Some people dress up in elaborate costumes on Halloween, but this year Taylor Swift is stripping things all the way back. The pop juggernaut surprise released an unplugged CD version of her The Life of a Showgirl hit “The Fate of Ophelia” Thursday night (Oct. 30). The acoustic guitar-forward “The Fate of Ophelia (Alone in My Tower Acoustic Version)” is led by Swift’s strumming and gauzy layers of her vocals in the take that strips aways the original’s bouncing dance pop beat and layers of keyboards, Omnichord, piano and pedal steel.
The song, cowritten and produced by Swift with Max Martin and Shellback, became the singer-songwriter’s 13th No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it has spent three weeks at the pinnacle.
The “Alone in My Tower” remix first arrived for digital download purchase just after 4:30 p.m. ET Tuesday (Oct. 28). Now, it’s available for streaming and to buy as a CD single with a double-sided cover that features an instrumental version to go with the unplugged one. The CD single, which will ship on or around Nov. 14, will be available only until 4 p.m. ET on Friday (Oct. 31). The CD’s jewel case features a double-sided collectible cover with unique artwork from the set of the “Ophelia” video.
Also new is a CD single, likewise available in the same time frame, of the original version of “Ophelia.” It, too, includes an instrumental take of that mix as its second track.
While Swift didn’t drop any singles before Showgirl‘s arrival on Oct. 3, she did release an elaborate music video, which premiered during her The Official Release Party of a Showgirl movie event that screened from Oct. 3 to 5.
The song got another boost this week when Swift’s fiancé, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, appeared to replicate the “Fate of Ophelia” choreography in the end zone after he scored his 100th career touchdown and his 83rd regular-season TD, which tied him with the legendary Priest Holmes for the most in Chiefs history. Like Swift does in the video, Kelce closed his hands into fists and waved his arms up and down in celebration as the singer excitedly cheered him on from a luxury box in the upper level of the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium.
