Well, the Swifties turned out to be right, as Swift's countdown led to the release of her new single, "ME!" featuring Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco. The song is lighthearted and fun, and its accompanying music video is whimsical and nothing short of that. In an Instagram live stream with Swift, Urie said that the song was a celebration.
Taylor Swift - ME! (feat. Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco)www.youtube.com
In that same live stream, Swift said that there are a lot of easter eggs in the music video and that not all of them have been pointed out by fans. Her official fan club, Taylor Nation, revealed on Twitter that the #TS7 album title is featured in the music video. As one can imagine, Swifties have put on their thinking caps and practically became investigators overnight.
Here are seven of the most popular theories among fans regarding Taylor Swift's upcoming album.
1. Kaleidoscope.
GiphySwifties have been speculating that #TS7 could be titled "Kaleidoscope" for several reasons. For one, Taylor Swift herself said that she alluded to her past lyric from the "1989" track "Welcome to New York," where she said:
"A kaleidoscope of loud / heartbeats under coats"
In the music video, Brendon Urie reveals his heart under his own coat, where he opens it up and it turns into a kaleidoscope. The beginning of the "ME!" video also includes imagery of a snake, which ultimately became a symbol for Swift's "Reputation" album after Kim Kardashian infamously called Swift one circa 2016. The snake in the video combusts and turns into a group of fluttering butterflies, which is called—you guessed it—a kaleidoscope.
2. Lover.
GiphyIn the "ME!" video, there is a neon sign that reads "lover" next to a building with unicorn architecture. This seems like an incredibly obvious easter egg, but it could still be a clue. Some even guessed that the hint could be "blue-eyed lover" since the eyes on the unicorn are bright blue. There's no telling, but this could possibly lead to something bigger.
3. Home.
"Take me home 💗" wrote Taylor Swift on Instagram 42 weeks ago when she visited her childhood home.
Let's just start by saying this theory seems like the most legitimate of them all for several reasons. Fans dug deep into Swift's Instagram and found a photo from 42 weeks ago when she visited her childhood home and wrote: "Take me home 💗." This could just be an allusion to her 2014 song "Style," but this next part of the theory leads some to believe otherwise.
There has been a lot of speculation regarding the stark contrast between the "ME!" music video and the "Reputation" era. For one, the lyrical content on "Rep" was darker and more mysterious than Swift's past albums and its visuals included a darker color scheme. Obviously, "ME!" is a lighthearted number with a rainbow full of pastel colors. Some fans were quick to point out that this contrast is reminiscent of Glinda the good witch and the Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz." Upon further research, fans started noticing the similarities in imagery between "ME!" and "Oz." The flying men, the brick road, clouds, and pastel colors.
Some said that #TS7 could be Swift finding her way back to her roots, a.k.a home.
4. Thirteen.
Longtime fans of Taylor Swift know that her lucky number is thirteen. For many years, Swift would draw the number on her hand with eyeliner before her live shows. She also claimed that whenever she has been seated in the thirteenth row or seat at an award show, that she wins somehow. Not to mention that she was born on the thirteenth of December. Swift always finds a way to incorporate her lucky number into her career. Fans are speculating that her next album could be named "13," and some have pointed out that the title sequence in the "ME!" video can represent the number when flipped and turned upside down. This one might be a reach, but there's no doubt that Swift will incorporate thirteen somehow this era.
5. There's a lot of cool CHICKS out there.
The Dixie Chicks' "cameo" in Taylor Swift's "ME!" music video.
Because Swift penned a lyric saying "there's a lot of cool chicks out there," the "ME!" video contains a wall full of portraits of baby chickens in sunglasses. However, those aren't the only chicks she's alluding to— there's a dramatic photo of controversial country trio The Dixie Chicks, who Swift has looked up to since her own country days. Perhaps Swift is just paying homage to them or hinting that there's a collaboration on #TS7.
6. A possible release date, perhaps?
GiphyIn her Instagram live stream with Urie, Swift hinted that fans should be counting the briefcases and clouds that surround her in the video. There's a possibility that those numbers are significant as Swift pointed them out herself. There's a total of seven pastel briefcases and thirteen clouds that surround Swift in the lobby scene. Perhaps it could be the next date to look out for, whether it's her next single or album release. If that's the case, July 13 could be a big day for Swifties.
7. The writing's on the wall.
Nashville, TN— Taylor Swift poses with a "ME!" inspired mural, created by artist Kelsey Montague, at the Gulch.
Taylor Swift / Instagram
Leading up to the release of "ME!," Swift collaborated with artist Kelsey Montague on a mural in Nashville, Tennessee. Montague is renowned for her wing work, but what's different about this particular piece are the nods to Taylor and the "ME!" music video. There's a total of three cats on the mural, each representing Swift's pets Meredith, Olivia, and Benjamin. In the mural, there are thirteen hearts and five stars— which could possibly represent thirteen tracks on #TS7 with five of them being singles.
These theories seem pretty legit, but Swift and Taylor Nation are not budging as nothing has been confirmed yet. It's time we accept that the truth will be confirmed whenever we receive #TS7.
