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Being an eldest daughter can be emotionally exhausting. Just ask Taylor Swift.<\/p>\n
Following the 12 a.m. ET release of her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, <\/em>on Friday, fans flocked to social media to analyze the hidden message behind each track. The immediate dissection of lyrics is typical for Swifties \u2014 as is the particular interest they pay to the fifth track of every album. That\u2019s why \u201cEldest Daughter\u201d has garnered special attention.<\/p>\n OG Swifties know: Track 5 always <\/em>packs an emotional punch. The Track 5 lore goes back to 2012, when fans theorized that Swift intentionally placed an emotional track in the fifth spot of each album. (Swift has since confirmed this theory<\/a> herself.) Previous track fives include Red\u2019s <\/em>gut-wrenching breakup ballad \u201cAll Too Well,\u201d Midnights\u2019<\/em> introspective coming-of-age anthem \u201cYou\u2019re On Your Own Kid,\u201d and The Tortured Poets Department\u2019s <\/em>bittersweet goodbye \u201cSo Long, London.\u201d<\/p>\n On \u201cEldest Daughter,\u201d Swift proves that she isn\u2019t immune to the pressures of fame \u2014 or familial rank. The Life of a Showgirl <\/em>track seems to reference the \u201celdest daughter syndrome,” a concept that\u2019s gained popularity on TikTok in recent years.<\/p>\n Though it\u2019s not recognized as a medical diagnosis, the \u201celdest daughter syndrome\u201d refers to the emotional stress and hardship the oldest girl in a family commonly endures. She\u2019s often saddled with pressures of setting a good example for her younger siblings, doing right by her parents\u2019 sacrifices and living up to their expectations. There\u2019s a sort of misogyny that comes into play as well, as the expectations of an eldest daughter \u2014 caretaking and catering to those around her \u2014 are often gendered in nature.<\/p>\n Swift, who has one younger brother, Austin, alludes to the loss of identity and softness that comes with being an eldest daughter, as she sings, \u201cEverybody\u2019s so punk on the internet \/ Everyone\u2019s so unbothered \u2018til their not \/ Every joke\u2019s just trolling and memes \/ Sad as it seems, apathy is hot.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Online, some women who identify as having eldest daughter syndrome have praised Swift\u2019s lyrics, saying how deeply it resonates with them.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of eldest daughters aren\u2019t seen as traditionally cool, because traditionally cool is chill, laid back, go with the flow, vibing,\u201d said Sherri Lu, founder of Eldest Daughter Club, in an Instagram post<\/a>. \u201cBut eldest daughters are typically the planners, type A, making sure that everyone is OK, the group mom.\u201d<\/p>\n The meaning behind Swift\u2019s \u201cEldest Daughter\u201d also appears to be twofold. While it seems she\u2019s commenting on the familial obligations that come with being the first-born daughter \u2014 it\u2019s possible she\u2019s also speaking to the burden of being a metaphorical eldest daughter in the music industry. Swift is no stranger to the pressures of perfectionism and perils of public scrutiny in her professional life.<\/p>\n Swift, as both a mega pop star and first-born daughter, shoulders colossal expectations, as she sings, \u201cEvery eldest daughter \/ Was the first lamb to the slaughter \/ So we all dressed up as wolves and we looked at the fire<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Fans have also pointed out that \u201cEldest Daughter\u201d is, in many respects, a love letter to Swift\u2019s fianc\u00e9, Travis Kelce, who is the youngest child<\/a> in his family. Just as she laments her loss of childhood and the pressures of having to uphold a certain image, both at home and in her career, Swift knows the type of partner she wants to be.<\/p>\n Swift articulates this very fact on the chorus, where she acknowledges her inherent softness and vows to show up for Kelce no matter what: \u201cBut I\u2019m not a bad bitch, and this isn\u2019t savage \/ But I\u2019m never gonna let you down\/ I\u2019m never gonna leave you out \/ So many traitors, smooth operators \/ But I\u2019m never gonna break that vow\/ I\u2019m never gonna leave you now.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n With \u201cEldest Daughter,\u201d Swift once again delivers a deeply poignant fifth track. She no longer concerns herself with needing to be everything for everyone \u2014 and she\u2019s finally prioritizing who she is and who she loves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n