Taylor Swift fans love a good theory—especially when it comes to her music. Before she released her sixth studio album, Reputation, in November 2017, Swifties were running rampant with theories about what her next era would be. At one point they thought the new album was going to be about space—like, the actual stars and planets. And the evidence was there (though it ended up not being true). The FBI honestly needs to recruit new agents from the Taylor Swift fan base, because their sleuthing skills are unparalleled.
And now they're at it again. Roughly 14 months after Reputation, the Swifties are convinced Taylor's next era—which we'll call TS7—is upon us. As always, they have the receipts to back it up.
Swift, for what it's worth, is well aware these theories are out there. She posted a photo of her cat, Olivia Benson, making a funny face and captioned it, "She just read all the theories."
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So let's go through them. Below, check out (1) all the reasons Swifties think new music is coming soon, and (2) what that new music could be.
Swift has allegedly talked about releasing new music this year. Perez Hilton claims Swift told him she plans to release new music before her thirtieth birthday, which is in December 2019. Also, keep in mind that at last year's American Music Awards, Swift said this: "I always look at albums as chapters in my life. And I'm so—to the fans, I'm so happy that you like this one. I'm so happy that this means that you like this one. But I have to be really honest with you about something: I'm even more excited about the next chapter." This at least hints Swift is working on new material.
The Scrabble saga of October 2018. A few months back, Swift posted a photo of herself playing Scrabble with her mom. The letters she had on display were B, I, O, I, E, letters whose point values, ironically, add up to seven. Swift fans were quick to point this out and suggest it was a nod to TS7.
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Seven palm trees means…TS7? On Sunday (February 24), Swift posted a photo of palm trees and captioned it with seven corresponding emojis. This is yet another reference to that number and further fuels the idea new music is coming.
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The stamps in Swift's fan calendar. As BuzzFeed points out, specific dates are "stamped" on Swift's 2019 fan calendar: April 13, May 13, July 13, August 13, and December 13. The consensus? Swift is making a big announcement soon, and April 13 could be the first major date connected to it.
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YouTube is also doing something fishy. Swift has 245 videos uploaded to the site, but only 243 are visible, according to BuzzFeed. This could mean she has two clips prepared to drop after this countdown. Orrr it could just be two old clips she doesn't want to release. The first theory is more exciting.
Well, that depends on which fan you ask. Palm trees, though, seem to hold significance. A Reputation promo photo of Swift features her wearing a jacket with seven palm trees. The trees also show up in the "End Game" and "Delicate" videos.
Also, consider the placement of the palm trees in Swift's Instagram pic. There are four on the left, two on the right, and one in the middle. One fan posits the first four represent Swift's country albums, while the last two are her pop ones. TS7 lands right in the middle, which leads some to think it will be a country-pop fusion or something totally new.
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The word eternal also keeps popping up. It was stitched on the dress she wore to the 2018 Billboard Music Awards. Palm trees, if you're curious, symbolize "triumph, peace, and eternal life," according to one fan's Tumblr post. It all comes full circle.
If you're still not convinced the palm trees are a thing… They even show up in the "Look What You Made Me Do" video. If you remember at the end of the clip, when the 13 Swift personas are arguing in front of a plane, there's a fourteenth Taylor sitting behind them. This Mysterious Swift is someone fans had never seen before, and they theorize it's the "real" Taylor Swift. Guess what she's wearing? Palm trees.
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There was also that whole thing about mermaids. In early January, fans noticed mermaids were appearing seemingly everywhere. Swift dressed as Ariel for her New Year's Eve party and was spotted wearing several outfits with mermaids on them. The consensus? TS7 is about mermaids. That's a stretch, but mermaids do play into the palm tree/ethereal aesthetic of everything we just mentioned.
Plus, the flowers. They keep popping up on Swift's Instagram too, which leads one fan to think TS7 will happen in the spring and center on fresh starts and new beginnings. All the evidence above supports this.
Oh, and butterflies. Butterflies are the latest motif Swift's fans are latching onto. On Thursday, March 14, she posted a photo of herself to Instagram and captioned it, "Due to the butterfly migration in Southern California maybe I’ll just stay outside until I head indoors for @iheartradio awards."
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She then captioned this pic with just a butterfly:
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And wore Sophia Webster butterfly shoes to the iHeartRadio Music Awards that night:
Fans now think the new music is about metamorphosis or rebirth.
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Of course, we won't know anything until Swift makes an official announcement, but these theories will certainly keep fans occupied until then.
