Taylor Swift Theories

📍 CLE ✨ curator of Taylor Swift theories ✨ long form content ✨ delicate stan ✨ instagram: tswifttheories

[tswifttheories]

#SnakesEatRats: I Analyzed The Leaked Taylor/Kanye Phone Call

And I colored coded the conversation to contrast their stark differences in their behaviors and intentions.

To further support that #TaylorToldTheTruth I have analyzed the full phone call between Taylor Swift and Kanye West.

See the images below for their conversation, and refer to the key to see my interpretation of their intentions.

The video starts with Kanye barking at someone to “lock the door” and wait outside. Afterward, West resumes talking about himself to Taylor, then moves on to ask him to promote his upcoming single.

Taylor responds apprehensively and  subtly questions his intentions.

West says that there’s a controversial line about her in the song, and teases her several times before finally revealing the line.

Taylor’s immediate response is an amalgamation of compliments, apprehension, justification, and advice.

Kanye tells her she doesn’t have to do the Twitter post, but does not mention that he would not do the line if she didn’t give her blessing. Combined with the power imbalance here, it’s clear that Kayne did not intend to relent on the line in any way but was willing to give the appearance of cooperation to use her for promotion.

Taylor continues to lament on her anxieties, none of which Kanye addresses or reassures her of other than to say that his sound would be a “cool thing to have.”

Kanye tells Taylor that he gives a fuck about her as a person and as a friend. He says he wants to make music that makes people feel good. Then, he delves into a rant about Nike, which Taylor politely entertains.

Taylor spends a considerable amount of time thanking Kanye for his willingness to include her on this decision and how nice he is to give her a head’s up rather than doing something unexpected.

Kanye uses this opportunity to segue into Kanye talking about himself and some dumb unexpected shit he did as a publicity stunt, since that’s all his career seems to be mounting up to at this point.

Taylor responded positively. 

Kanye tells taylor that they have a “connection” and that how they met is “really important.” You know, when he yanked the microphone from her when she was 19 years-old to discredit her hard work?

Taylor defended the song by saying that she didn’t think anyone could think it was mean spirited.

Kanye dismissively addresses what she says, then reiterates her idea that they have to pick specific moments to work on really cool material together, then immediately begins rambling.

Kanye then asks “what if” he took credit for her fame in the song.

Taylor responds with clear apprehension, questioning if that was true.

Kanye responds with a vague answer, to which Taylor, completed defeated, asks what she could do about it. Kanye is dismissive of her concerns. She then goes on to defend the line by saying that he was simply speaking his truth, despite the fact that it isn’t the truth.

Taylor asked what the song was called. Kanye said it “might be called Hood Famous.” So, it might be this title… another non-answer to a valid question.

She continues to ask questions about his plans for the song, and inquires whether or not he will attend the Grammys.

The camera dies, but the conversation then picks back up to them still talking about attending the Grammys. Kanye then uses this opportunity to waste several minutes of one of the most famous women on the plant’s time by rambling incoherently in between stroking his ego.

Once Kanye finishes his pointless tangent, Taylor once again takes this opportunity to compliment Kanye, even going as far as saying that she has always respected him, and is always going to respect him. Then, she continued to defend the song and thanked him for his friendship.

Kanye simply said thank you.

Taylor continued, vowing that she would defend Kanye when pressed about the song.

Kanye dismisses what she says and then essentially declares that he’s won her over.

Taylor confirms, and then continues to say that she will defend the line and Kanye when pressed.

Taylor then gives Kanye advice on the line and how to tow the line between respecting his relationship and honoring his artistry. The artistry of spending 8 months to come up with, arguably, a really shitty line.Kanye tells the camera man once the call has ended that they “had to get that on the record.” He then goes on to say that “there’s gotta be three cameras” recording when Taylor explains that line, emphasizing that they can’t miss that part.

Taylor Keeps the Peace Despite Her Concerns

Taylor has to ask twice before West will tell her the lyric in question. West has three false starts before finally revealing the lyric, building Taylor’s anticipation and anxiety of what the line will be.

Taylor specifically cites her fear that West would call her a “bitch” and West did not respond to this.

Taylor spends much of the first half of the conversation lamenting about her anxieties and expressing her discomfort with the idea.

Taylor compliments West numerous times - West does extend the same courtesy to Taylor a single time.

Kanye Is Dismissive and Self-Absorbed

West has three false starts before finally revealing the lyric, building Taylor’s anticipation and anxiety of what the line will be. Using this tactic ensures that Taylor has the worst case scenario in her head (she even said as much during the call) and this allows her to feel ‘relieved’ when it’s not as malicious as she was anticipating. To me, this is another clear power move when Kanye is holding the upper hand and he knows it.

West speaks very highly of himself during  many parts of this conversation.

West gives vague answers to every single question Taylor asks (e.g. he didn’t even tell her the final name of the song, never told her the final cut of the lyric, said it “might” have happened when she asked about a specific line).

West starts off his proposal by citing how many followers she has, indicating he is only pursuing her permission so that he can benefit from her influence. Notably, and obviously, Swift did not promote this song which resulted in West releasing edited footage of this call, which in turn drastically affected her public reception and influence.

West spends a significant portion of the call rambling on incessantly. This reminds me of an episode of MTV’s Boiling Points. I feel as though West did not get what he wanted out of this call, which is why only edited footage was released. Getting Taylor to blow up at him for not shutting the fuck up may have been his plan. Or maybe he frequently starts a thought and has no idea where it’s going.

They Set Out to Destroy Her

Kanye West (39 at the time) and Kim Kardashian (36 at the time) tried to destroy the life, career, and reputation of a 26-year-old woman who only wanted their respect and friendship. They allowed her to be dragged through the mud, called a snake, go into hiding, and constructed an entirely false narrative around her.

Summary & TL;DR

Kanye went into this phone call knowing he would get something he wanted. This phone call was only going to benefit him, and would only serve to keep Taylor in line or ruin her reputation.

It is clear that Taylor wanted the approval of this man - her bully and the man who humiliated her on live TV after winning a major award - so much. She complimented him, defended the song, gave him advice, and was reacted positively to the pitch despite her obvious anxieties.

𝔼𝕏ℙ𝕃𝔸ℕ𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ 𝕆𝔽 𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝕂𝔼𝕐

Taylor

ℙ𝕀ℕ𝕂: anything highlighted in pink is instances where I felt that Taylor was trying to defend the song Famous or convince herself to come around to the idea.

𝕐𝔼𝕃𝕃𝕆𝕎: anything highlighted in yellow are instances where I felt that Taylor was expressing apprehension or concern regarding something that West had said, something he suggested, or something related to the situation as a whole.

𝔹𝕃𝕌𝔼: anything highlighted in blue is Taylor expressing excitement for West or giving him compliments or the benefit of the doubt.

ℙ𝕌ℝℙ𝕃𝔼: anything highlighted in purple is advice that Taylor is giving to West about how the song will be received and what he should do about the line.

𝔾ℝ𝔼𝔼ℕ: anything highlighted in green is Taylor asking questions about what West is talking about or asking questions about his life/upcoming events.

West

ℕ𝔸𝕍𝕐: anything highlighted in navy blue are instances where West is telling either a half-truth or complete lie. Unfortunately, this conversation does not include lies by omission for obvious reasons.

𝕄𝔸ℝ𝕆𝕆ℕ: anything highlighted in maroon are instances where I feel as though West is using manipulative language to get Taylor to agree with what he is asking of her, or complimenting her with an ulterior motive (e.g. you have an army of 2 billion people to promote my song).

𝔾ℝ𝔼𝕐: anything highlighted in grey is West talking about himself, complimenting himself, talking himself up, or diverting the conversation back to himself

𝕆𝕃𝕀𝕍𝔼: anything highlighted in olive is West responding to something Taylor has said without actually acknowledging what she said, and where I perceive him to be continuing his own train of thought rather than having a dialogue with her.

𝔻𝔸ℝ𝕂 ℙ𝕌ℝℙ𝕃𝔼: anything highlighted in dark purple is West going off on a completely unrelated tangent

𝕃𝕀𝕃𝔸ℂ: anything highlighted in lilac is West simply repeating what Taylor said, or rewording something she just said – often comes off as though he is presenting this as his idea.

Twitter: tswifttheories

Instagram: tswifttheories

Reddit: tswifttheories

Maybe I got mine, but you’ll all get yours.

[tswifttheories]

I plan to continue this series during quarantine, but for now I’ve color coded the entire transcript to help guide you through the call and what I believe the intentions were behind each person’s role.

[tswifttheories]

#SnakesEatRats: I Analyzed The Leaked Taylor/Kanye Phone Call

And I colored coded the conversation to contrast their stark differences in their behaviors and intentions.

To further support that #TaylorToldTheTruth I have analyzed the full phone call between Taylor Swift and Kanye West.

See the images below for their conversation, and refer to the key to see my interpretation of their intentions.

The video starts with Kanye barking at someone to “lock the door” and wait outside. Afterward, West resumes talking about himself to Taylor, then moves on to ask him to promote his upcoming single.

Taylor responds apprehensively and  subtly questions his intentions.

West says that there’s a controversial line about her in the song, and teases her several times before finally revealing the line.

Taylor’s immediate response is an amalgamation of compliments, apprehension, justification, and advice.

Kanye tells her she doesn’t have to do the Twitter post, but does not mention that he would not do the line if she didn’t give her blessing. Combined with the power imbalance here, it’s clear that Kayne did not intend to relent on the line in any way but was willing to give the appearance of cooperation to use her for promotion.

Taylor continues to lament on her anxieties, none of which Kanye addresses or reassures her of other than to say that his sound would be a “cool thing to have.”

Kanye tells Taylor that he gives a fuck about her as a person and as a friend. He says he wants to make music that makes people feel good. Then, he delves into a rant about Nike, which Taylor politely entertains.

Taylor spends a considerable amount of time thanking Kanye for his willingness to include her on this decision and how nice he is to give her a head’s up rather than doing something unexpected.

Kanye uses this opportunity to segue into Kanye talking about himself and some dumb unexpected shit he did as a publicity stunt, since that’s all his career seems to be mounting up to at this point.

Taylor responded positively. 

Kanye tells taylor that they have a “connection” and that how they met is “really important.” You know, when he yanked the microphone from her when she was 19 years-old to discredit her hard work?

Taylor defended the song by saying that she didn’t think anyone could think it was mean spirited.

Kanye dismissively addresses what she says, then reiterates her idea that they have to pick specific moments to work on really cool material together, then immediately begins rambling.

Kanye then asks “what if” he took credit for her fame in the song.

Taylor responds with clear apprehension, questioning if that was true.

Kanye responds with a vague answer, to which Taylor, completed defeated, asks what she could do about it. Kanye is dismissive of her concerns. She then goes on to defend the line by saying that he was simply speaking his truth, despite the fact that it isn’t the truth.

Taylor asked what the song was called. Kanye said it “might be called Hood Famous.” So, it might be this title... another non-answer to a valid question.

She continues to ask questions about his plans for the song, and inquires whether or not he will attend the Grammys.

The camera dies, but the conversation then picks back up to them still talking about attending the Grammys. Kanye then uses this opportunity to waste several minutes of one of the most famous women on the plant’s time by rambling incoherently in between stroking his ego.

Once Kanye finishes his pointless tangent, Taylor once again takes this opportunity to compliment Kanye, even going as far as saying that she has always respected him, and is always going to respect him. Then, she continued to defend the song and thanked him for his friendship.

Kanye simply said thank you.

Taylor continued, vowing that she would defend Kanye when pressed about the song.

Kanye dismisses what she says and then essentially declares that he’s won her over.

Taylor confirms, and then continues to say that she will defend the line and Kanye when pressed.

Taylor then gives Kanye advice on the line and how to tow the line between respecting his relationship and honoring his artistry. The artistry of spending 8 months to come up with, arguably, a really shitty line.Kanye tells the camera man once the call has ended that they “had to get that on the record.” He then goes on to say that “there’s gotta be three cameras” recording when Taylor explains that line, emphasizing that they can’t miss that part.

Taylor Keeps the Peace Despite Her Concerns

Taylor has to ask twice before West will tell her the lyric in question. West has three false starts before finally revealing the lyric, building Taylor's anticipation and anxiety of what the line will be.

Taylor specifically cites her fear that West would call her a "bitch" and West did not respond to this.

Taylor spends much of the first half of the conversation lamenting about her anxieties and expressing her discomfort with the idea.

Taylor compliments West numerous times - West does extend the same courtesy to Taylor a single time.

Kanye Is Dismissive and Self-Absorbed

West has three false starts before finally revealing the lyric, building Taylor's anticipation and anxiety of what the line will be. Using this tactic ensures that Taylor has the worst case scenario in her head (she even said as much during the call) and this allows her to feel ‘relieved’ when it’s not as malicious as she was anticipating. To me, this is another clear power move when Kanye is holding the upper hand and he knows it.

West speaks very highly of himself during  many parts of this conversation.

West gives vague answers to every single question Taylor asks (e.g. he didn't even tell her the final name of the song, never told her the final cut of the lyric, said it "might" have happened when she asked about a specific line).

West starts off his proposal by citing how many followers she has, indicating he is only pursuing her permission so that he can benefit from her influence. Notably, and obviously, Swift did not promote this song which resulted in West releasing edited footage of this call, which in turn drastically affected her public reception and influence.

West spends a significant portion of the call rambling on incessantly. This reminds me of an episode of MTV’s Boiling Points. I feel as though West did not get what he wanted out of this call, which is why only edited footage was released. Getting Taylor to blow up at him for not shutting the fuck up may have been his plan. Or maybe he frequently starts a thought and has no idea where it’s going.

They Set Out to Destroy Her

Kanye West (39 at the time) and Kim Kardashian (36 at the time) tried to destroy the life, career, and reputation of a 26-year-old woman who only wanted their respect and friendship. They allowed her to be dragged through the mud, called a snake, go into hiding, and constructed an entirely false narrative around her.

Summary & TL;DR

Kanye went into this phone call knowing he would get something he wanted. This phone call was only going to benefit him, and would only serve to keep Taylor in line or ruin her reputation.

It is clear that Taylor wanted the approval of this man - her bully and the man who humiliated her on live TV after winning a major award - so much. She complimented him, defended the song, gave him advice, and was reacted positively to the pitch despite her obvious anxieties.

𝔼𝕏ℙ𝕃𝔸ℕ𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ 𝕆𝔽 𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝕂𝔼𝕐

Taylor

ℙ𝕀ℕ𝕂: anything highlighted in pink is instances where I felt that Taylor was trying to defend the song Famous or convince herself to come around to the idea.

𝕐𝔼𝕃𝕃𝕆𝕎: anything highlighted in yellow are instances where I felt that Taylor was expressing apprehension or concern regarding something that West had said, something he suggested, or something related to the situation as a whole.

𝔹𝕃𝕌𝔼: anything highlighted in blue is Taylor expressing excitement for West or giving him compliments or the benefit of the doubt.

ℙ𝕌ℝℙ𝕃𝔼: anything highlighted in purple is advice that Taylor is giving to West about how the song will be received and what he should do about the line.

𝔾ℝ𝔼𝔼ℕ: anything highlighted in green is Taylor asking questions about what West is talking about or asking questions about his life/upcoming events.

West

ℕ𝔸𝕍𝕐: anything highlighted in navy blue are instances where West is telling either a half-truth or complete lie. Unfortunately, this conversation does not include lies by omission for obvious reasons.

𝕄𝔸ℝ𝕆𝕆ℕ: anything highlighted in maroon are instances where I feel as though West is using manipulative language to get Taylor to agree with what he is asking of her, or complimenting her with an ulterior motive (e.g. you have an army of 2 billion people to promote my song).

𝔾ℝ𝔼𝕐: anything highlighted in grey is West talking about himself, complimenting himself, talking himself up, or diverting the conversation back to himself

𝕆𝕃𝕀𝕍𝔼: anything highlighted in olive is West responding to something Taylor has said without actually acknowledging what she said, and where I perceive him to be continuing his own train of thought rather than having a dialogue with her.

𝔻𝔸ℝ𝕂 ℙ𝕌ℝℙ𝕃𝔼: anything highlighted in dark purple is West going off on a completely unrelated tangent

𝕃𝕀𝕃𝔸ℂ: anything highlighted in lilac is West simply repeating what Taylor said, or rewording something she just said – often comes off as though he is presenting this as his idea.

Twitter: tswifttheories

Instagram: tswifttheories

Reddit: tswifttheories

Maybe I got mine, but you’ll all get yours.

[tswifttheories]

I Think He Knows... that we’re writing a post about more call backs

𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚢: Taylor linked each of the songs on the album Lover to various parts of past albums by using imagery, lyricism, themes, and more.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚜: unverified 🧡

I’ve seen this theory in fragmented parts all over Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram. Each day, I’m going to break down two songs on the Lover album and indicate how their lyrics, song structure, music video, and more directly relates to previous works of Taylor’s. If you have noticed any direct links to previous works, please feel welcome to DM me.

In I Think He Knows, Taylor alludes to a similar line from the Red song Sad, Beautiful, Tragic. In SBT, Taylor sings “good girls / hopeful they’ll be / long they will wait.” I Think He Knows flips this notion onto its head by saying “he’d better lock it down / or I won’t stick around / ‘cause good ones never wait.” This line and the difference between the two titles is a key lyrics to indicate that Taylor is as confident as ever.

During the bridge of the song, Taylor sings “lyrical smile / indigo eyes / we can follow the sparks” which could be a tie in to her song off Speak Now called Sparks Fly. In Sparks Fly, Taylor sings “I see sparks fly / whenever you smile.” Her mention of both smiles and sparks so close together cannot be a coincidence... especially considering that nothing with Taylor is a coincidence.

Although I would not directly tie this to any specific era, Taylor sings about “skipping down 16th ave” which is likely a reference to Music Row in Nashville. Taylor kickstarted her career on Music Row, so this could potentially link I Think He Knows to her debut album.

What do you think? Have I missed any connections to I Think He Knows and Taylor’s past work?

[tswifttheories]

The Archer’s links to past works

𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚢: Taylor linked each of the songs on the album Lover to various parts of past albums by using imagery, lyricism, themes, and more.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚜: unverified 🧡

I’ve seen this theory in fragmented parts all over Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram. Each day, I’m going to break down two songs on the Lover album and indicate how their lyrics, song structure, music video, and more directly relates to previous works of Taylor’s. If you have noticed any direct links to previous works, please feel welcome to DM me.

Lyrically, there are 3 main call backs to talk away from The Archer.

First, when Taylor sings “cruelty wins in the movies” it seems to be a call back to the Speak Now bonus track If This Were a Movie.

“I never grew up” is another call back to Speak Now. Never Grow Up is, of course, a track on her self-penned third album.

Finally, when Taylor says “help me hold on to you,” it is easy to connect this line to New Year’s Day. In this song, she sings “hold on to the memories / they will hold on to you.”

In the Delicate music video, Taylor becomes invisible and those around her “see right through” her, which is what she chants just before the bridge.

The Archer has very obvious tie-ins to the song I Know Places off 1989. Though none of the lyrics are borrowed, imagery is heavily similar between the two songs.

[tswifttheories]

The Man and its link to prior works

𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚢: Taylor linked each of the songs on the album Lover to various parts of past albums by using imagery, lyricism, themes, and more.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚜: unverified 🧡

I’ve seen this theory in fragmented parts all over Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram. Each day, I’m going to break down two songs on the Lover album and indicate how their lyrics, song structure, music video, and more directly relates to previous works of Taylor’s. If you have noticed any direct links to previous works, please feel welcome to DM me.

Taylor has three interesting lyrical tie ins to her previous works in The Man.

Early in this song, Taylor says “I’d be a fearless leader” which could be a call back to her sophomore album Fearless.

Taylor then goes on and sings, “When everyone believes ya / What’s that like?” This is an interesting parallel to her 2010 song Innocent where she sings “Wasn’t it beautiful when you believed in everything / And everybody believed in you?“ This song is about Kanye West, so I think the tie in to The Man is very interesting.

Finally, Taylor resurrects an old favorite using the line “let the players play” which is, of course, a line borrowed from 1989’s lead single Shake It Off.

Thematically, Taylor discusses early on in The Man what is essentially her “long list of ex-lovers” which is a tie in to Blank Space. Though, of course, she did not explicitly says this line, I think that it is also important to explore themes that link to previous work.

[tswifttheories]

How Lover is linked to previous works.

𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚢: Taylor linked each of the songs on the album Lover to various parts of past albums by using imagery, lyricism, themes, and more.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚜: unverified 🧡

I’ve seen this theory in fragmented parts all over Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram. Each day, I’m going to break down two songs on the Lover album and indicate how their lyrics, song structure, music video, and more directly relates to previous works of Taylor’s. If you have noticed any direct links to previous works, please feel welcome to DM me. Your link may be included in an upcoming post.

The use of “my, my, my” is considered a call back to Mary’s song, a song about two people with a two year age gap, just like Taylor and Joe.

Taylor sings “I’ve loved you three summers now,” which is reminiscent of the line “in a box beneath my bed / is a letter that you never read / from three summers back” from her first single, Tim McGraw.

Lover is not the first time that Taylor has called Joe ‘magnetic’ - if you recall, she said his “magnetic field” was strong in the song Gorgeous.

Of course, the link to Lover and Taylor’s previous work is most telling in the music video. Not only does Taylor directly link Lover to her 1989 song “You Are In Love” by having the music video take place in a snow globe, but each scene of the music video is meant (likely) meant to be indicative of a previous album.

Credit: @grizzwift for this last piece! Great catch.

[tswifttheories]

Exploring Taylor’s links in Lover to past work.

𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚢: Taylor linked each of the songs on the album Lover to various parts of past albums by using imagery, lyricism, themes, and more.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚜: unverified 🧡

I’ve seen this theory in fragmented parts all over Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram. Each day, I’m going to break down two songs on the Lover album and indicate how their lyrics, song structure, music video, and more directly relates to previous works of Taylor’s. If you have noticed any direct links to previous works, please feel welcome to DM me. Your link may be included in an upcoming post.

This song is not the first time that Taylor has drawn parallels between the men she dates and toys. In this song, she sings “shiny toy with a price” which is a call back to the lyric “toyin’ with them older guys” from the song Don’t Blame Me on reputation.

There’s a piece of merch that kind of always... perplexed us from the reputation era. There was a patch with dice on it that said “Little Games” but was a pastel pink, which very much did not align with the reputation aesthetic. In Cruel Summer, Taylor sings “devils roll the dice / angels roll their eyes.” I think it’s also very interesting that the numbers of the dice are 13... broken up into a 5 and a 3 on one, and a 2 and a 3 on the other. Or, more simply, 8/23... also known as Lover’s release date.

“Cut the headlights” could also be a call back to 1989’s Style where she sings “you come and pick me up / no headlights.”

The line “snuck through the garden gate / every night that summer” is a call back to the poem If You’re Anything Like Me. In this poem, which was printed in one of the two copies of the reputation magazines, she says the following: “you never wanted to lock your door / your secret garden gate.”

The idea of a secret relationship is mentioned in this song in the line “I don’t wanna keep secrets just to keep you.” This line draws parallels to the songs Dress, King of My Heart, Dancing with Our Hands Tied and I Know Places, all of which are about keeping your love a secret or hiding it from the world. Taylor also used the word ‘pining’ to describe the relationship in this song during the Secret Sessions, which is a word she also used in the song Dress.

During the Secret Sessions, Taylor directly related Cruel Summer to Out of the Woods when talking about the ranting chorus she put together with Jack Antonoff.

[tswifttheories]

Did Taylor intentionally link Lover to her past work?

𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚢: Taylor linked each of the songs on the album Lover to various parts of past albums by using imagery, lyricism, or themes.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚜: unverified 🧡

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

I’ve seen this theory in fragmented parts all over Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram. Over the next 9 days, I’m going to break down two songs per day off the Lover album and indicate how their lyrics, song structure, music video, and more directly relates to previous works of Taylor’s. If you have noticed any direct links to previous works, please feel welcome to DM me. Your link may be included in an upcoming post.

During the Secret Sessions, Taylor explicitly said that the first track was chosen as a way to complete the grieving process that was reputation. This directly links reputation to the song I Forgot That You Existed.

I think that another part of this song being linked to previous albums and eras is the line “your name on my lips” which is a clear call back to Last Kiss from the album Speak Now, where she closes the song by repeating “forever the name on my lips.”

What do you think? Is Taylor intentionally linking the first album that she owns to her previous albums that she lost to Scott and Scooter?

[tswifttheories]

Lover Song Title Easter Eggs

EASTER EGG SUNDAY 🥚⠀⠀

For our first Easter egg Sunday, we are going to explore the Easter Eggs Taylor left us regarding the song titles for the Lover album. I’ve not been able to identify an Easter egg for every song, but I did find a surprising amount. Let me know if you find any that I missed!

1. I Forgot That You Existed

2. Cruel Summer

In the You Need to Calm Down video, we can see Ellen getting this tattooed on her forearm.

3. Lover

Of course, the title track’s name can be seen in the background during the ME! music video.

4. The Man

Taylor alluded to this track when dancing in a pastel suit during the ME! music video.

5. The Archer

We can see Hayley Kiyoko in the You Need to Calm Down music video shooting at a target with a bow and arrow.

6. I Think He Knows

7. Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince

8. Paper Rings

There is a paper ring that can be seen in the ME! lyric video.

9. Cornelia Street

Cornelia Street is thought to have been hinted at during the last scene of ME! when Brendon and Taylor are dancing together.

10. Death By A Thousand Cuts

11. London Boy

We can see the London skyline during the ME! music video.

12. Soon You’ll Get Better (Feat. Dixie Chicks)

We can see a portrait of an old promotional shot of the Dixie Chicks during the ME! video... although, I do concede this is not technically a song title Easter egg.

13. False God

14. You Need To Calm Down

Brendon says this bit of dialogue to Taylor at the beginning of the ME! music video.

15. Afterglow

16. ME! (Feat. Brendon Urie)

Taylor posted a picture of herself on Instagram with the caption ME! prior to the release of the lead single.

17. It’s Nice To Have A Friend

18. Daylight

During her interview with ELLE, Taylor said “step into the daylight and let it go.”

[tswifttheories]

A Mister Rogers theory.

𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚢: Taylor will have a song on the soundtrack for the upcoming Mister Rogers biopic.⠀⠀⠀⠀

𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚜: unverified 🧡

With all the hype since the release of You Need to Calm Down and The Archer, it can be easy to forget about the Easter Eggs that were bestowed upon us in the form of pins on a jean jacket. Perhaps not each pin is indicative of “what’s to come” but the Mister Rogers pin on Taylor’s jacket may indicate that we can expect another song after Lover.

If you’re in the Mister Rogers fan club (which, you should be, as it includes members such as Taylor Swift and myself), you may recall that Tom Hanks is set to star in a biopic about the children’s television star. In September, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, with a world wide release in late November.

A song for the upcoming film would, of course, not be the first time that Taylor has appeared on a film soundtrack. Taylor released a song for the Valentine’s Day soundtrack, a collaboration with Zayn for 50 Shades of Grey, as well as two songs for The Hunger Games soundtrack. I think the most similar example would be the song that she did for One Chance, a biopic about Paul Potts. This was a smaller movie about Paul Potts, and Taylor was inspired by Paul’s love for her husband and wrote Sweeter Than Fiction. Her speaking about Paul Potts and his wife reminds me a lot of what she has said about Mister Rogers as of late.

Of course, Taylor does not tend to release songs independent from albums so close to an album release. However, this could be because of her relationship with BMG. Taylor had to fight to have the opportunity to release Sweeter Than Fiction. She has more creative control over her work with her relationship with Republic.

I think that it’s interesting to note that both Taylor and Mister Rogers had an obsession with numbers. Mister Rogers loved the number 143, as it stands for the number of letters in I love you. He intentionally weighed 143 pounds for much of his life. His fascination with the number 143 reminds me a lot of Taylor’s affinity for the number 13.

Unrelated but also sort of related: the person who is on board to do the score for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is named Nate Heller. Taylor’s bassist is named Amos Heller... no relation... I checked.

What do you think? Are we likely to get a bonus song for the release of the Mister Rogers biopic?

[tswifttheories]

A bundle of Track 5 theories.

𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚢: Track 5 will be announced today and released on Friday... plus some other fun theories regarding today’s announcement.

𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚜: unverified 🧡

After the announcement of Taylor’s live stream yesterday, many are under the impression that Taylor will be announcing the release of another single (though, this could be a promotional single rather than a radio single.) To compound on this theory, many are under the impression that Taylor will be releasing Track 5 as a single due to the imagery used to illustrate her post - the target that Hayley Kiyoko shot in YNTCD.

Of course, we all remember that shot of Hayley Kiyoko from the You Need to Calm Down video shooting at a target with the number 5 at the center. Let’s also not forget that Taylor invited Hayley on stage to sing with her on 7/26/18. Releasing the single on Friday would give Track 5 a release date of 7/26/19... a full year after Taylor and Hayley first performed together.

Another theory I’ve seen floating around regarding Track 5 is the title. Because Hayley shoots an arrow at a 5 in YNTCD, and because Lover has an arrow going through the O in the ME! Music video, many have come to the conclusion that Track 5 will be called Lover. This is not far fetched as Fearless, Speak Now, and Red all have namesakes on their respective albums. Perhaps Taylor is falling back into her old routine?

Taylor did like a post on Tumblr that said “track five is really about to shoot an arrow through my heart isn’t it?” This like has only further fed into the theory that Track 5 will be part of today’s announcement.

I think it is important to point out that Taylor wore a Track 5 pin for her Entertainment Weekly photo shoot. Of course, this pin is reminiscent of the pillar that can be seeing at the train station in the Delicate music video. Many have pointed out that, perhaps, Track 5 on lover will be a continuation of Delicate.

Some other theories I have seen floating around regarding this announcement: Taylor will have 5 collaborations on Lover, Taylor and Jack Antonoff collaborated on track 5, there are 5 bonus tracks on the deluxe editions, Track 5 is about her court case, Track 5 is called Track 5.

Something something there were five holes in the fence.

What do you think today’s live stream will be about? How would you feel about a collaboration on Track 5? What will we learn during Taylor’s live stream?

[tswifttheories]

A Hayley Kiyoko Collaboration

𝕮𝖔𝖑𝖑𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝕾𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘

This is the fifth post in a series about the collaboration theories that have been floating around.

𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚢: Lover will feature a collaboration with Hayley Kiyoko.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚜: unverified 🧡

Back in 2018, Taylor fans were... up in arms, to say the least, about a comment that Hayley Kiyoko made about Taylor. Essentially, Hayley was told by a music executive that creating another music video centered around women was unoriginal. Hayley responded by saying that Taylor does the same thing, but in a heterosexual relationship. Before Taylor’s fans could drag Hayley, Taylor came to her defense. This brief interaction spurred a friendship between the two.

During the Reputation Stadium Tour, Taylor invited Hayley on stage at Gillette Stadium to perform her song Curious.

Less than 5 months later, Hayley and Taylor shared a stage again at an LGBTQ fundraiser sponsored by the Ally Coalition where they performed Delicate together.

Hayley Kiyoko was also mentioned in the Entertainment Weekly article that was put out in early May.

Hayley has also been very supportive of Taylor on both Twitter and Instagram through liking various pieces of her content.

This all came to a head earlier today when Taylor released the trailer for the music video You Need to Calm Down. The music video is filled with LGBTQ icons including, the Fab 5, Laverne Cox, Ellen, and... Hayley. YNTCD has positive lyrics about the LGBTQ community, and this has some considering the possibility of a collaboration between the two on Lover.

What do you think? Will Taylor collaborate with Hayley?

[tswifttheories]

A Katy Perry Collaboration

𝕮𝖔𝖑𝖑𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝕾𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘

This is the fourth post in a series about the collaboration theories that have been floating around.⠀

𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚢: TS7 will feature a collaboration with Katy Perry.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚜: unverified 🧡

Well, if there was ever a convenient time to be running a collaboration series, it’s now! If you keep up with the fandom even a little, you’ll recall your feed being flooded with a plate of seemingly innocent chocolate chip cookies. However, these cookies have prompted some to believe that Katy and Taylor are... baking up a collab. Let me explain.

There’s several reasons why a Taylor and Katy collab may be on the way. Let’s return to the cookie post. On that post, Katy used a GeoTag to tag Let’s Be Friends.

Because of the GeoTag, many are now under the impression that the Friends pins on the Entertainment Weekly jacket were indicative of this KPxTS collab.

Oh, and let’s not forget the fact that the counter in the background? Yeah, that’s in Taylor’s NY apartment.

Additionally, Katy also posted a video on her Instagram story with a very familiar background. It’s been pointed out that Katy was - where else - Taylor’s studio.

Furthermore, many have pointed out that Taylor included Never Really Over as the 13th song on her Playlist by ME! As we know, nothing is a coincidence with Taylor.

It’s also been pointed out that both have referenced the phrase ‘let it go’ as of late. Katy referenced it in her music video for Never Really Over. Taylor used it in her ELLE article - ‘step into the daylight and let it go.’ Of course, many now believe that perhaps this is the title of the collab.

Finally, both have used the orange heart emoji recently. Taylor for her recent post saying au revoir to Paris and Katy during the infamous cookie post. I’m not saying this is especially significant but...

What do you think? Is a collab between the two rock solid? Will Taylor announce more details at 5 EST today?

[tswifttheories]

A Troye Sivan Collaboration

𝕮𝖔𝖑𝖑𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝕾𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘

This is the third post in a series about the collaboration theories that have been floating around.

𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚘𝚛𝚢: TS7 will feature a collaboration with Troye Sivan.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚜: unverified 🧡

We first caught a glimpse of Taylor’s endorsements of Troye wayyyy back in 2015. Taylor sent out a Tweet about Troye’s EP WILD being “stunning and awesome.” The Taylor seal of approval had a great impact on Troye - his global streams on Spotify increased by 20% immediately.

Charli XCX has collaborated more than once with Troye. They have a song called 1999, as well as one called 2099 that was just recently released. Of course, Charli toured with Taylor during her Reputation Stadium Tour.

Because of that, it comes as no surprise that Taylor invited Troye to sing his song My My My with her during night 2 on the Rose Bowl.

Shortly after this, Troye had an interview with Variety. During this interview, he was asked who his dream collaborator was. His answer was - surprise, surprise - Taylor Swift. He even said just writing with her would be amazing - he didn’t even need a duet to be happy.

Rumors began to swirl even more when Taylor wore her Entertainment Weekly jacket. A pin with a photo of a young Troye Sivan can be seen on her jacket.

What do you think about all of this? Will Troye be a collaborator on TS7?

[tswifttheories]

An Ed Sheeran Collaboration

𝕮𝖔𝖑𝖑𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝕾𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘

This is the second post in a series about the collaboration theories that have been floating around.

THEORY: Taylor is collaborating with Ed Sheeran.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

STATUS: unverified 🧡

Ed Sheeran is another fan favorite for a collaboration. Taylor mentioned during her interview with Entertainment weekly, it was stated that TS7 will feature collaborators old and new.

The two have collaborated in the past on songs such as Everything Has Changed and End Game. These, of course, were both featured on Taylor’s own albums. Taylor and Ed have not collaborated on songs that were on Ed’s own album.

With Ed’s new album coming out featuring only collaborations, speculations have begun flying that Taylor will be featured on one of the songs. Of all the tracks that Taylor could be collaborating with Ed on, Antisocial seems to be the favorite. I’ve also seen Cross Me mentioned... and pretty much every other song on Ed’s album, 6. In the end, we may not know the result of this theory until July 12 when Ed’s album is released.

I want to add this bit on because I think this helped shape some of the theories behind which song Ed and Taylor are collaborating on. On May 26th, Taylor and Ed were both in France at the same time. Many believed that this would lead to the announcement of Taylor’s second single, which would of course feature Ed. Or perhaps Ed would announce his collaboration with Taylor. In the end, neither announcement happened and fans were left theorizing.

What do you think? Will we be getting a collaboration between Taylor and Ed? Will it be on Ed’s album or TS7?

[tswifttheories]

A Dixie Chicks Collaboration

This is a post archived from an earlier Instagram theory. I am migrating it over to Tumblr as it fits nicely with my ongoing collaboration series.

THEORY: TS7 will feature a collaboration with The Dixie Chicks.

STATUS: confirmed

We were first introduced to the prospect of a Taylor Swift and Dixie Chicks partnership back during the 1989 tour when Taylor brought out Natalie Maines to sing “Goodbye Earl.”

Then, in her Elle UK write up, Taylor mentioned both Panic! At The Disco and The Dixie Chicks. Of course, once ME! was announced, it was insinuated that name dropping P!ATD this was an intentional Easter Egg and many believe that this is indicative that Taylor will be collaborating with The Dixie Chicks.

ME! only solidified these theories further by featuring an old press photo of The Dixie Chicks on the “cool chicks” wall.

This all came to a head when Taylor came clean during her interview with Entertainment and said that she did, in fact, mention P!ATD intentionally. In this same video, Taylor mentions that one of her favorite ways to drop Easter Eggs is to use clothing... and she just so happens to be wearing a Dixie Chicks pin on the cover of this magazine.

I do think that it’s important to mention that one of the main album title theories is “Home” - a album name that would share with The Dixie Chicks.

Finally, Natalie Maines posted that she was working with Jack Antonoff several times throughout the past year. Of course, Taylor is good friend with Jack has collaborated with him on her previous two albums. It should also be mentioned that TS7 wrapped around the same time that Jack was working with Natalie.

How would you feel about Taylor collaborating with The Dixie Chicks? Will she make a return to her country routes?

[tswifttheories]

A Paul McCartney Collaboration

This is the first post in a series about the collaboration theories that have been floating around.

THEORY: Taylor is collaborating with Paul McCartney.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

STATUS: partly true

WHY IS THIS PARTLY TRUE? Taylor announced her collaboration with Stella McCartney, Paul’s daughter. Though it’s not a musical collaboration, it’s excited to see Taylor dabble with a fashion collaboration with a well established designer.

Paul McCartney. He’s obviously an icon, and Taylor is and always has been a big fan. We first got a glimpse of the duo when they performed Shake It Off together after the 40th anniversary party for SNL. And we can’t forget that time that Taylor “saved” Dave Grohl at one of McCartney’s parties.

But, the collaboration theory all started with a little blue dress by Stella McCartney. You know, the one she wore to the BAFTAs and tagged Stella in? Of course - Stella is Paul’s daughter.

Taylor has worn her designs quite frequently since the release of ME! - most recently at her Wango Tango performance. I DO want to point out that Taylor mentioned that there was an Easter Egg in her WT performance... however, she did also say that the Easter Egg was hidden in the set design.

This, along with her mention of Paul as an inspiration for Time 100 has lead fans to believe that there will be a collaboration on TS7 between the two.

“𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚊𝚝 𝙿𝚊𝚞𝚕 𝙼𝚌𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚗𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚑𝚎’𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚣𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚛—𝚑𝚎’𝚜 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚗𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚛𝚝,” 𝚂𝚠𝚒𝚏𝚝 𝚜𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚛 𝙱𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚕𝚎, 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚋𝚞𝚖, 𝙴𝚐𝚢𝚙𝚝 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝟽𝟼. “𝙷𝚎’𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎, 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚜𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚛.”⠀⠀⠀

Paul also has a song about Taylor’s fans called “Who Cares”. I know that fits in here somehow but I can’t place how, exactly.

I also think that it’s worth mentioning that Taylor did an interview with Pattie Boyd for Harper’s Bazaar in late 2018. If you’re not sure who Pattie Boyd is - she was married to George Harrison during Beatlemania.

How would you feel about a collab between Paul and Taylor? What do you think it would sound like?