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Taylor Swift<\/a>\u2018s \u201cThe Fate of Ophelia\u201d music video is now streaming on YouTube<\/a>, following an exclusive early release to movie theaters in the U.S. on Friday (Oct. 3).<\/p>\n Written and directed by Swift herself, the music video for \u201cThe Fate of Ophelia\u201d made it online Sunday night (Oct. 5). The reference-filled visual has the pop star playing several parts, or showing several sides \u2014 among them the once ill-fated Ophelia of William Shakespeare\u2019s Hamlet<\/em>, the lead in a Golden Age Hollywood movie musical, a frontwoman to a 1960s girl group, and the modern Swift showgirl that audiences know and love.<\/p>\n More from Billboard<\/strong><\/p>\n Of course, Swift\u2019s single imagines an Ophelia who makes her way out of a destined tragic ending.<\/p>\n In the accompanying music video (seen below), Swift crawls out of an on-set version of a Sir John Everett Millais painting circa the 1850s that famously depicts Ophelia\u2019s drowning. She performs different iterations of a \u201cFate of Ophelia\u201d show \u2014 in homage to the likenesses of Marilyn Monroe in one scene and Ronnie Spector\/The Ronettes in another, and center soundstage in an Anything Goes<\/em>-inspired ensemble \u2014 and ends up soaking in her bathtub by the clip\u2019s end. She\u2019s presumably exhausted after playing all the parts, but still quite alive.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Fate of Ophelia\u201d music video wraps with the image that became the official album cover for Swift\u2019s newly released The Life of a Showgirl<\/em>.<\/p>\n Earlier on Sunday, Swift\u2019s team posted a short interview clip<\/a> that has the singer-songwriter explaining how the album art came to be.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was this moment in the photo shoot [with photographers Mert Ala\u015f and Marcus Piggott] right at the end of the day, the last setup, I\u2019m in this bathtub in this bedazzled dress,\u201d she said. \u201cThey take my picture. I see it on the monitor. I see it pop up. Even though it was at the weirdest angle, and I\u2019m in the bathtub, I\u2019m just like, \u2018That\u2019s the cover.\u2019 And it was.\u201d<\/p>\n She added, \u201cI went and looked at the picture like, \u2018Yeah. That\u2019s it.\u2019 I think it represents to me that you\u2019ve done all this work, you\u2019ve done a three-and-a-half hour show, you\u2019ve done the lead-up to it, you\u2019ve done the warm-ups, you\u2019ve gotten through it.\u00a0Anything that could\u2019ve gone wrong, you sidestepped. You finally get back, what do you do? You take a bath.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I do in those situations,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s like that moment of relaxation. That moment the cameras are down, the lights are off. What do you have to say? What\u2019s your story? Who are you then? That\u2019s really the story of this album.\u201d<\/p>\n Opening-day album sales<\/a> for The Life of a Showgirl<\/em>, as reported by data tracking firm Luminate, reached 2.7 million on its first day of release (Oct. 3). That tally counts traditional album sales (physical and digital purchases) across all versions of the album. It marks Swift\u2019s biggest week ever, and the second-largest sales week for any album since Luminate began electronically tracking data in 1991; Adele currently holds the largest sales week with 25<\/em>. Further news of Showgirl<\/em>\u2018s first-week building sales and streaming activity will be available in the coming days.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Fate of Ophelia\u201d music video was first shown in theaters as part of The Release Party of a Showgirl<\/em>, Swift\u2019s theatrical event that opened at No. 1 at the box office<\/a> this weekend. The screening featured the music video premiere and behind-the-scenes footage from making it, plus Swift\u2019s commentary on all 12 songs from The Life of a Showgirl<\/em> and a first viewing of each track\u2019s lyric video. It also revealed an unexpected co-star appearing in \u201cThe Fate of Ophelia\u201d video: a loaf of Swift\u2019s homemade sourdough bread.<\/p>\n Best of Billboard<\/strong><\/p>\n Sign up for Billboard’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n