!

It’s another Taylor “Christmas” song that will wreck you… today Laura & Sara are doing a deep dive on “I Look In People’s Windows.” Even though it’s Taylor’s shortest song to date, ILIPW has MANY Easter Eggs hidden inside its devastating lyrics (including one that relates to “Champagne Problems” that has the girls hooked!). It’s also a big day because the ladies announce the launch of their Patreon - where YOU can support the podcast and get monthly bonus content! Hear a sneak preview at the end of this episode.

In Laura & Sara's hearts is a Christmas Tree Farm where the Swifties all come.... and get into the holiday spirit in their newest episode! Tis the damn season for shopping, so the gals loaded up this episode with a shopping guide for our fellow Swiftie pals, and go in a deep dive on Taylor's past discography that mentions her nostalgia and longing during the holiday season. Our girl Tay is super sentimental about Christmas, and so are Sara and Laura! Happy holidays everybody!