Analysis of Translation Techniques in Selected Songs from Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl”

Abstract

This study analyzes the translation techniques used in rendering three selected songs "The Fate of Ophelia," "Elizabeth Taylor," and "Wi$h Li$t" from Taylor Swift’s album The Life of a Showgirl (2025) into Indonesian on Blinkboxmusic.com. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach and close comparative reading, this research utilizes Molina and Albir’s taxonomy of translation techniques as its primary analytical framework. The data were gathered and processed through a four-stage systematic method: transcription, segmentation into translation units, technique classification, and pattern interpretation. The findings reveal that established equivalence, adaptation, modulation, amplification, and discursive creation are the dominant techniques across the corpus. These translation choices demonstrate the challenges of translating culturally layered lyrics while maintaining readability and emotional effect in Indonesian. Furthermore, the study identifies a systematic tendency toward the formalization of colloquial English registers into standard Indonesian, suggesting a domesticating orientation that prioritizes target-language fluency over source-language foreignness. This research contributes to popular music translation studies by exploring how contemporary, culturally embedded western foreign artifacts are mediated and domesticated for Indonesian audiences.